Drake Music : top ten needs for Music Hubs and SEN/D music provision

A few weeks ago, Drake Music published a document listing the 'top ten needs' they've identified for music hubs and SEN/D music provision.

This list sums up previous research and leads into their new Think2020 project, which aims to increase musical opportunities for disabled children and young people through strategic and sustainable partnership work in the music education sector.

It's good list, and the reason we're blogging about it is because we feel strongly about the importance of  partnership working, skillshare and information exchange - especially in our area where it's rural, provision is patchy, and sometimes it is possible to feel isolated.

Here are some recommendations from the list:

- Practitioners working in SEN/D and music (or planning to) need to work towards, or maintain, a ‘hybrid’ set of skills in order to best meet the diverse range of musical and access needs

- Communities of Practice/ teacher networks are vital in order to ‘help teachers to help each other’ get better in their practice and to share ideas and resources. 

- Music Hub activities around learning an instrument – Peripatetic teaching and whole class instrumental sessions – need re-thinking and adapting in order to present an appropriate offer to SEN/ disabled young people. Priorities may well include: flexibility, creativity and performing using appropriate music technology.

We have some training coming up that focuses on exploring good practice for inclusive music. Our team have a wide-ranging experience of working in SEN/D settings and we're really keen to share this experience.

If you think our training can help you to increase musical opportunities for children and young people with additional needs, please book a place!
info@heartbeats.org.uk for more information.

2016 : cultivating ways for working with music and growing our ideas...

On the other side of New Year we have two events coming up that will help us to cultivate our musical ideas and grow the way we work .... we should emerge inspired, informed and ready to bloom.

On January 30th our team of music leaders - Alex, Jane and Russ, are leading a music inclusion training day for our trainees, associates and other professionals. We're calling this 'Joining In' ... exactly what 'inclusion' means to us.

The following weekend, we have an 'in house' training day with music leader extraordinaire Hugh Nankivell.

What a luxury!
If you know anyone that would like to come to 'Joining In' please email for details.

Heart Beats Music on the Sound Connections website

We were pleased to hear from Sound Connections after they read our words about inclusion on the Youth Music blog.
We gave them some information on how we work towards youth participation, and now we're listed on the 'Rewired' section of their website.
Being off in the sticks here in muddy Somerset, it's always good to know you're moving in the right direction, and can have a voice in the national debates and research into inclusion and music.
We feel we work hard to get it right, and part of that is knowing and understanding what other people are doing right across the country, in rural and urban settings. We learn from other people and it's good to have platforms like the Youth Music Network to share our ideas.

Listening Lounge tonight ... feeling seasonal

Tonight we'll be thinking about sharing... it's a seasonal thing.....

Playing music with other people gives us the opportunity to empathise, communicate, and share ideas.
By making space in group music we can welcome people in, inviting them to interact. We can affirm through our responses and participate in joint decisions - all without a word.
A circle of gifts. Magic!

Training opportunity with the AllStars team, January 30th

Joining in : exploring good practice for inclusive music

A CPD day for professionals with Count Me In.

This training day is for professionals who are looking for new ideas and ways to use music inclusively .

Join us for a creative and hands-on day in this inspiring setting to explore some different approaches to learning through music. This CPD opportunity is a day of practical exercises, playing, reflecting and discussion, led by the music leaders of the AllStars project, Alex Lupo, Jane Harwood and Russ Stanley.

We will investigate methods and techniques to fully include all children and young people with additional needs.

This training is for educators (mainstream and SEN), SENCOs, teaching assistants, musicians, music leaders and practitioners working in non formal settings.

Topics to be covered:

- enabling musicianship in mixed groups
- inclusion and communication through music
- incorporating interpersonal and therapeutic approaches

The training has a unique, experiential element. Attendees will be offered the opportunity to attend one of our ‘Heart Beats’ live music sessions, to co-lead a workshop with an integrated, inclusive group of young musicians.

Places are strictly limited.

Do bring your own instruments, though some will be provided.

Please bring some lunch to share. Drinks and snacks are provided.

DATE : Saturday January 30^th 2016

Location : The Lecture Hall, Wells and Mendip Museum, 8 Cathedral Green, Wells BA5 2UE

Time : 10.00-3.30                                                                                      

Cost : £40.00  (concs. available, please enquire) 

To book : info@heartbeats.org.uk     01373 813558

Another thought provoking blogpost!

Co-incidentally (or not - perhaps it so 'now' it's actually no coincidence at all) Siggy Patchitt has posted a blog on the YM network about inclusion, and what we're calling integration.
After many years of doing this kind of work, it's great to see it on the agenda.

Recommended reading, anyway.

What we are aiming for is simple. It’s a world where these two things happen:

1. A project is set up so that anyone, no matter what their needs are, can access it.
2. A Music Leader walks into a room and is able to work with any individual, no matter what their needs.

- See more at: http://network.youthmusic.org.uk/learning/blogs/siggy-patchitt/dropping-pennies%E2%80%A6or-jigsaw-pieces#sthash.LSJYcWEX.

What we are aiming for is simple. It’s a world where these two things happen:

1. A project is set up so that anyone, no matter what their needs are, can access it.
2. A Music Leader walks into a room and is able to work with any individual, no matter what their needs.

- See more at: http://network.youthmusic.org.uk/learning/blogs/siggy-patchitt/dropping-pennies%E2%80%A6or-jigsaw-pieces#sthash.LSJYcWEX.dpuf

New post on the Youth music network

Count Me In have just put up a new blogpost on the Youth music network.

It's some thoughts about 'participation' and how tricky that can be to get right sometimes... and how everyone comes to music for a different reason, and just maybe leaves with a different benefit too.

This piece was inspired by a paper by Francois Matarasso, you can read that here.
He says some great things about impact and involvement.