AllStars is ended - so what happened?

We're just finishing our final report to the funders of the main AllStars programme- the National Foundation for Youth Music. Without whom, none of this would have been possible.

 So - we wondered, what had we done? 
Lots and lots of music.... lots and lots of fun...lots and lots of learning. 
Plenty of new friends made along the way.
 

 The occasional party!

Here's some of the things we have reflected on : 

The programme was aspirational and to a degree experimental. 

We followed a community music model that was underpinned by therapeutic approaches, participation, and best practice in communication. We researched improvisation and free ensemble playing. We took musical risks and processed the outcomes.

We followed our programme plan carefully : it worked well. We extended our delivery thanks to local support. Increasing our pool of accessible instruments, we explored sensory approaches to music through offering ‘conventional’ instruments to people who had never had this opportunity before.

We brought people together who would never normally meet , allowing them to explore relationships through sound and structured musical activities that led to an increase in musicality, personal progression, and social interaction. 

We supplemented the education of a diverse range of gifted young musicians whose lives have been altered by the experience. 

We empowered individuals with complex learning needs, sensory impairment and autism, allowing them to participate playfully or with gravitas, leading others, and engaging on their own terms. We responded respectfully to all input and valued the unexpected. 

We worked diligently with our SEN volunteers and music leader, taking their lead and valuing their voice. – This at a time when ‘disabled music leadership’ is high on the agenda.

We shared knowledge with teachers, professionals and graduates. We gave advice on starting organisations, fundraising, and good practice; also, career guidance and mentoring support.

Our team have grown in expertise through co-working and skillshare. This is fully transferrable and affects all our practice.

We helped groups interact and find a group mind. We provided consulted opportunities for celebration and sharing, including a day of joyful partying at one of the most beautiful locations in the area.

We’ve seen music changes lives, takes us to places we wouldn’t otherwise go, and builds true communities of experience.

So - cheers everybody! Bye for now.

What's the 'perfect session'?

Last Thursday our Heart Beats group gathered in Cedars Hall for the last session of the AllStars project. The mood was upbeat because we are all looking forward to our festival, the Giant Jam, this Sunday.

AllStars has been a long and complex project, involving many different people across Somerset and beyond. The Heart Beats sessions in Wells have been the core, with 38 sessions since Easter 2015.
Every session has been surprising, fun and different, and last Thursday was no exception.

In reflection, we agreed that it felt like a 'perfect session'.
As often happens, a few folk couldn't be there, but we had a good mix in the room, musicians with disabilities, young music students from Wells Cathedral School and Bath Spa University.

Everyone was relaxed, at home, and full of affectionate chat. Laughter ran round the room.
People choose their instruments with confidence and played them well. Listening was focused, respectful, and there was a plenty of considerate space in the music.
The dynamics of the session grew slowly from playful interaction to upbeat dance groove. The music grew and became bigger than the sum of its parts.

Most importantly, after starting the pieces, the music leaders could step right back and just play as equals. Everyone participated on their own terms, coming together to create a harmonious whole. The music took over.

We parted as friends and in the hope that we will all play together again really soon.
Thanks everyone! A perfect session.

AllStars in 2017 : heading West

This is the final year of our AllStars project, which will end with a HUGE celebration this summer.
We've got plenty of great stuff to look forward to in the next few months.

This January we start a new mini-project that we're calling AllStars West.
The Jean Rees post-16 centre in Bridgwater is hosting a series of weekly music sessions where we will be playing live, interactive music with 11 students.
These sessions will build listening and social skills, as well as being fun, interactive and age appropriate.
We'll work with staff to help students move towards their Thrive targets.

Because AllStars brings mixed ability groups together to communicate through music, we will invite students from Chilton Trinity school, which shares a location with Jean Rees, to join the sessions too.

We expect to help build self esteem, confidence, listening skills, and social and emotional learning....because music is a great way to do this!

 

Festivities

Music is fun, as it should be. And seasonal fun is even better. Here's a film of Geoff, volunteer music leader at Count Me In, sharing his festive joy last night... so Merry Christmas to all our amazing group, and supporters, and music leaders - and everyone!

HeartBeats summer party

What a great session last night.

We played some  excellent music, and danced too, with the help of Anna Golding who came up from Bridport to join us.

Sophie and Anna led some beautiful, expressive interpretations of an improvised piece of music.
Geoff and Emma shared their news from Bermuda and Geoff showed us Gombey dancing and rhythms.

Just to add to the mood was the exciting news that Radco have kindly donated us an extra £1000 to help our work.

A BIG cheque

Our next session is September 22nd. Have a good summer everyone!

The SRYP conference

Last Saturday, we went to the SRYP conference in Bridgwater.
Here's Geoff, Emma, Josh and Katie, with Russ and Michael Eavis. Michael joined in with our warm ups though he wasn't to keen to play the drum that was offered him!

The HeartBeats team

Our instruments looked lovely in the new theatre

SRYP conference

Somerset Rural Youth Projects' Rural Music Network have been a partner project for us in HeartBeats and the AllStars work.
We've shared expertise, done a lot of co-management support, and run workshops for each other.
Last month, James from SRYP came and ran a drum kit workshop for us. Different ... fun.

This weekend, Katie, Emma, Josh and Geoff are co-delivering two music inclusion workshops at SRYP's conference in Bridgwater. Jane Russ and Rachel will be there supporting.
We're looking forward to meeting other music leaders, new people, and - of course - Michael Eavis too.

Tonight....

Hey folks, it's HeartBeats tonight!
Russ is off to the farm to get all those lovely instruments.

Hugh....

So excited to be spending tomorrow with the super brilliant AllStars team, and the AllStars ensemble, and fabulous Hugh Nankivell - oooh yeah.
Music will happen.

Trust and participation

Trust is such an enormous part of our music work. 

The young people who come to play music with us need to trust us.
We need to create a safe space that makes everyone who enters it feel they can trust us to provide support, encouragement and diverse creative opportunities.
The act of improvised, lived music making itself cannot happen with trust.
As an organisation, we need to trust in each other to share an agreement on what is good, a general perspective, and how to work with whatever arises.

Recently we discussed the tensions that go into making a successful, user-led, creative environment.
Trust underpins all of this:

• ownership / shared identity
• joy / challenge
• flexibility / familiarity
• risk / safety
• shared experienced / personalised experience
•  communication / inspiration
• suspense / reassurance
• stimulation / rest

Trust enables participation.
Lawrence Becko, former Sound Connections Programme Manager, writes about Youth Participation in the arts:
'sometimes we simply forget to listen to what young people are saying, believing 'adults know best'...Ultimately, the extent to which youth participation, voice and leadership can be encouraged will depend on the abilities, commitment, resources and 'buy in' of each organization, their staff, and the young people themselves.'

As Wired4Music say,

'By  taking ownership over their musical participation, young people can

voice their opinions freely, achieve more and get the most out  of  a  project  that has  been  designed  specifically  to  suit  their  needs.  In return,  organisations  can gain  new perspective  and  understanding  of  the  young  people they’re working with, save  money  and resources by  creating projects  that  will  be  successful for  their  participants and  support  young  people  to  create  new  opportunities  for themselves and progress within their own musical journeys.'

Reflecting, understanding, and sharing - working in a team

Leading a training day for other professionals, who come from a range a backgrounds and experiences, forces you to reflect on what you do - pick it apart - and distill it down into a cohesive presentation.

We work as a team of three independent music leaders who deliver sessions together, with an interconnected  approach.

 As musicians our job is to scaffold the music in the group whilst waiting our turn to lead - it's interesting switching from leading to modelling and support, whilst our colleagues interpret the plans we make together. This gives you a real sense of how effective the music leading is, too.

When we were planning for 'Joining In' training this Saturday, we started with the premise that we bring three different approaches to the whole.

The day was about approaches to 'musical inclusion'.

Obviously between us, we have a range of expertise. To keep things clear we focused on the AllStars  'musical inclusion' approaches:

• Alex, as a music therapist, spoke about the personal outcomes, the process-based approach;
• Russ, as a musician, spoke about musical outcomes, and enabling everyone to be included in a musical process;
• Jane, as a community music leader, spoke about social outcomes, participation and communication.

It worked! - we managed to re-affirm and support each others' work, whilst describing our broad and cohesive approach.

Just through putting this together, we learned a lot through reflection and sharing.
A great experience.

Some feedback:
'fundamental, free, expressive, understandable'

'Inspiring and eye opening'

'It made me realise what a variety of things music does and has taught me not to be so regimented with music.'

'Makes you think outside the box.' 

'Amazing, I learned a lot. I learned, what is music.'

 'Life affirming - opened my eyes to a different type of 'work.''
 

2016

Plotting, planning - there's even a bit of doing, reviewing, improving.... the AllStars team are meeting this evening to get a feel for the New Year.

What's happening?
AllStars is in full swing ....
We've got training coming up : 'Joining In' on January 30th, which is run by us and is for associates, partners and other professionals ; and a CPD day especially for our team, with the wonderful Hugh Nankivell.

AllStars East is emerging from a seasonal break....
The Listening Lounge starts again next week, on the 14th.
Heart Beats music sessions start on January 21st.

AllStars West will see us back in Bridgwater exploring music education by encounter in our mixed sound sessions at Elmwood and Robert Blake College.

We'll be offering outreach sessions too, starting at Avalon School on February 12th.

If you'd like an outreach session to come to you, email us info@heartbeats.org.uk

We'll continue to ponder on what surprises us about music, and publish blog posts here and on the Youth Music network.
You can follow us on twitter too:  @HeartBeatsNews

Our funding from Youth Music will take us all through 2016, and on into 2017, when we plan something special to round up the AllStars adventure.

So - Happy New Year - and here's to a year of surprising and energizing sound.

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.

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

The AllStars Listening Lounge

AllStars is a cluster of projects running across Somerset for two years.

All of these projects explore different aspects of integrated musical inclusion - based on our key principle of improvisation and 'music education by encounter.'

Alex and Jane are running the Listening Lounge. This is a small closed group that meets monthly. The group is equal :  a mixture of mainstream and SEN young musicians who have varied experiences of formal / non formal music education - and most possibly have very different expectations of the role of music in their future lives.

Within these sessions, Alex and Jane are exploring new approaches to the questions 'what is music for?' and 'what does music do for us?'
The Listening Lounge is a combination of community music practices and music mentoring, informed by therapeutic methodologies, in regular closed sessions with a dedicated group.


The group play, talk, listen and explore personal relationships with music.
The process will be informed by the group's narrative as it forms its identity.

We're waiting to see what measurable outcomes will look like. We think that being part of this group will be useful for the leaders and the group - that we can build on our sense of self worth, interpersonal skills, and tools for self expression.

Yesterday evening we gathered together to talk, laugh, reflect, improvise two pieces of music, listen to favourite tracks, and do some quiet, focused drawing to music.
Outside it was dark, windy and wintry, but inside the session it felt warm, relaxed, and safe.
Here are the drawings ...the music has just melted away, into the November night.

Fairfield Farm College

Thanks to the Fairfield Farm College folks for hosting an AllStars extra session last Thursday. It looks very calm in the photos but there were 35 young people coming and going over the course of the evening, where we investigated an eclectic mix of mind-expanding looped vocals, funky jam sessions, and a musical chill out.

Starting the session at Fairfield

You can see more pictures on the College website here.

Music For Alice

We love getting letters - they are quite rare these days, it's nearly always emails.
So it was doubly lovely that when Music for Alice sent a cheque through to us - their grant to AllStars for some new instruments - it came with a hand-written note on the back of a postcard.
This is the postcard :

Chet Baker and his band. How cool is that.
Thank you, Music for Alice.
Anyway, time to get shopping - we have a list ...

this evening - at our new venue

AllStars are go.... the Heart Beats autumn sessions start this evening at 6.00 o'clock.

Don't forget : we're at our new venue

THE LAWRENCE CENTRE
37 CHAMBERLAIN ST
WELLS BA5 2PQ.

Hope to see you there.

Getting ready for a new venue

We're moving ... the Heart Beats music club will be in a new home when we start AllStars up for the autumn on September 17th.
We are relocating to the Lawrence Centre in Wells, which is also called 'TLC'.
We think it will be different - and the same : same people, same instruments, same amazing sounds.
We will miss the museum, though, which has been our base for a very long time now.
Time for something new though. See you there.... at TLC.

TheTLC .... in Union St car park

Somewhere to relax outside

Other people enjoy coming here too

We think it will be warm and comfortable

A good big table for tea and chat

We already feel welcomed

Yet more great news for AllStars

 

Count Me In are the Radstock Co-operative's chosen charity of the year !
At their recent AGM the Radco members voted 'in favour of supporting Heat Beats and Count Me in for the coming year'.

This means that they will be presenting us with a cheque, which, coming so soon after their last donation, is absolutely wonderful news.

We said we'd use any donation they make for the AllStars project - this will help us to improve our impact, efficiency and quality, and extend our reach.

We like their local ethos and are proud to be supported by them.