Partnerships, meetings, Fast Forward Festival... a busy time

It's been a busy time recently - the last month has been full up.

We've been meeting our fabulous partners who are helping us to set up and deliver an excellent programme of music making. 

We've had meetings and hatched action plans with Wells Cathedral School, the Somerset Rural Youth Project, Elmwood and Penrose federation of schools in Bridgwater, and Spaeda in Langport.

We've run an arts week music day in Fiveways school, who loved our work and want us to come back and do more.

We've visited Fairfield Farm College in Wiltshire and fixed dates to do an evening session there, and an arts week day next year.

Alex and Jane have been planning out the Listening Lounge strand of the project, with a focus on mentoring and Arts Award - that's going to be exciting, a new departure for us. We're looking at creating a space where music therapy and community music can work together -  where we can listen sensitively and respond intentionally.

We attended the Fast Forward Festival 'Inclusive Excellence' conference at The Colston Hall in Bristol. This was a thought provoking day that ended in performances by Drake Music and the Paraorchestra.

We were asked to consider that 'The musical world discriminates against disabled people. If we don’t change this, we endorse it.
1. What must the music industry do to create a fair ecology?
2. How can music education change to prepare young disabled musicians for this new ecology?'
We went away with a head full of questions and ideas about access, ability, inclusion, and participation. We need more chance to meet and investigate these big issues together. It's  a vibrant discussion and there are so many angles.
AllStars offers an informal music education environment where our team do their best to provide a valuable, progressive experience for everyone, reacting to individual abilities and interests. We feel we can work with young people who wouldn't have been offered much in the way of formal musical education; we believe access to live music making is a universal right. Not sure if this is 'inclusive excellence', but it's always surprising and exciting, and goes further than we ever thought it would. One thing for sure, there's no discrimination here. Come and play music with us.

On Thursday Jane joined a conversation on SEN/D music education at the Wiltshire Music Centre. Again - lots of thought provoking questions were raised about music, excellence, and inclusion. One thing that emerged was that the AllStars project may be able to help with CPD and developing the workforce.

What we're looking forward to now is our next music session on July 16th. It's all very well talking about music, but you mustn't forget to play some now and again, too...
This seems to be a good time to say how good it is to be part of such a great team, in the SW, doing what we love best : making music!

Oh - and we mustn't forget Geoff: see you all on Thursday.

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.

Heart Beats - the movie

Alex has made a film about Heart Beats.
If you would like a copy, email us at info@heartbeats.org.uk and we will send you one (please don't forget to tell us your address)

August 30th - creating a soundtrack for the Big Draw and some more CPD too

You can book a place by ringing Spaeda, 01458 254 262. info@spaeda.org.uk.£5 for young people, £10 for professionals to include lunch.

 

 

Heart Beats Sound Foundation festival - July 12th

Russ and Jane are running  Count Me In workshops at the Sound Foundation Somerset Music festival in Taunton next week.
Our workshops are especially for young people with disabilities and their families / circles of support.

The workshops are in the Brewhouse theatre, 11 - 3. (One morning, one after lunch)

You can find out more, and book a FREE place, by getting in touch with Spaeda : 01458 254 262 / 07976 118650, alice@speada.org.uk

There's lots of other music events happening too : www.soundfoundationsomerset.org.uk

Youth Music project .....

Once upon a time Youth Music funded us to start the Heart Beats project. We hoped it would be successful but we didn't expect it to be quite such fun!
Our support from Youth Music draws to a close, as we have now submitted our final report to them.


Count Me In wants to say thanks to them for making Heart Beats happen. And to our other funders and supporters.

We have worked with 144 young people with a range of needs since we began in January 2012.
During this time,we've been surprised, excited, amazed, fascinated and amused.... we've learned more from our participants than we would ever have expected.

Of course, the Good News is that we haven't finished yet - Heart Beats is up and running, and judging from our last session, more fun than ever.

Heart Beats at the term time clubs in Somerset

Count Me In are bringing a taste of Heart Beats to the Short Breaks term time clubs - for children and young people with disabilities in Somerset - on Saturday Sept 21st, and Saturday October 26th.
This is part of six weekly sessions. Only £5 per session, or book six get one free! There's other activities on offer too - sculpture, and film.
For more information:
short breaks term time clubs

or contact Sarah at Spaeda, 01458 254 262

Sound Foundation Somerset - another event to attend

On June 26th Alex will be talking at the Sound Foundation Somerset's second event looking at musical inclusion - how do we get more children and young people into music? Please spread the word about this event, which is in Langport, Somerset.

Please note that this event has been postponed until later in 2013.

Outreach hits FMU!!!

Ears still buzzing and heart still thumping after an awesome music-and-sound-charged start to our outreach season at Openstorytellers 'FMU' club.
Thanks for hosting guys!
Great welcome, nice dancing, good playing.
Thanks to our awesome team - Martha, Geoff, Mark, Elin and Roo - great leading. It's a joy to work with you all.

Next up : after shcool club at Fosseway school this week.
Session at Threeways School in Bath.
Session at Penrose School in Bridgwater.
Two sessions at Fosseway school holiday club.

Count Me In are taking part in a sharing event about 'musical inclusion'

We're pleased and excited to be involved in a sharing event,  where we will be talking about Heart Beats.
This event is called 'How can we get more children and young people into music'?
It's  a free event and parents, carers and youth workers are welcome - it's not just for music leaders.
On June 26th Jane and Alex will both be talking at a similar event, aimed at the more 'formal' music sector - such as schools.

On the Off Beat in Woolavington

Looking forward to delivering a workshop for the Somerset Rural Youth projects' Soundscapes crew on Tuesday evening.
We're going for an 'on the off beat' feel - could be reggae, could be ska. Will be cool.

Early years music

It's great to see Frome early years music leader Willow Harwood has been awarded some funding for instruments through a Youth Music initiative.
Willow contributes her bit of wisdom to an online resource on Youth Musics' Network blog. Click here for the Youth Music resources page.
Some of the 'top tips' hold good for our work too. 
Willow says "Ensuring a mix of adult led and child initiated music making builds confidence in even the youngest of music makers."

In our project, we make music with young adults, but we value scaffolding and sound support as the foundation for confidence building too.
Heart Beats really appreciates the funding that enables us to have a good, solid team of music leaders, trainees, support worker, volunteer and musician in residence .... it's a great way to work.

A Count Me In session

Here's Russ and Jane playing music with the crew from Six Acres (Taunton) and St James' resource centre (Yeovil ). Every month we'd turn up and support the staff to Make Time for Music.
This project's finished now, but you follow the story on our blog Making Time for Music.

Embrace Create Connect

We're going to this conference! Exciting!
http://www.embracecreateconnect.co.uk/

Welcome one and all to our new HEART BEATS blog.

Hi everyone! This blog is where we can share ideas, news and thoughts about Heart Beats - the new music project run by COUNT ME IN, funded by Youth Music and Flourish Homes.

Heart Beats is a music club for young people with learning disabilities between the ages of 16 and 25 - it doesn't matter where you live, or if you play music yet. We're here to help you do that! Heart Beats happens on Thursday evenings, twice a month in term time, at Wells Museum. The two hour sessions cost £1 per person and start at 6.00 p.m.
To join up, you can email info@heartbeats.org.uk or ring 01373 813558.

We'll use this blog to keep in touch with you, and also share news and ideas with our partner project, Soundscape, which is run by Somerset Rural Youth Project and funded by Youth Music too.