How do we know what we do is good enough?

It's not unusual to come away from a session feeling significantly better than when you first entered the building - but how do we actually capture that feeling? Those moments?

Evaluating our work is something that is a constant, ongoing process.
We observe, film, photograph, check that we're on track with aims and anticipated outcomes.

Sometimes it's easy, especially when you know people, to see change or capture 'those moments'.
When you're out and about working with new people, the challenges are more complex.

Recently we ran an outreach workshop with 32 students at a local residential college.
We felt it had been a good day, and we asked staff to give us some feedback.

Staff gave us top marks for meeting needs and getting the groups to work together.
What we did was 'age appropriate' ; 'engaging'; and 'easy to follow'.

The sessions were good!  We had everyone playing :
 'It was amazing to see two students who are normally noise sensitive smiling and really enjoying the session'

It was  'Excellent and brought something out in students that would not normally join in'

and, generally ' I loved it on a personal level and the students really enjoyed it – Thank you it was really fantastic.'
 ' Brilliant!'

Russ and Ben in the mood for a tune or two

Some quick tuning up before sessions

All good then.

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.

Funky Fairfield

They don't know it yet, but the students of Fairfield Farm College who come to our Heart Beats music session tonight are in for a bit of funk ... and they get to try out some brand new AllStars instruments that have just come out of the box....

This isn't our first visit to Fairfield, and we expect to be welcomed and make some great music.
We'll be back in the spring, because the college have invited us to run a music day for their arts week.

 

It's great for our team to get out and about and run some outreach sessions like this. Of course it's a challenge too, meeting new people and getting something good to happen in just two hours, but we have a whole host of ideas up our sleeves, and lots of different ways to include people.

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.

Fairfield Farm College

Wow, what a brilliant evening playing music at Fairfield Farm College - thanks Geoff, Mark, Alex, Ben, Russ ..... and all the Fairfield Farmers crew.


Heart Beats hit the spot!  what a joyful load of spontaneous music-making. Fun with reggae and funky beats, gentle improvisation, conducting, movement and games.
Thanks to everyone at Fairfield for making us welcome, giving us cool drinks, showing us the beasties (cute baby cows), chatting, helping set up and pack away.
Most of all, thanks for your music, singing and enthusiasm. 




O. said 'Thank you for coming and playing music with us here - will you come back? We don't get this opportunity often.'
J. stood up and said 'I'm leaving this college - and so are lots of my friends.' So, it was an important moment. We hope everyone will remember the great party we had together  - the Heart Beats crew won't forget it in a hurry, that's for sure.

More schools.

We were playing more Heart Beats music with very young people at Three Ways yesterday.
Geoff played his didgeridoo and demonstrated how the sound comes from the inside of a djembe. Because it was such a hot day we played gentle, relaxing sounds.

And here is a lovely letter from Critchill School, where we did some after-school club sessions.
It's a privilege to work with so many young people. The music is different, every time.

This Thursday - off to Fairfield Farm College for what I suspect might be some high-energy fun.