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.

searching and reflecting - a team day

Alex, Jane, Russ and Ben were off over the border to Earlswood in Monmouthshire last week for a team skill share and reflection day. Before we did any speaking we made time for some music - tuning up and tuning in.

Professional development is important to the way we work together. This was a chance to try out some new things and really concentrate on how we play together as well.

Cold enough for woolly hats..

We had lots of fun which must be a good sign!

It was an opportunity to eat cake and discuss the future  - we have lots of ideas for ways to take our work forward, so it all feels positive.

nice sunset!

One idea is to spend more time together reflecting on good practice and inspiration in music leading.... a day didn't feel long enough.

We discussed creating a resource that would help others work in the way that we do.

the music of how we're feeling

At the Listening Lounge, we were thinking about how other people might be feeling..... how those people made us feel ...and even, just how we were feeling ourselves.

 Then we had a think about what kind of music would describe those feelings, and had a go at playing some of those feelings.

Playing 'calm' made us relaxed.... even if we weren't that calm at first.

Playing 'angry' was noisy but fun.

'Jealousy' was the most surprising : we all ended up laughing, sneaking a go on each others' instruments, and being playful.

What we discovered was that, as a group, playing music could change our mood. It wasn't just that we could represent a feeling through sound - it was more complex than that.
Because we were listening, and responding, and initiating,  together we could build pieces of music that could make us happier, calmer, or surprised.

Playing 'angry' didn't make us angry though. Actually - we felt better afterwards!

Later, Josh started to play the piano. Here's how it sounded. How would you describe this?

warming up at Cedars Hall

Testing the acoustics!

Here we are - the Listening Lounge gang - exploring how it actually sounds, and what it feels like, to play live music in one of our new rooms at Cedars Hall. We started as quiet as mice, made loops on the iPad and then - we were away!

Many thanks to Wells Cathedral School for hosting our music sessions this year.

animated improvisation

Unexpected things can happen at the Listening Lounge .....Here's an improvisation inspired by St Patricks' Day, played by the one-and-only Esther on the harp. Animations by Josh. Dancing and laughter by everyone.

Close your eyes ... and open your ears

We're continuing with our exploration of the sensory aspects of improvised music.

Yesterday, our group experimented with playing whilst having their eyes shut.

Alex asked us to 'pass a clap' around the group - first with eyes open, and then eyes shut.
The difference was striking! It took us about 3 goes before we began to recognise the unqiue sound of the person next to us and find our place in the sequence.

Later, Jane asked the group to improvise a piece quietly, eyes closed, with no prompts other than a significant sound for 'start' and 'stop'. People were told they could contribute as much or as little to the piece as much as they liked.
Together we created music that had a distinctive atmosphere, shape and sound. It felt complex but respectful.

In feedback, a lot of people said these things were their favourite part of the session.
Geoff said 'our two ears are connected to our brain.'
Without visual input, our sense of listening became much more important.
There is some research that states our brains divert activity away from our visual centres during listening tasks.

In our sessions, especially when there are so many people, we tend to use physical conducting  gestures to sculpt the music -  so this was different.
It is also a way of exploring what it is like to be part of the group for the group member who is visually impaired.
From a music leaders' point of view - it removed the need for active music leading. Perhaps this was possible, and successful, because we've all played together so much already?

As a group activity, it showed us how connected we are to each other, and how we can  feel more relaxed without the need to process visual information.
You might think you become less aware of others if you can't see them : what we felt was that we could listen more clearly, and because of this, become more aware of others.

BeBot conversation

Had some fun with apps last night at the Listening Lounge ... here's Alex and Josh having a little Bebot conversation.

 

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!

Keeping it seasonal

It's apple day coming up so apples give us our theme for tonight's music.
Crunchy.... sweet!

Otoasobi project

We've been looking at the Otoasobi project from Japan... fascinating stuff.They are a group of musicians, music therapists, indivduals with learning disabilities and their families who play improvised music together.

One thing they say is really interesting - about evaluation. The AllStars team spend a lot of time thinking about evaluating our work, wondering how to understand everyone's different experience of playing music together. Like the Otoasobi project, we have a really diverse group of people playing together.

The Otoasobi project say 'Each of the group members has a fairly different aim  - for example education, welfare, art and joy - so we share a belief that every member has their own ways of evaluation. The creativity energy arises from these discrepancies.'

That is very thought provoking.... the idea that everyone plays together, yet for a different reason... and that this makes creative energy. Wonderful.

Running an integrated group.

Our group exists for young people with learning disabilities, but it's a bit more complex than that....
Over the years, we have always had student placements at our music sessions. We provide support and opportunities for young musicians to experience working within a mixed ability setting.

Vicky

It's also brought us into contact with some brilliant instrumentalists and singers who really do bring a sparkle to group improvisations.
We feel that through offering this experience we've helped young people make higher education choices, and perhaps see music differently.

Gemma

Gemma, who was with us for a year, says ... 'I've ended up going to do recorder and violin at Birmingham Conservatoire instead of computer science'. We asked Gemma if she'd be interested in coming back for some sessions : 'This sounds amazing!  I'd love to come back and take part in the sessions!'
With the AllStars project, we felt that we'd like to open out this opportunity and move towards running a more integrated group - bringing together people from different backgrounds, who have had different opportunities, but have a common love of music.

At the taster session

Our partnerships with Wells Cathedral School continues to grow, and we also now have a partnership with the Elmwood and Penrose Federation of schools in Bridgwater.
This year Wells Cathedral School have stepped things up a bit by agreeing to host our integrated music mentoring sessions - "The Listening Lounge" - which begin in September.
They will help us identify A level music students to join the AllStars groups, and we'll be joined by one of their Graduate Music Assistants, who will be at the school studying for a CME (Certificate of Music Education).

Taster session warm up games

At our tasters this summer so far we met have Bella, Ellie, Esther, Molly and Laura. Laura is from Frome and is interested in a career in music therapy ; Molly is a signed songwriter.
Bella, Ellie and Esther are A level music students from Wells Cathedral School.They're all brilliant and we hope they will all join the group!
Our team of music leaders realise we will have a challenge to meet everyone's needs - but that's what we exist for : that's inclusion. We've said we're all stars in this context, so we need to discover how that works, and what that sounds like.
We all have so much to learn from each other, simply by being in a room where we can work and play together, listen and respond on equal terms.
What will be fascinating will be to observe the outcomes of these two years of 'music education by encounter' that we have planned for the AllStars project.

The AllStars mission statement

About the AllStars project....what we're aiming at..

"Music is a direct presentation of the feelingful dimension of experience"

 

Intentional sound can be a communication tool for everyone . The ability to improvise and respond is as powerful as good speaking and listening skills.

AllStars is about encounter-based music education. Beneficiaries are young people with special needs, who are in transition in education and from home to independent living.
We know they have a lot to say about themselves, and do this well through music.

We will bring people of all abilities together to play with this core team of 'experts by experience'. A cascaded training model will provide integrated, inclusive experiential learning opportunities. Peer interaction is the key.

We work with live, improvised music.
Improvising music together builds musical progression and communication confidence, regardless of 'ability' . We believe everyone is musical : we will radically challenge perceptions about music , enabling learning from the outlook and approaches of young people with SEN.

'Above all, music is a social art, where playing with and listening to others is the motivation, the experience and the learning process. This is music education by encounter.'

 

Ah, yes .... and there's the fun bit. too. Quite a lot of fun, in fact.

Drawing with sound ... join us August 30th

On August 30th we're running a workshop for Sound Foundation Somerset / Spaeda / Short Breaks Somerset, at Bow Wharf in Langport.
There are still places available. Suitable for young people and professionals (who will be invited to stay on for some CPD in the afternoon).

We are taking this years 'Big Draw' as our theme.
We'll be 'drawing with sound'.
The soundscapes we'll be creating are based on landscapes - urban, rural, and coastal.
Alex is going to record the music we play so it can be used as a soundtrack.

For more information, see http://www.soundfoundationsomerset.org.uk/event/music-making-workshop-with-count-me-in/

Sound Foundation workshops

Good times had by all at the Brewhouse Theatre on Saturday, where we were running inclusive 'drop in' workshops for the Sound Foundation Somerset festival. A truly integrated day! - all ages and abilities. As someone pointed out, the dynamics and feel of the music change every time a new person enters the room.
We all bring in our own way of responding and contributing.
Warm, welcoming, surprising, musical. Funny, and often very beautiful.
Thanks to everyone for your playing!

Thanks to Spaeda for supporting this. And thanks to Rod Paton for the Lifemusic ideas that make this kind of thing work so well.

2014

Yes! time to make some noise!
Now we've all put our tinsel back in the attic, it's time to dust off the instruments and gather together again.
Here's the dates for the first part of 2014 :

1.   Jan 9th 

2.   Jan 23^rd

3.   Feb 6^th

4.   Feb 27^th

5.   Mar 13^th

6.   Mar 27^th

We start again after Easter on April 24^th

Come and join us for tunes, rhythms, songs, musical games, fun, tea, cake and all the rest.... Wells Museum at 6.00 this Thursday.

Count Me In are leading some experiential training for Sound Foundation Somerset....

Breaking news....


Fantastic Professional Development Opportunity for Somerset Music Practitioners!

Sound Foundation Somerset (Somerset’s Music Education Hub) and Somerset County Council’s Short Breaks are funding a great professional development opportunity for music practitioners in Somerset.

This is for people who work with children and young people with disabilities, learning and communication needs and who are interested in developing their music leading skills.


Supported by SPAEDA Arts Education, and delivered by Count Me In, this experiential learning opportunity includes two mornings of live music workshops based on structured, improvised group music making.

Practitioners will participate in these workshops and learn to lead a group of children and young people with disabilities, learning and communication needs.

Afternoon sessions focus on learning and professional development, with practitioners reflecting, planning and reviewing the workshops.


Thursday 20th and Friday 21st February 2014


Great Bow Wharf, Bow Street, Langport, TA10 9PN


9.30am – 12.30pm- workshop for 12 years +


Lunch – for Count Me In and CPD Participants


1.30-3.30pm CPD element for emerging practitioners



Call: 01458 254265 to book your practitioner place.
Only five free CPD places available

Festive and seasonal....

Hey hey! it's our December session tonight - the last before the midwinter break.
Yes, there may be mince pies and twinkly lights. And music to warm, to cheer and to sparkle with ...
Our Christmas cake is also our birthday cake, we are celebrating 2 years of the Heart Beats club.
Lots of reasons to be merry, then!

Bright and cheerful

We'll be working with autumnal themes this week..... please wear brightly coloured clothes!

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

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.