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.

Taster sessions are over, and we have a team....

Our summer tasters are over now and we're taking a break until September, when we'll be moving to our new home at "TLC" - the Lawrence Centre.

What have we achieved? Everything we set out to do, we think!

We've welcomed 17 young musicians to our sessions,  9 of whom had never been to a music group with us before.

We said that we would start the AllStars journey by revisiting some of our favourite music-leading tricks and games. It was a chance for us, as team (Jane - Russ- Alex- Geoff - Ben), to get back into our stride.
The themes we've worked with have been starts and stops;  the 'AllStars pre-Glastonbury party'; silence, and listening; get into the groove - and relax.

We wanted the group to begin their journey towards musical progression; throw  in some ideas and begin to shape how we work; and start to form a real group that interacts and has fun.

We wanted to meet new people, and re-establish our great relationship with old friends too. We wanted to meet new students from Wells Cathedral School, and see what this new mix would sound like.

Some quotes from some new group members :
'Absolutely amazing - I was so impressed.'
'It was great fun.'

Ryan

We have two new volunteer buddies on the team now : Ryan and Katie.
Because they're over 25 they've agreed to take on some extra responsibility.
Katie will be in charge of welcoming and buddying up with the A level students in our group.
Ryan has a special job of supporting Ben, who is so busy running the 'front of house' welcoming everyone and dealing with the paperwork.

Katie

Geoff

And of course, Geoff is with us as our volunteer music leader. Yesterday he led a brilliant re-interpretation of a piece played by the Master Drummers of Ghana that he saw - and met - at Womad last weekend.
And he demonstrated their dance : remarkable!

So there's plenty to look forward to when we get together again in September.

Outreach team

The outreach workshops took us all out and about, beyond the comfy cocoon of our usual room.
Fortunately, we were able to support each other and have some fun ..... here we are practicing our 'Tibetan applause' - as you do....

School workshops in Bridgwater

Phase two of our Youth Music work is in full swing now. Today we were at Elmwood School in Bridgwater, running workshops for their enrichment day. Sadly Penrose School couldn't join us as planned, as Ofsted had suddenly arrived!
Elmwood is a friendly school, we had a great welcome and lots of cake.
All the students joined in, concentrated hard, and made some good music.
Emma and Geoff came with us, to help lead the workshop. A student said that Emma's conducting was 'magic', and someone else said Geoff's drumming was the best thing of the day. So well done you two.

This second phase of our project can be quite challenging as we are in new situations with young people who may have complex needs, but don't know us at all.
Part of the big strength of our 'usual' Heart Beats sessions is the chance to work regularly as a team. Now we have to work with our strengths in one-off situations.

What is working well is our ability to help people improvise and really explore group music making.
Rod Paton calls this 'communitas'.
Thanks to a really brilliant team, sunny days like today will remembered for some while to come.

Next Monday we are going to Threeways School in Bath to work with primary children.

Planning for the Heart Beats party on July 4th

Here's some of the crew taking a break, having a banana and helping to plan the party we're having on July 4th. mmmm... looks like hard work to me.

And here's our wonderful trainees, Elin and Roo .... looking... wonderful.

Somerset Sound Foundation

Just back from giving a presentation about Heart Beats at the Somerset Sound Foundation (music hub) event hosted by Spaeda at Great Bow Wharf, Langport - 'how do we get more children and young people into music?'
Ideally I would have taken the whole gang along and just played music! But, words, photos and film had to suffice. Great to get good feedback and especially inspiring to hear about other work going on across the county and region - including Actiontrack and Drake Music amongst others.
Giving this presentation has helped me to think clearly about Heart Beats and look back on what has been good practice.
We're now entering phase two with our first 'rehearsal' session with our core peer leading team - a step into the unknown, but a good one I feel.

Music leading

At Heart Beats, we have our own way of music leading -  using agreed signals, body language, and conducting. Sometimes two people can lead at the same time - this needs empathy and a good awareness of your 'leading partner'.
Here's a clip of two of the Heart Beats crew doing some co-leading.
As you can see, it's fun too.

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.

After school clubs

Some of our Youth Music funding is for outreach sessions. This term we are reaching new people .... visiting some schools to make music with after-school clubs.
On January 29th and February 5th we'll be at Critchill Special school in Frome.
Count Me In hero Ben Waller will be co-leading these sessions. Ben already runs a music project at Critchill, the Loops project.  
We'll also be working in Bridgwater with Alex Lupo, and in Frome with Openstorytellers and their FMU club.
Other plans are afoot to reach more new people ..... email info@heartbeats.org.uk if you'd like us to come to you!

Magical music

Here are two film clips of some lovely music. This is Martha, who is one of the Heart Beats crew, playing some music she has composed herself. Magical.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUbpmbo9CSA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OE7WcEyCI0

We're so lucky to work with such amazing young people.

Declan's gig

'Our' musician in residence, Decan Millar, is out and about gigging. Please support him if you can!

Maggie and Bill Johnson form the Beacon Acoustic club say:

Dec performed at The Beacon last night and I'm still searching for an adjective that would do justice to his 'butterfly' song - how amazing to write songs of that calibre when still only 15 years old....

 

Anyway, if you fancy hearing more of his work now's your chance:

 

On Tuesday December 5th, Glastonbury Assembly Rooms' regular folk night, "Fabulous Furry Folk" hosts its youngest ever headline act in an evening of rootsy folk with a community vibe, and an opportunity for floor spots to support the main act. Recent "FFF" gigs have included headliners Robin Williamson, Martin Carthy and Martha Tilston but the final gig of the year brings it all back home with a chance for a local musician to play in the magical acoustic atmosphere of the Assembly Rooms' stone hall. Declan Millar has earned his wings over 5 years of appearances at Fabulous Furry Folk (yes - it's been going since 2007 when Dec was only 10!) and various other Assembly Rooms gigs. Still only 15 years old, he has also shared stages with Eliza Carthy and Lau and has recently been working on his first CD, produced in Bristol by Patrick Duff of Strangelove, and featuring his sister Caelia on fiddle and Brendan Sweetman on keyboards. His music blends influences including classic folk-rock and psych-folk; Declan is truly one of Glastonbury's finest troubadors. This gig will launch the new album and give the audience a chance to hear some  of his latest material as well as earlier songs.Support will be from various floor spots; please get in touch to play. Admission £5 on the door - 8 p.m. for an 8.30 start.(Nathan Williams)

Alex's new drum

Here's Alex showing everyone his new Udu drum .... great sound.

Trainees

Iona

The Heart Beats team and crew will be very sad to say goodbye to Iona and Sophia, our trainees. You've both been so valuable, helping everyone feel at home and adding lovely music with viola and trumpet.

Sophia

We wish you much luck for the future, in your exciting adventures at the Guildhall and Royal Academy of Music.... and here's hoping you find opportunities to do more community music.
It's a shame we didn't get to work with you for longer, but hope you will drop in from time to time to see how we all are.
Don't forget to find time to have some fun, too.

Heart Beats session warms hearts!

Thanks to everyone who came last night and made it such a special session. What a lot of good listening, playing and turn taking.
Extra thanks to a superstar team of young musicians, Sophia, Iona and Declan.
It was a joy to end the evening listening to Mark play his hammered dulcimer.
We're looking forward to our next session on March 8th.