The Big Cheque!

We'd like to say thanks to the Radstock Co-operative Society, who have given Count Me In a (very big) cheque.
We will use this money to benefit the people who join the AllStars project.
For a small organisation like us, it's really great to know you are supported by your local community. Donations do make a lot of difference.

Launching AllStars.... We are now recruiting for our new music sessions.

Count Me in are really pleased and excited to have secured funding to run the AllStars  project – continuing and extending the work of our Heart Beats inclusive music club based in Wells.

Just like Heart Beats, AllStars is for young people with learning disabilities between the ages of 16 and 25.

AllStars is supported by Youth Music and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

It's called 'AllStars' because we believe everyone is musical. Music is a great platform for friendship and communication.

The club is for anyone who wants to play live music – it doesn’t matter where you live, or if you don’t yet play an instrument. Do you know someone who would like to come?

The AllStars project will reach out across Somerset. We think it is exciting because it will bring young people of different abilities together to meet, learn and converse through music, using improvisation and having fun. 

Sessions will be led by the Count Me In team - Jane Harwood, Alex Lupo, Ben Waller, Geoff Stow, and Russ Stanley.

All the team are really experienced at supporting everyone to get the best out of music.

Why would people want to come?

Our young musicians really like the sessions. MJ, who lives in Shepton and is a very important member of our team, says ‘... Heart Beats is a very special group where I can relax and enjoy making music with friends.

Jane, Russ, Alex and Ben make every week fun and we learn different exciting things.  

I am happy to help people with music at Heart Beats. I have learned to play the Hammered Dulcimer and love improvising with Alex. Music always makes me feel good.’

This summer we are running four taster sessions at Wells museum (Cathedral Green, Wells, BA5 2UE) Be there to start at 6.00 p.m.; we finish at 8.00. The sessions cost £2 per person . You don’t need to book for the tasters.

1. June 4^th
2. June 18^th
3. July 16^th
4. July 30^th

In September we start regular  evening sessions , twice a month in term time.

For more information, ring Jane on 01373 813558 or email info@heartbeats.org.uk. 

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.

Artwork

We're putting together some artwork for the new project.

Which reminded me of this..... thanks, Martina !

Making music with new friends

coming soon ...

 

Heart Beats lives on! 

Hold your breath for our new project.....coming soon

The Heart Beats AllStars music makers.

REALLY PROUD to be able to put this logo on our work again.

THANK YOU Youth Music.

 

 

Good news for Heart Beats

This week we heard that the Radstock Co-operative society are going to give us a generous donation. They say this is 'to aid in the positive work you do'.

We're really pleased about this. We are going to spend this money on some new instruments because we feel this will benefit everyone for a long time in the future.

All at sea!

It's Heart Beats at the Rural Music network tomorrow - Shepton Mallet Baptist church, 7 - 8.

We have chosen 'all at sea' for our theme : so come on you landlubbers....join us for some music for the High Seas, and other rollicking fun.

the lovely things that people say

I keep bumping into people who have been to our sessions. People even send us messages about the session. We thought we'd put some of these messages on the blog.

It really cheers you up when you hear how much everyone has enjoyed the music...Wendy says
'I would like to share some of the comments from some of the clients that I work with who used to attend Heartbeats. Frequently many of them ask me when is heartbeats going to start again and that they miss it very much.  One particular client said she missed playing the instruments it made her feel happy.  Another client has stressed how he misses making music with other people at heartbeats. We hope that heartbeats will continue to run throughout 2015.'
 Maggie says :'it’s very moving to see how those that struggle to communicate verbally find it so easy to communicate musically with a percussion instrument in their hand and engage with others in an extraordinary way. Their smiles and enjoyment are wonderful to see....'
MJ says 'Heartbeats is a very special group where I can relax and enjoy making music with friends.

Jane, Russ, Alex and Ben make every week fun and we learn different exciting things.

 I am happy to help people with music at Heartbeats. I have learned to play the Hammered Dulcimer and love improvising with Alex. Music always makes me feel good...' 

 

 

 

Heart Beats at the Rural Music Network, February 9th 2015

Heart Beats hero Mark J. has fund raised, organised and made the poster for this session.
All you have to do is book a place (0797457603, email jamesbrookes@sryp.org.uk) and turn up on the night. It's free!
Huge massive fun guaranteed. Come and meet up with your old friends. Warm your hearts in the middle of a cold winter!

HeartBeats in Shepton Mallet

HeartBeats musician Mark Johnson has been plotting and plannning with our musical partners Somerset Rural Youth Project.

Mark has asked us to come and run a music workshop for the SRYP 'Rural Music Network' community music project in Shepton Mallet.

Everyone is welcome, old friends and new, families, young and old....

The project is funded by Youth Music and O2, and the session is FREE!

Date : Monday February 9th

Venue : The Baptist Church in Commercial Road, Shepton Mallet

Time: 7p.m. start (don't be late) - 8p.m. finish.

Bring instruments if you want, but we have plenty for you.

Expect some good sounds, and some fun.

Mark will be there to welcome you and show off his skills.

SRYP have other taster sessions too, they are all free.