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.

Taster sessions - next session is on July 16th

Hi everyone.
Our taster sessions are going really well, plenty of people coming, and lots of good music.

We have a short break now. There is no session this week.

The next two dates are :

JULY 16TH
JULY 30TH

The regular sessions begin on September 17th. If you can't make any of the tasters but want to sign up for the autumn, email us for more information : info@heartbeats.org.uk

We have a feeling .....it is going to be great project. AllStars are go! come and play music with us....

Fiveways School

Geoff, Jane, Russ and Alex had a brilliant day at Fiveways school in Yeovil today.
Fiveways are having their creative arts week at the moment.

Today it was music ...We ran a music session for every single class in the school! It is really rewarding being invited in as visiting artists.

And this is the card that the students made for us.

Thank you, Fiveways school.

They have given us some really nice feedback.

• The pace of the session was appropriate for the different abilities for the group
• All students actively participated – all levels
• The students clearly enjoyed the whole session, were engaged and stimulated throughout
• Signing alongside verbal instruction, students given individual time as well as being part of the group
• Lovely communication and interaction!
• All students really engaged and responsive – lots of excitement and smiles
  
• AllStars was fantastic – all students were catered for brilliantly
• Excellent response to an excellent medium! Super engagement. 10 mins longer (i.e. 40 mins) would have been even better
• WONDERFUL
• Great fun, really enjoyable
• Fabulous!
• Loved it – can you come back again
  
• They all loved it – 100% engagement!
  

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.

Making some joyful noise...

Last night, our taster session demonstrated how we work with themes.
This weeks theme? - well - seeings as we're here in Somerset, and it's midsummer : we held our own pre-Glastonbury 'festival'.
Reggae stage, folk stage, dance stage.

Emma looking cool.

Ryan and Russ waiting to hit the beat.







Geoffrey raising those BPMs.

And here's some of the crew that came

Recruiting - come to our taster sessions

This Thursday, June 18th, we have the second of our AllStars taster sessions.
Do you know someone who'd like to come?

At our first taster on June 4th we had a full room  - with a mixture of old and new faces. Lots of old friends meeting up, with plenty of giggling and happiness.
The Heart Beats crew showed the new people how things went and how we run the session.
We went from laughter to quiet listening; exploring all sorts of sound and enjoying the new instruments.

Ryan said 'It's nice to be see everyone back - and to have new instruments.' Everyone liked the sound of the harp and hammered dulcimer together.
Ellie said 'what a fantastic group.'
Bella said 'thanks for being so welcoming.'

Martyn brought his new guitar along.
Katie had her trusty ukelele, and Geoff, his melodeon.
Mark enjoyed playing the new dun dun.
Looks like we might have some fun coming up....

Three more tasters to come:
June 18th
July 16th
July 30th

- all at Wells Museum lecture hall, 6 - 8.
Spread the word.

all about AllStars

 And here we are - your music leaders :

Geoffrey

Ben

Russ

Alex

Jane

This evening

A sunny summer evening coming up, what better way to start our project than by gathering and playing together.
Wells Museum, starting at 6 : looking forward to it.

AllStars project begins

This is it - this week we have our first AllStars taster session - Thursday at Wells Museum, 6 - 8. Now that is good news.

See you there.