iPad apps ... recommendations from Drake Music

We use iPads, Skoogs and other technology as part of the mix in our sessions. Both Ben and Alex have experience and skills in using assistive music technology.

Here's a great article from Ben Sellers of Drake Music about some top iPad apps...

Top 5 iPad Apps for SEN/D Music Making

Assistive Music Technology (AMT) is all about fitting the instrument to the musician, rather than the musician to the instrument. These iPad apps allow us to do this both physically and cognitively, and a little experimentation can reap big rewards. Here are the five apps I use most regularly in SEN/D settings:
 

1. Thumbjam – Recreate a myriad of instruments from Hang to Tabla to Theremin to Banjo using high-quality samples. Allows the user to achieve great results with limited fine motor skills or theoretical understanding. Also allows us to sample vocalisations and map them across a scale – great for students who want to sing but do not have speech.
    
2. Bebot – A friendly robot character fronts a polyphonic synthesiser with a set of presets that are guaranteed to engage students. The whole iPad screen is used a playing surface, making playing easy for all.
    
3. Launchpad & iKaossilator – Re-create a variety of dance genres – dub-step, DnB, hip-hop, House – using sets of samples from these apps, both of which employ unique, colourful and accessible interfaces. Great for teenagers.
    
4. Airvox - Uses the iPad camera to generate pitches based on the distance between you and the iPad. An audio-visual theremin... try using it with your head!
    
5. Loopseque – Create drum, bass and synth patterns using a brilliant, cyclical interface. Great for students who learn visually and enjoy patterns.

And one more for good luck:
Bloom/Trope/Scape - Create abstract sound and colour scapes with these Brian Eno inspired apps. Great for PMLD groups in conjunction with a projector. .
 

Thanks for reading, please do get in touch with Drake Music to share your experiences or ask questions about any of the apps I've recommended above.

   Ben Sellers, DM Associate Musician

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.

Our blog on the Youth Music Network...

Finding a Good Room: How much does the space where you deliver your sessions actually affect your work? | Youth Music Network

Music For Alice

We love getting letters - they are quite rare these days, it's nearly always emails.
So it was doubly lovely that when Music for Alice sent a cheque through to us - their grant to AllStars for some new instruments - it came with a hand-written note on the back of a postcard.
This is the postcard :

Chet Baker and his band. How cool is that.
Thank you, Music for Alice.
Anyway, time to get shopping - we have a list ...

this evening - at our new venue

AllStars are go.... the Heart Beats autumn sessions start this evening at 6.00 o'clock.

Don't forget : we're at our new venue

THE LAWRENCE CENTRE
37 CHAMBERLAIN ST
WELLS BA5 2PQ.

Hope to see you there.

Music For Alice

We have just heard that Music for Alice have awarded us a generous grant for some specific instruments.
Music for Alice funds groups and organisations to purchase musical instruments and equipment so they can improve lives through music.

Music for Alice was established to celebrate the life of Alice Macgill, a talented musician who died in the Indian Ocean tsunami together with her mother, while on holiday in Thailand in 2004. She was 23 years old.
Alice began her musical life at an early age and played cello, violin, oboe, saxophone, bass guitar and percussion. She excelled at cello and played with many orchestras including City of Leeds Youth Orchestra, Dales Chamber Orchestra and Kensington Symphony Orchestra. Alice was principle cello in the Goldsmiths College Sinfonia and Chamber Orchestra.
At the time of her death Alice was training to be a Music teacher.
Music for Alice was founded to create a lasting legacy to Alice and to improve lives through music now that Alice no longer can.

Alice's sister Edie said 'We were incredibly impressed by your application and the work that you do.' How lovely is that!

You can see more about their great  work on their website www.musicforalice.org.uk
We get a special mention on the news page .... http://www.musicforalice.org.uk/winners-revealed/

We have also heard that a private donor is gifting a cello to the project. This is exciting and heartwarming : it's amazing and humbling how people are motivated by hearing about the AllStars project.

We had been thinking about getting a cello for a while : big, warm, tactile, something to get to grips with. A while back, Declan, who was the Heart Beats young musician in residence at the time, brought his cello in to a session. Mark loved playing it and it had a real presence in the circle. So we're delighted by all the news today.

Getting ready for a new venue

We're moving ... the Heart Beats music club will be in a new home when we start AllStars up for the autumn on September 17th.
We are relocating to the Lawrence Centre in Wells, which is also called 'TLC'.
We think it will be different - and the same : same people, same instruments, same amazing sounds.
We will miss the museum, though, which has been our base for a very long time now.
Time for something new though. See you there.... at TLC.

TheTLC .... in Union St car park

Somewhere to relax outside

Other people enjoy coming here too

We think it will be warm and comfortable

A good big table for tea and chat

We already feel welcomed

Radco shoppers count themselves in with a year of support for charity | Somerset Guardian

Radco shoppers count themselves in with a year of support for charity | Somerset Guardian

Community matters ... please support us if you shop in Waitrose

Vote for us in Waitrose!

If you shop in the Wells branch of Waitrose in September please can you remember to put your green token in the HEART BEATS MUSIC CLUB slot...

We'd like to say thanks to Waitrose for agreeing to raise funds for us. The more tokens we get, the larger share we'll get of the £1000 they donate to local good causes every month.

We would like to spend the money on new instruments. Please tell your friends and family to support us. Every token will help.

The Listening Lounge.

Here's something entirely new for us : AllStars music brings you ... the Listening Lounge.

Alex and Jane have been hatching plans to use their skills as music leaders, mentors, and musicians to run monthly music mentoring sessions for small, mixed ability groups.
We're interested in how Alex's skills as a music therapist can cross over with community music approaches.

Wells Cathedral school have kindly offered us the use of their music room for these sessions, under the big old beautiful beech tree.... We will meet once a month for some playing and reflection.

We want to connect with this group to play, talk and learn together.

Obviously listening will form quite a big part of it - we believe that active listening is the vital key to musicality : we're looking for a quality of attention, some proper connections.

Partly inspired by the success of the listening space that we've developed at the end of Heart Beats sessions, we will take time to discuss what music we feel inspired by, and to hear what we can all contribute to the group.
Our aim is to work towards increased understanding - developing empathy, emotional and social knowledge and intelligence.   

We'll be offering Arts Award 'discover and explore' accreditation, and a chance to come out and help run outreach sessions with the AllStars team too.

We want to listen to our group, reflect on their strengths and interests, and create a safe space where communication can happen spontaneously through expressive response to others.
We want the group to grow in confidence and feel ensured that friendship can grow from music.
And ... we want to find an effective way of evidencing this, too. Watch this space!