Wiltshire Music Connect are running a SEND music day

If you are free on July 16th , in Wiltshire, and want some inspiration, then this is the place to be :  Alex is speaking, and you can watch the SW Open Youth Orchestra perform.

Wells Music Circus

This Saturday we'll be in Wells for the enormous, ambitious Music Circus. The city will be full of live music.

Please join us if you can - there will be some empty chairs and some spare instruments.

We'll be outside the Music School on the Cathedral Green, next to the Museum. Our slots are 11.15 - 11.30, and 12.10 to 12.25.

At 12.30 everyone involved will be singing 'All you need is Love' together, and then we're all having a picnic together on the Cathedral Green.

We'll have plenty of lovely instruments with us for you to play.

Radco's year of support for our work

We often mention our major funders, Youth Music. But it's important to remember that their funds are matched by smaller amounts from others, too. It's a vital part of keeping our work going.

Count Me In have been the Radstock Co-Ops 'charity of the year' and they've taken a real interest in what we do. We've been grateful for their generous donations but were totally surprised to get a letter after their recent Gala Evening, saying "thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, guests, business partners and suppliers we raised a fairly significant amount for charities and local community groups. In this respect, we'd like to make a donation to Count Me In / Heartbeats to mark the end of the society's year of supporting the cause."

They also said "we'd like to pay tribute to the great work that Count Me In does in helping people to engage, communicate and express themselves through the medium of music."

So - brilliant news for us. We're looking forward to a visit from them : here's a picture of the last visit.

The Mermaid

Mark has been coming to the Heartbeats music sessions since we first started.
As well as being a dedicated drummer, lovely singer, inventive musician and all round good chap, Mark plays and composes on the hammer dulcimer.

Here he is playing 'The Mermaid'.

How do we know what we do is good enough?

It's not unusual to come away from a session feeling significantly better than when you first entered the building - but how do we actually capture that feeling? Those moments?

Evaluating our work is something that is a constant, ongoing process.
We observe, film, photograph, check that we're on track with aims and anticipated outcomes.

Sometimes it's easy, especially when you know people, to see change or capture 'those moments'.
When you're out and about working with new people, the challenges are more complex.

Recently we ran an outreach workshop with 32 students at a local residential college.
We felt it had been a good day, and we asked staff to give us some feedback.

Staff gave us top marks for meeting needs and getting the groups to work together.
What we did was 'age appropriate' ; 'engaging'; and 'easy to follow'.

The sessions were good!  We had everyone playing :
 'It was amazing to see two students who are normally noise sensitive smiling and really enjoying the session'

It was  'Excellent and brought something out in students that would not normally join in'

and, generally ' I loved it on a personal level and the students really enjoyed it – Thank you it was really fantastic.'
 ' Brilliant!'

Russ and Ben in the mood for a tune or two

Some quick tuning up before sessions

All good then.

Music for Alice

Our workshops wouldn't be the same without the instruments we've bought with funding from Music for Alice.
Read more about how their funding has helped us on their website here

The SRYP conference

Last Saturday, we went to the SRYP conference in Bridgwater.
Here's Geoff, Emma, Josh and Katie, with Russ and Michael Eavis. Michael joined in with our warm ups though he wasn't to keen to play the drum that was offered him!

The HeartBeats team

Our instruments looked lovely in the new theatre

SRYP conference

Somerset Rural Youth Projects' Rural Music Network have been a partner project for us in HeartBeats and the AllStars work.
We've shared expertise, done a lot of co-management support, and run workshops for each other.
Last month, James from SRYP came and ran a drum kit workshop for us. Different ... fun.

This weekend, Katie, Emma, Josh and Geoff are co-delivering two music inclusion workshops at SRYP's conference in Bridgwater. Jane Russ and Rachel will be there supporting.
We're looking forward to meeting other music leaders, new people, and - of course - Michael Eavis too.

Ben's disco....

Ben Waller and Loops Music are starting a new friendly and accessible night out at the Wheatsheaves in Frome.
Spread the word! Stay up late!

Keeping the skills up

Geoff with his djembe

Geoff has been a volunteer music leader and musician in residence with Count Me In since 2003.
Geoff was at our recent in-house training session with Hugh Nankivell.

'Training is part of the fun! And a new skill - fun, and interesting to be part of the workshop leader team, and meet old and new people. It's fantastic to be part of the team - my interests are about people and socializing!'

At the AllStars training session