The two-day programme included presentations and practical interactive workshops from Laura Huhtinen-Hilden - Senior Lecturer in Music Education at Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Markku Kaikkonen – Director of Resonaari Music School, Pete Sparkes – Artistic Director of Drake Music Scotland and Caroline Wilkie – Drake Associate Musician and specialist in early years music.

The Gathering identified the skills required and challenges faced by music educators  in our field and training and continuing professional development routes currently available,  with the aim of  developing ‘inclusive good practice’ amongst future music teachers.

The partnership will also include mapping research carried out by Senior Lecture Charles Byrne who will examine the use of Figurenotes in a variety of different settings throughout Scotland.

“This is a key partnership for the development of our Figurenotes project. The notation has clear potential for enabling non-music specialists to deliver simple participatory music sessions with their pupils” says Drake Music Scotland Artistic Director, Pete Sparkes.

Drake Music Scotland’s Figurenotes project is supported by Creative Scotland and the Esmèe Fairbairn Foundation.

In front of a packed and appreciate audience, the 21 students presented an entertaining and wide ranging programme including christmas songs, folk tunes and the music of Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder.

As well as arranging all the music themselves, the students organised and promoted the concert as part of their degree work.

‘Being involved in this concert has been the highlight of B Ed so far.” says Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Student Hannah Gill “We are all so proud of the money raised and are delighted that the proceeds are going to such a brilliant organisation.  Thank you to all who supported us!”

This is a fantastic amount to raise and we are thrilled the students have chosen to donate the proceeds to Drake Music Scotland.

More information and how to apply

Keegan & Pennykid Managing Director Ken Pennykid says “Our 2 year sponsorship of Arts & Business Scotland enabled us to qualify for a New Arts Sponsorship Grant and we were delighted to choose Drake Music Scotland to benefit from the partnership”

Drake Music Scotland Chief Executive Thursa Sanderson says “This is fantastic support from Keegan & Pennykid and Arts & Business Scotland – the drum kit produces the sound of any percussion instrument giving our musicians the choice of any type of beat from rock to samba and, because it is digital and easier to transport than a conventional Drum Kit, we’ll be able to use it in our projects across Scotland.”

“It’s cool!” Participant James Fleming says  “I can plug in headphones so I can practice when I don’t want people to hear me!”

See photos from the rehearsal

The ensemble includes three talented musicians whose physical disabilities mean that instead of playing a conventional instrument like a keyboard or guitar they will play inclusive music technology specially developed to enable people with limited mobility to make music.  Stephanie is playing Skoog, Anthony the Soundbeam and an adapted keyboard, and Chris has a laptop with Notion software and the innovative Brainfingers which is triggered by facial muscle movement – and even his alpha and beta brainwaves!

Each of these three musicians will play their part in the ensemble and perform as a soloist in different movements of the new work alongside musicians from the City of Edinburgh Music School.  As well as enabling them to display their musical talents to a worldwide audience, the piece will showcase how people with disabilities can perform on an equal footing with their peers.

Composer Oliver Searle tells us where his inspiration for the piece came from

“Music psychologists tell us regularly about the fantastically complex series of procedures that your brain goes through on its way to performing music.

“We must interpret pitches, rhythms, dynamics and articulations from a page of music, itself a type of complex language, then begin to realise these through a number of miniscule muscle movements, making decisions about the attack and sustain of individual notes, before moving to the next one. With or without sheet music, we are looking at others around us, perhaps focusing on a conductor/director, using our ears to decide when to join in with other musicians, altering our pitch by the smallest of microtonal increments and balancing our sound to produce a musical performance.

“These tiny movements and processes (many of which are only barely noticeable, or often completely invisible to the human eye) seem to me to be a number of microscopic dances between our neural processes and motor skills.”

New Music 20×12 

Technophonia has been chosen to be one of twenty participants of New Music 20×12, an independent commissioning programme initiated by Jillian Barker and David Cohen, delivered by PRS for Music Foundation in partnership with the BBC, LOCOG, Sound and Music and NMC Recordings.

Special thanks to Creative Scotland for making this New Music 20×12 commission possible.

New Music 20×12 is generously supported by the following committed patrons and funders: Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, John S. Cohen Foundation, PRS for Music Foundation, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts Council of Wales, Columbia Foundation Fund of the Capital Community Foundation, Incorporated Society of Musicians, Musicians Benevolent Fund, Jerwood Charitable Foundation, RVW Trust, Charlotte and Dennis Stevenson, Tolkien Trust, The Leche Trust, The Bliss Trust, Finzi Trust, The Worshipful Company of Musicians, Lilian Slowe, John and Ann Tusa, John Wates Charitable Trust, Richard Walduck, Honeymead Arts Trust, and Sir Anthony Cleaver.

Funders and patrons websites are as follows (NB: Funders and patrons not listed here do not have a website):

Arts Council England: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/

Creative Scotland: http://www.creativescotland.com/

PRS for Music Foundation: http://www.prsformusicfoundation.com/

Arts Council of Northern Ireland: http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/

Arts Council of Wales: http://www.artswales.org.uk/

Incorporated Society of Musicians: http://www.ism.org/

Musicians Benevolent Fund: http://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/

Jerwood Charitable Foundation: http://www.jerwoodcharitablefoundation.org/

RVW Trust: http://www.rvwtrust.org.uk/

The Tolkien Trust: http://www.tolkientrust.org/

The Leche Trust: http://www.lechetrust.org/

The Bliss Trust: http://www.blisstrust.org/

Finzi Trust: http://www.geraldfinzi.org/

The Worshipful Company of Musicians http://www.wcom.org.uk/

Beginning in January 2012, Connections will deliver a range of creative music projects in special schools which will directly benefit 72 children and young people with Additional Support Needs as well as train three North East based musicians in the range of technologies we currently use such as Soundbeam, Skoog, as well as Figurenotes.

“We’re very excited to be extending our reach to the North East” says Chief Executive Thursa Sanderson “Connections will create a pool of locally based, highly trained and skilled musicians to lead future inclusive music projects.”

Connections is supported by Creative Scotland

musicSPACE Volunteer

About musicSPACE

musicSPACE is Drake Music Scotland’s programme of in-house music activities which take place in the organisation’s state of the art and fully accessible music studio, working with adults and children with a wide range of disabilities. Specific projects and activities include band rehearsals, collaborative projects with community groups, and an accredited course with Jewel & Esk College and individual sessions.

We are seeking a maximum of 3 Edinburgh-based volunteers to help support the individual sessions, which runs in 3 blocks of 10 weeks over the year. A Drake Music Scotland Associate Musician leads each block of one-to-one sessions.

Responsibilities

• To meet and greet participants at reception and bring them to the studio. This may involve holding doors open for participants who use a wheelchair.
• To pass on any necessary paperwork such as invoices, publicity permission forms, registration forms etc.
• To be ‘on hand’ to support the Musician during the session and be present in the room just outside the studio.
• To ensure that sessions do not run over schedule.
• To help set up the studio and arrange instruments for workshops.
• If participants have not arrived for the start of their session, to inform the Administrator so that they can be contacted.
• To familiarise yourself with Drake Music Scotland’s Safeguarding Policy and Guidelines for good practice.
• To provide feedback about your volunteering experience with us.

Volunteers will need to join the PVG Scheme. This service is free to volunteers and Drake Music Scotland will provide full details.

The Schedule

The times below relate to the Autumn 2011 term but the Spring 2012 term will run on a similar basis. However, we would like volunteers to attend the sessions, week beginning 5^th December. This is the last week of term and will allow volunteers to meet key personnel and see how the sessions run.

Mondays                    1.30 – 5 pm

Spring dates: 16^th January – 26^th March (no sessions on 13^th February)

Wednesdays                        1 – 4.30 pm

Spring dates: 18^th January – 28^th March (no sessions on 15^th February)

Fridays                       1 – 6 pm

Spring dates: 20^th January – 30^th March (no sessions on 17^th February)

We are looking to recruit a maximum of 3 volunteers – one for each afternoon of sessions. However if you are interested in volunteering for more than one afternoon please let us know.

Payment of Expenses

We are able to pay travel expenses for Edinburgh-based volunteers, based on mileage of 0.35 ppm or upon receipts provided by public travel operators.

Person Specification

We would like to recruit volunteers with the following skills/commitment:

• A keen interest in promoting accessibility and inclusivity in music education.
• A friendly and approachable manner and the ability to communicate with a wide range of people including participants with disabilities, parents and support workers.
• The ability to act with common sense and initiative, liaising with Drake Music Scotland musicians and core staff as necessary.
• Able to commit to 10 weeks of sessions on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday afternoon for the spring term 2011.

How To Apply

Please submit a letter clearly stating why you are interested in this opportunity and why you would be a suitable volunteer. Please include details of two referees with you letter. If you would also like to submit a CV in support of your application, please do so.

Deadline: Monday 21^st November, 5 pm

If you have any further questions or queries please contact:

Bethany Whiteside, Projects Coordinator

bethanywhiteside@drakemusicscotland.org

0131 659 4766

The line-up involved 140 young musicians aged between 11-21 and included a group from Kilpatrick School in West Dunbartonshire who performed a piece which was created as a result of their collaboration with Drake Music Scotland.

In partnership with Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative, Music For Youth will hold similar events across Scotland over the next three years.

Have a look at Music For Youth’s Flickr site to see more photos of the concert