Music4u creativity project report 2014

Creative Music Making A REPORT ON THE MUSIC4U CREATIVITY PROJECT 2012-13 Compiled by Jo Glover

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Edited by Annabel Hanson

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Project Leaders: Tim Brooks, Emily Crossland and David Power

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Executive Summary

Part 1: Introduction 1.1 Music4U and Musical Inclusion

1.2 The Creativity Project

1.3 The Practical Strand

1.4 The Research and Learning Strand

Part 2: Creative Musical Settings 2.1 Introduction and Key Issues

2.2 Practical Recommendations

Part 3: Song-­‐writing 3.1 Introduction and Key Issues

3.2 Practical Recommendations

Part 4: The Commission 4.1 Introduction and Key Issues

4.2 The Creativity Project Theme

4.3 Reflections and Recommendations

Part 5: Musical Materials 5.1 Introduction and Key Issues

5.2 Examples from The Creativity Project

5.3 Practical Recommendations

Part 6: Music-­‐making Processes and Progression 6.1 Introduction

6.2 Developing Musical Ideas

6.3 Improvising

6.4 The Review Process

6.5 Playback and Progression

Part 7: Conclusion and Recommendations

References

Appendix 1: Music4U (Musical Inclusion) from the NCEM Learning and Participation Strategy

Appendix 2: Biographies for the Project Team and Other Contributors

Appendix 3: The Creativity Project Groups and Pieces

Appendix 4: Recommended Song-­‐writing Process

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FOREWORD

Much of the recent focus of the National Plan for Music Education has been on active music making through instrumental and vocal ensemble work, including frequent opportunities for performing. Whilst composing and performing are present in best practice, this is not always the case. This is one of several reasons why this report is so important.

It is impossible to make music without someone composing or improvising!

When the National Plan for Music Education was written the National Curriculum was still under review. Thankfully, the outcome of that review reaffirmed the central role of composing and improvising to music making.

“The national curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils: …create and compose music on their own and with others, ….understand and explore how music is created, …..experiment with, create, select and combine sounds (Key Stage 1); improvise and compose music for a range of purposes (Key Stage 2) and improvise and compose; and extend and develop musical ideas by drawing on a range of musical structures, styles, genres and traditions (Key Stage 3).”

Everyone involved in music education will welcome Music4U’s commitment to providing high-­‐quality practical music making opportunities for children and young people. Music4U’s focus on where help is needed most and their collaborative work with others who share the same high aspirations through The Creativity Project has resulted in a rich resource for everyone. There is much good advice on composing and improvising, in and out of school. There are helpful conclusions and strategic and practical recommendations as well as 37 new pieces that can be listened to on-­‐line.

This resource complements the 2013 Listen Imagine Compose report to which readers and listeners are also directed.

Finally and most importantly, as every music educator should remember, “creative music making is central to developing a young person’s musical identity.”

Richard Hallam

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Music4U gratefully acknowledges the funding from Youth Music, which enabled this project to be carried out across York and the Humber and shared with wider audiences. The project leads – Tim Brooks, Emily Crossland and David Power – developed and steered the project with commitment and relish and were supported by music leaders who brought their vast experience and enthusiasm.

In addition, Music4U is especially grateful to the young people who shared their talents with us and participated in the project.

Music4U would also like to thank Jo Glover for compiling this report. Her experience, knowledge and insight provided a solid foundation to the development of this report. Annabel Hanson took on an editing role and supported the dissemination of the report to ensure its findings were shared with colleagues across the music and education sectors.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Background

Music4U is an established partnership between the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM) and the local authorities in York, Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, which strives to improve musical access and support for children and young people living in challenging circumstances across the York and Humber region. Music4U is funded by the National Foundation for Youth Music – originally as part of the Youth Music Action Zone initiative and subsequently under the Musical Inclusion module – in partnership with the NCEM and the five aforementioned local authorities.

Music4U works to provide high-­‐quality, practical music-­‐making opportunities for children and young people leading challenging lives; to support these young people’s musical progression; to develop and share models of good practice; to contribute to a strong support network for young people’s music-­‐making (particularly working in alignment with the five Music Education Hubs across the region); and to provide learning and development opportunities for emerging and established members of the music, youth and education workforces.

In 2012, Music4U carried out an extensive review of the ‘cold spots’ across the York and Humber Region in order to detect gaps in provision and establish a programme of work that would be most beneficial to young people living in the region. One of the key ‘cold spots’ identified was a lack of confidence in composition and the creation of new music among young people and often among the adults regularly supporting them. In response to this identified need, Music4U developed a strand of work, entitled The Creativity Project (www.ncem.co.uk/music4u/creativity).

The Creativity Project Brief

The purpose of The Creativity Project was to bring together young people, supporting adults (including teachers, youth workers and pastoral staff) and professional composers/creative musicians in practical music-­‐making sessions in order to allow those with less confidence and experience to learn from those who are established professionals in this field. While hands-­‐on musical exploration and development were at its heart, The Creativity Project was also a research project. The musicians leading the practical work were charged with the task of documenting the experiences, approaches, successes and challenges used and encountered by each group involved in the project in order to gather information about the ways in which young people approach the composition of new music and how their development as musical creators can be best supported.

The learning collected by the music leaders forms the basis for this report, which is intended as a summary of the project and its findings, as well as a springboard for the development of further work on creativity within the region.

Approaches and Processes

In order to deliver The Creativity Project, Music4U identified nine groups of young people, in community and school settings (largely non-­‐mainstream, including pupil referral units and special education establishments), who would benefit from additional, professional support for their creative music-­‐making. Each group was assigned a professional composer/creative musician, who offered the young people access to a breadth or musical styles, genres, instruments and experiences.

The young people, their supporting adults and the music leaders were invited to compose new music in response to the theme of ‘place’. Each group was set the target of completing at least one new piece of music. Each group approached the commission and the practical work in different ways, according to needs, context, numbers and the prior experiences of all involved.

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The project achieved a great deal of success, with over 100 young people aged 11-­‐18 having the opportunity to be part of the creative process and access professional mentoring and advice. Each group met its target of developing at least one original composition and many groups far exceeded their aim. In total, 37 new pieces of music were developed through The Creativity Project, all of which can be listened to online via the Music4U Digital Musical Map (www.ncem.co.uk/music4u/musicalmap), a portal for accessing recordings from a wide range of Music4U projects. Links to individual Creativity Project pieces are included in Appendix 3. Moreover, the approaches to creative music-­‐making explored within the nine Creativity Project groups are now being fed into other Music4U projects and embedded more firmly into a wider array of provision across the region.

Learning and Development

The Creativity Project has engendered a great deal of learning and development, which falls into two key areas: (1) practical learning regarding young people’s creative music-­‐making and the ways in which their compositional development can be best supported; and (2) strategic learning and development that support Music4U’s understanding of how to best take the project forward through future work.

The key points established through the practical strand of this work, regarding best practice for supporting young people’s music-­‐making, can be summarised as follows:

• Compositional style and confidence take time to develop and need to be supported by a culture of listening, respect and positivity towards everyone's work and differences.

• Music-­‐making has different starting points, such as song-­‐writing, the use of a commission, interactive games and rule-­‐setting, which can spur creativity and help to advance the composition. The most important music-­‐making processes include active listening; supported decision-­‐making; improvisation; and continuous review.

• The prospect of sharing the new music – either in a rehearsal, performance and/or via a recording – can provide the incentive needed to advance, refine or complete a composition.

However, compositions do not need to be formally recorded or noted to give them value.

Improvising and creative ‘play’ are just as important in the creative process as the finished piece. It is also important to allow time for a full post-­‐composing stage, which enables young creators to maximise learning and take their collaboration to a higher level.

• Young people’s knowledge and experience can be deepened by being encouraged to learn about other composers and understand their views on music. This will also ensure that the young people's composing activities are rooted in musical reality (which is particularly important for those wishing to continue their practice professionally in future).

• Creativity develops best when young people are encouraged to continue engagement with composition beyond the established setting and take ownership of their creative activity.

• Creative music-­‐making is central to developing a young person’s musical identity and helping them develop key skills, such as listening, decision-­‐making and interaction with others.

In addition to this practical learning, Music4U encountered a number of strategic discoveries and found opportunities to build on the 2012-­‐13 period of Creativity Project work through future activity. Music4U has established that there is a wide variety of creative young people, working across an array of genres, within the York and Humber region. Therefore, future work needs to take into account the potential dichotomy between ‘classical’ and more ‘popular’ genres. Care needs to be taken to ensure that young people are introduced to unfamiliar music and have their horizons broadened, without them becoming alienated by approaches that do not feel relevant to them.

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Music4U has also been successful in establishing models of creative music-­‐making that can easily be transferred to other areas of the organisation’s work, as mentioned above. Since these models are now being adopted across the region, it feels important that future work under the Creativity banner should be more ambitious and provide more challenging, high-­‐profile opportunities for young people.

During the creation of this report, a number of developments have been made and, as such, this strand of Music4U’s learning is still evolving. In particular, Music4U has been developing links to Sound and Music – the national agency for new music in the UK – and their recent ‘Listen Imagine Compose’ project (http://www.soundandmusic.org/projects/listen-­‐imagine-­‐compose), which focuses on approaches to young people’s composition within the schools classroom. ‘Listen Imagine Compose’ has a different focus to The Creativity Project because, as a Youth Music funded organisation, Music4U’s primary focus is on out-­‐of-­‐school provision. However, there is a similar ethos behind the two projects and often quite similar findings. Music4U is currently establishing ways in which to work in alignment with Sound and Music through future activity.

Another development, which has contributed to Music4U’s evolving vision for The Creativity Project, is the partnership’s increased focus on employability and the provision of support for young people wishing to explore career routes within all areas of the music industry. This strong strand of the Music4U work-­‐plan has an obvious link to the development of young composers. Similarly, the announcement of Hull as City of Culture 2017, which was made public during the creation of this report, has suggested the potential for exploring further commission-­‐based composition work as part of these celebrations.

Recommendations

Based on the findings from The Creativity Project and the subsequent consultation with regional and national partners, the following recommendations can be put forward for consideration by Music4U:

1. Share this research with Music Education Hubs and partners working in formal and non-­‐ formal education to highlight the common issues which occur in both school and community settings and showcase what can be learned through this project’s focus on support outside the mainstream school classroom; 2. Share this research with Music4U’s wide network of partners and beyond in order to build key strategic links with new and known colleagues working in young people’s formal and informal music education; 3. Prioritise opportunities and partnerships which enable young people living in challenging circumstances to access excellent music provision outside mainstream school settings; 4. Link future activities, which support young people’s music-­‐making, to Music4U’s focus on youth employability in order to raise awareness of the different careers available in the fields of composition and creative music-­‐making; 5. Develop further opportunities for young people in the York and Humber region to access tuition, mentoring and advice from professional composers, particularly seeking to engage young and emerging composers through routes such as Sound and Music’s creative-­‐artist and composer development programme, Embedded; 6. Explore the development of training opportunities for professional composers to help develop a sense of value for young people’s composing within the professional sphere, and to support those wishing to enhance their teaching/mentoring skills and develop their understanding of work with young people from challenged backgrounds, particularly considering opportunities through Sound and Music’s Embedded programme; and 7. Consider how developments in the next phase of work on Creativity may lead into the Hull City of Culture celebrations in 2017 and explore opportunities for the development of new pieces of music to mark this occasion.

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1 Introduction

1.1 Music4U and Musical Inclusion

Music4U is an established partnership between the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM) and the local authorities in York, Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, which works to develop and sustain high quality music-­‐making opportunities for children and young people living in challenging circumstances across the York and Humber region.

Music4U is funded by the National Foundation for Youth Music, in partnership with the NCEM and the five aforementioned local authorities.

Music4U began in the Humber region as a Youth Music Action Zone in 2001, administered by the NCEM (one of Arts Council England’s national portfolio organisations). As a result of the re-­‐ structuring of Youth Music’s funding, which took place in 2012, Music4U transitioned into working as a Musical Inclusion provider and broadened its partnership to include the NCEM and York Arts Education (the City of York’s arts development team) as core strategic partners.

Music4U works to achieve the following outcomes:

1. To improve the quality and standards of music delivery for children and young people, particularly those in challenging circumstances; 2. To embed learning and effective practice in NCEM and partner organisations and share practice beyond immediate project teams; 3. To increase the number of sustained, high-­‐quality music-­‐making opportunities for children and young people, in particular those in challenging circumstances within the York and Humber Region; 4. To extend the expertise, knowledge and skills of people and organisations in order to strengthen and develop music provision for children and young people in challenging circumstances; and 5. To support the development of progression environments that encourage children in challenging circumstances to realise their full musical talent and potential, regardless of their background or chosen genre.

There are three core strands to Music4U’s work:

1. Delivering music-­‐making and progression opportunities for children and young people living in challenging circumstances aged 0-­‐18 (and up to the age of 25 in the case of those with special needs). Music4U particularly works to identify and target ‘cold spots’ or gaps in provision and opportunity.

2. Working strategically with the five Music Education Hubs in the region, as well as higher and further partners, arts organisations, venues, community groups, young people’s services, nurseries, schools and pupil support units, and using this network to share good practice and signpost young people onto appropriate development opportunities.

3. Providing access to appropriate training, mentoring and advice for all stakeholders, including students and emerging practitioners, experienced community musicians, parents and carers, youth workers and pastoral staff, teachers, healthcare professionals and young people themselves.

More detail on Music4U’s strategic framework can be found in Appendix 1.

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1.2 The Creativity Project

In 2012 and 2013, Music4U brought over 100 young people together with professional composers and musicians in an initiative called The Creativity Project (www.ncem.co.uk/music4u/creativity).

This project was designed to support young people aged 11 to 18 in the creation of their own music.

As part of Music4U’s ‘cold spot’ provision, The Creativity Project was a direct response to an identified need for more support of creative music-­‐making in areas of the York and Humber region.

As project lead David Power explains, “we know that a number of people asked to teach music composition find that getting the creative process started is one of the hardest parts of the task” and, as such, the project was aimed at increasing confidence and opportunities in educational and community settings across the Music4U region. Visiting musicians were invited to collaborate with teachers and music leaders so that, together, they helped the young people to develop compositional skills and offered expert advice during the music-­‐making process.

The project team comprised music leaders who co-­‐ordinated the sessions and project leads who provided direction and guidance and were themselves musicians. The project leads were:

• Tim Brooks, York Arts Education manager, performer and freelance composer; • Emily Crossland, community musician and composer; and • David Power, local authority arts officer, musician and composer.

They worked in collaboration with music leaders:

• Dave Foulds, musician, composer and sound engineer; • Rich Huxley, writer and producer, guitarist and member of Hope and Social; • Donna Smith, community musician, advanced music mentor and trainer; and • Sue Williamson, Head of Music and Inclusion at Burnholme Community College in York.

Short biographies of these principal contributors are provided in Appendix 2.

The Creativity Project comprised two strands of activity: 1) a practical phase of work with the young people and 2) this report, which is based on observations and reflections made by the project team during the practical element.

1.3 The Practical Strand

The Creativity Project began with the practical work, which comprised activities designed to support young people and those who work with them to create original music. In total, nine groups emerged across the region. These groups and the music leaders who supported them were:

1. Burnholme Community College, York, working with Sue Williamson; 2. Danesgate Community (pupil referral unit), York, working with Sue Williamson; 3. York High School, working with Tim Brooks; 4. The Colours of Music gamelan ensemble (comprising young people from Hull’s special schools), creating music for a new shadow puppet play with Emily Crossland; 5. Young people from Ukulele Junction (Goole’s ukulele orchestra), working with Rich Huxley; 6. North East Lincolnshire Rock Schools, working with Dave Foulds; 7. Healing School, Grimsby, working with Tim Brooks; 8. St Hugh’s Communication and Interaction Specialist College, Scunthorpe, working with Donna Smith; and 9. Exploring Gamelan groups, working with Emily Crossland.

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In order to give the project a focus, the team gave the young people a time-­‐limited commission to guide their music-­‐making. This commission was based on the concept of ‘place’, which proved to be a very flexible theme. The young people created over 35 new pieces in response to this theme, all of which are hosted on Music4U’s Digital Musical Map (www.ncem.co.uk/musicalmap). This platform also includes compositions and recordings from other projects. For a detailed list of The Creativity Project compositions and links to listen to them online, see Appendix 3.

1.4 The Research and Learning Strand

This report is intended as a learning tool aimed at those who wish to support young people in their creative music-­‐making. It is based on the observations made by the project team during the practical phase of work. In particular, the music leaders were asked to reflect on the composition, improvisation and creation processes they observed and gather feedback from participants. This information was compiled and expounded by musician and educationalist Jo Glover to provide the foundation for this report.

The report is divided into five parts:

• Creative musical settings • Musical materials • Song-­‐writing • Music-­‐making processes and progression • The commission

Each section includes a short introduction to the relevant theme; identifies the key issues; and provides advice about how to deliver and develop good practice.

The value of this project is the learning that was derived from the out-­‐of-­‐school settings and how these experiences can inform the practices of musicians, composers and educators working across all environments. This report complements the 2013 ‘Listen Imagine Compose’ (LIC) report, which was published by Sound and Music, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and Birmingham City University (http://www.soundandmusic.org/projects/listen-­‐imagine-­‐compose). This larger-­‐scale project focused on the ways composition and creativity are supported in schools and made recommendations for how music-­‐making is tackled in the classroom.

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2.1

Creative Musical Settings

Introduction and Key Issues Well thought out, unique, participant-­‐led composition takes time. A facilitator works best when they know and have bonded with the group. The group needs time to develop a communal musical taste. All need to feel comfortable with one another for the creativity to flow. All need time to get used to the instruments/ forces for which they are composing. Compositional style and confidence take time and experimentation and freedom to develop. (Emily Crossland)

Our research has affirmed the view that a positive, interactive environment is needed to help young people explore their creativity; get to know one another and those supporting the composing activities; attain key skills and processes such as sound handling, listening and problem solving; and gain the confidence needed to develop musically.

The process of establishing and managing this ‘creative setting’ is complex and fragile as group dynamics vary as does the context in which the work is created. For example, the context may be a weekly band rehearsal; an improvisational session between friends; a formal student-­‐teacher lesson; 9

or a classroom where composition is being taught the first time. Whatever the context, the quality of the relationships between those people involved – including the facilitators, teachers, visiting musicians and/or support workers – is paramount. Trust needs to be established within the creative setting for these relationships to flourish. Differences of opinion must also be considered at all stages of the creative process to allow for progression.

The regularity of the young people’s exposure to composing activities is another important factor. In general, projects which introduce young people to music-­‐making need to be long enough to allow good working relationships to evolve and the basics to be learned. For a newly-­‐formed music group, composing can be at the heart of its development. For this reason, young people should be encouraged to make their own music so original composition becomes a key part of their repertoire.

In settings where composing activities are undertaken episodically or are not the focus of the group’s work, building and supporting a creative setting can be more difficult.

Making new music, whether independently or with others, draws on the participants’ past experiences with music, whether it is passive or creative. It is therefore important to consider what each young person brings to the music-­‐making process and how this can be integrated with the experience of others. Each piece should reflect who the contributors are.

In most musical genres and traditions, the norm is for performers to compose their own music. As they develop, most bands and ensembles will eventually compose most of what they perform, whether they work up the material as a group or rely on individual band members. The link between improvisation and composition cannot therefore be understated because, for many composers, improvisation is closely allied to generating new music.

2.2 Practical Recommendations

The practical phase of The Creativity Project was carried out in both educational and community settings. As a MINC organisation, Music4U’s focus is on out-­‐of-­‐school provision, especially in communities where young people have had little or no exposure to music-­‐making. The value of this project is therefore the learning which can be drawn from these community settings and interpreted for the benefit of practitioners and teachers working in all environments.

As noted above, time is an essential ingredient for nurturing creative settings. For example, music leaders found that young people needed time to identify their shared musical tastes; feel comfortable being creative in front of one another; and explore the theme of ‘place’. In addition, the young people needed to get used to the instruments with which they were composing and gain the confidence and cohesion to experiment together.

Clear roles and responsibilities had to be established at the start of the project to promote honest communication and a reassuring, respectful environment. A facilitator works best when s/he knows the young people and has bonded with them. Music leaders on this project found this to be particularly pertinent when working with vulnerable participants because familiarity made communication easier and their collaborations were stronger as a result. In addition, when there was some consistency in the group membership, better musical relationships emerged.

When working with large groups new to music-­‐making, a facilitator may take a ‘piloting’ approach. A sub-­‐group can be identified to help define the group dynamics and set the creative agenda. This smaller group may be asked to develop their own creative ideas outside the formal sessions. These ideas and/or improvisations can then be brought back to the whole group, who are expected to listen; describe without judgment what they hear; discuss with the music creators how they have approached the challenge; and share personal responses. Based on the group’s feedback, the ‘pilot’ 10

group then decides how to develop their music and identify what help may be needed. A second sub-­‐group could also be commissioned to undertake a similar exercise.

This piloting approach usually engenders interest and respect among peers and gives everyone the chance to focus on musical impact, enjoyment and problem solving in a productive setting. It also avoids the prolonged, and sometimes confusing, process of listening to an assortment of ideas and clouding the group’s purpose and decision-­‐making.

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3.1

Song-­‐writing

Introduction and Key Issues When working with groups of new and aspiring songwriters I try to promote a safe creative atmosphere where everyone should feel happy to contribute. Within this approach, I stress that it is the song which is the important thing. So, when writing everyone can feel safe to suggest a lyric, a chord, a strumming rhythm, and we’ll all try it. All suggestions are good, and what suggestions make it into the final song are based on a democratic response to the question ‘does this work?’ It’s usually unanimous; no-­‐one feels at risk suggesting stuff because they all make the decisions together, and I think everyone made at least one suggestion that made it, and one suggestion that didn’t make it. (Rich Huxley)

Regardless of the setting, song-­‐writing is a good starting point for young people who are new to music composition because singing is an activity that almost everyone relates to and/or has direct experience of. Often young people bring their own experiences as performers and/or listeners to the writing of original songs in a way they may not be so immediately comfortable to do with instrumental music.

There are various ways to launch the song-­‐writing process. In smaller groups, the facilitator may encourage an individual singer-­‐songwriter (or a young person who likes words or has an interest in creative writing) to work with a group of instrumentalists or sh/e may suggest that a band develop both the lyrics and music together. Alternatively, whole group song-­‐writing can be achieved by either helping the group to write a song collectively or splitting the group into friendship clusters with each commissioned to compose a song of their own. Within The Creativity Project, song-­‐writing activities were introduced to groups of various sizes. The music leaders found there were both advantages and disadvantages to working with small and large groups. The young people in smaller groups sometimes found the prospect of creating new music daunting. However, smaller groups tended to be easier to manage. Larger groups were logistically challenging, though they often provided an atmosphere conducive to the sharing of creative ideas.

Encouraging young people, either individually or in groups, to write new songs allows them to explore their musical motivations and root composing and performance in their own creativity. The lyrics which emerge may be intensely personal or could be derived from shared experiences, attitudes or observations. This process of self-­‐discovery takes time; it does not matter which comes first – the lyrics or the melody. Taking a flexible approach and responding to the strengths within the group are most important. The use of interactive techniques, such as asking the young composers to exchange ideas with one another and/or the facilitator, is also effective because it can often lead to improvisation and further development of the musical ideas.

3.2 Practical Recommendations

Early in the song-­‐writing process, it is useful capture concepts and inspirations in order to assemble a ‘sketchbook’ of starter ideas, however rough. The ideas can be seized in writing or by recording 11

them with mobile phones and other devices. When the young people’s ideas are flowing, a facilitator should feel comfortable to stand back and let the creative process unfold. S/he may wish to consider how the young people might be supported to continue their work outside the session.

Music leader Donna Smith used song-­‐writing with her group at St Hugh’s Communication and Interaction Specialist College. The result was an extended multi-­‐media project called Earth and Space. As Donna describes below, an agreed plotline provided the inspiration for this composition:

We asked lots of questions and gathered everyone’s ideas and lines for lyrics on a flipchart... We wrote the chorus in this session and did not need to change any lyrics. When I put the whole story together, it became four verses, which were far too wordy. I read all four verses to the group, and we decided to chop two and swap a couple of lines in the two remaining verses to tell the main points of the story....

Together we came up with a vocal melody. I asked questions such as: ‘Do you think the melody should go up or down there?’; ‘Shall we sing this fast or slow here?’; and ‘Should our voices sound soft or strong?’

While there is no right way to compose a song, the music leaders in The Creativity Project found it helped if groups had gone through a shared creative process in order to identify song-­‐writing approaches that worked. For example, Goole’s Ukulele Junction is a group which meets weekly to play and sing. When the young people were ready to start composing, music leader Rich Huxley worked with them to bring the benefit of a modelled creative process to all the members. This meant that young composers, either independently or in groups, could later follow a similar approach, adapting it to their own strengths and needs. Rich reflected on this experience:

It’s tricky documenting the meat of the writing process, as it's so fluid in those trial and error stages. Yet that's where the real magic of it comes. We had eight people actively contributing to making a new piece of art and making decisions about that art in an informed manner. I think the work stands up and is a testament to their hard work. They did themselves proud.

When working with a group at the Whitgift Young People’s Centre in Grimsby, music leader Dave Foulds was able to document the song-­‐writing process in detail. This process was used for the creation of You Complete Me and has been translated into a step-­‐by-­‐step guide in Appendix 4.

4 The Commission

4.1 Introduction and Key Issues

When working with young composers, especially in groups, a commission can provide a useful framework for the music-­‐making process. A commission provides a set of requirements to which the young people are asked to respond. It can be introduced by the facilitator or discussed and agreed within the group. Some common requirements include a time-­‐limited window for delivery and specific outcomes, such as the live performance of the piece at an event or a formal recording. The commission may also require the piece to be a certain length; for a particular instrument or group of performers; in a particular style; or for a set text.

However comprehensive the commission is, the requirements are intended to provide a starting point, which is especially helpful for beginners, and/or to present a challenge if introduced part way through the process. When using a commission, it is helpful to discuss how the specifications influence the development of the composition and consider what other creative solutions may be possible within the scope of the brief. It is also important to remember that young people will set their own musical constraints just as they might find their own themes and approaches.

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4.2

The Creativity Project Theme We deliberately wanted a theme that as many young people as possible could relate to in their own ways but not so broad as to bring no stimulus at all to the creative process. The right type of theme can really help with this type of work. (David Power)

The young people taking part in The Creativity Project were given the theme of ‘place’ as part of their commission. Each group had a unique response to the theme and drew on different musical elements to interpret it. Here are two examples:

• York High School students voted to use Jamaican Celebration as the overarching title for their musical collage and drew on Jamaican rhythms and timbres for musical inspiration.

• Young composers at Burnholme Community College tapped into their feelings about the closure of their school and the prospect of their friends and peers being scattered across the city. First, their feelings were captured in writing. A harmonic element – in this case, a blues chord progression – was then introduced and worked into short melodic patterns, resulting in both instrumental music and songs from their mixed ensembles.

4.3 Reflections and Recommendations

Working with a themed commission can generally bring an added dimension when making music with young people. A facilitator should be aware when the theme is stimulating their creativity and when it is causing difficulty. S/he should help the young people to balance the inspiration they gain from the theme and how they technically handle the musical materials which emerge during the composing process. The young people may be encouraged to exercise the theme using different media, such as through text, images, dance or drama. This approach can help them understand the theme and develop original responses to it.

Incorporating other media can also be an effective way of engaging young people with additional needs. This approach works well if they are already comfortable with other art forms. For example, the Castaway Dance group used movement as a starting point for their gamelan improvisations and the young people at St. Hugh’s drew pictures, which was already a familiar activity, to inspire their music-­‐making. A facilitator should recognise, however, that this approach is not appropriate for all young people with additional needs. The circumstances of each individual need to be considered and the activities planned carefully.

5 Musical Materials

5.1 Introduction

Musical materials are starting points and building blocks that can be used to stimulate young people’s creativity and support them in developing their own pieces. Experimenting with musical materials promotes awareness about different musical elements, instruments, practices and styles; expands young people’s knowledge and appreciation; and enriches their creative experience.

Musical materials may originate from a particular genre or tradition; a piece of existing music; or a favourite composer. Likewise, they may also emerge as incidental passages of music improvised by the young people during the session.

Finding and generating musical materials can be a lure for young people because the discovery process can lead to intriguing, unusual, exciting and/or promising possibilities. These materials can be used to launch the music-­‐making process, re-­‐energise a group that has floundered or pose a new 13

challenge to young people who are progressing well. Young people should be encouraged to be playful, improvise and share ideas as part of their development with an emphasis on the primacy of creative expression and that sense of adventure rather than on the need for a finished piece.

5.2 Examples from The Creativity Project

Project lead Tim Brooks started sessions in Grimsby’s Healing School with activities that helped the young people to listen and think broadly about creating sounds and patterns, which were then used as raw materials for music-­‐making. Here are some of the tactics he used:

• Choose a number between one and eight, count out 8 steady beats and clap on the chosen beat while listening. Add an improvised rhythm on the preceding beat and then add another sound, such as a stamp or a shout on another beat.

• Spend time in a specific location and listen to ambient sounds. Return to the creative setting and experiment with imitating the perceived sounds using instruments. Listen and test the different ways of re-­‐creating what was heard or look for visual patterns and translate them into sound with instruments.

Young people should also be invited to discuss how their musical ideas have developed into more refined work in order to open their minds to different ways of making music. If a specific idea emerges as an exciting possibility, a sub-­‐group may be challenged to work up a piece for the group to listen to and talk through together.

Project lead Emily Crossland used her gamelan work to show how experimentation with new instruments can serve as a rich source of inspiration. For two groups in Hull and York, the gamelan provided lots of creative opportunities by virtue of its timbres, size, pitch and layout. Emily used the following starter activities:

• Creating riffs, layering them up, listening and adapting them to fit with others; • Exploring extended techniques to create textural improvisation; • Combining the riffs and techniques into a structure, moving from the textural to the rhythmic; • Making a change in the structure, improvising together and adapting to that change; and • Asking one person to conduct the players in order to control texture and dynamics.

Most of the young people were unfamiliar with the gamelan. However, they can be just as unfamiliar with the sound potential of an instrument they know. Emily found that when playing unfamiliar instruments the young people had no preconceptions about what they should sound like and therefore the music was more original rather than an imitation of the sounds they thought they should be producing.

Technology was also used by several groups to generate and explore music materials. A good example was St Hugh’s piece, Earth and Space, which involved the exploration of sound worlds comprising high-­‐quality music recordings, tracks and samples selected by the participants. The young people manipulated these materials through a range of processes including active listening; live music-­‐making, recording and editing; adding to and modifying recorded tracks; using sequencing software; and selecting and combining samples. The result was the creation of musical collages which combined different inspirations and ideas.

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5.3 Practical Recommendations

In The Creativity Project, the commissions to which the groups were working were time-­‐bound, so there were restrictions on how long the young people could spend on testing musical materials.

Regardless of the time available, it can help to select a set of instruments which offer specific timbre, pitch, dynamic and textural potential to focus the young people.

Once the musical materials or combinations thereof have been chosen, the challenge is helping young people to transform them into a new piece of music. These ‘finds’ can often be unexpected outcomes of creative play so it is sometimes difficult to know when to start formalising, capturing and even recording them as ‘sketch’ material. Once the preferred combinations have been identified, the group should be encouraged to listen to and work with the musical materials in order to test and refine their decisions. This can be done in a fun manner using games, ice-­‐breakers and small inputs of additional music that encourage imaginative sound handling.

6 Music-­‐making Processes and Progression

6.1 Introduction

The practice, processes, concepts and musical boundaries of composing are relative to particular musical cultures, times and places. In order for the young people to understand the ‘real world’ practices of musicians, it is useful to have them learn from an experienced practitioner or immerse the group in a way of working that captures the spirit of the musical form being explored. If a facilitator is working in a familiar area, s/he should use their own practices with the young people, enabling them to take an ‘apprentice’ approach.

Music leader Rich Huxley described how he worked with Ukulele Junction in Goole:

This is a very similar, if not the same, approach as I take when working with adults, producing records with established recording artists and signed bands, collaborating on songs, or working in or with bands. I want the young people I work with to feel like I am one of their team working together to make the best song or record we can. I want them to feel like they're musicians and to feel what it’s like to be a musician working in collaboration with others.

If facilitators are new to composing with young people, the creative process should be an honest, shared journey. When using existing music as source material, it is useful to consider these questions to help them analyse it:

• Which parts do you think the composer made up first? What makes you think that?

• What might s/he have worked on next? How? • What is the structure of the finished music? How has it all been assembled?

• If you were going to make up your own song, where would you begin? What would be your starting point be – an idea, creative purpose, tune, chords or words?

The involvement of role models is also a good way of introducing young people to music-­‐making. A facilitator may encourage them to research composers or musicians they admire and find out how they work. Moreover, the young people could be encouraged to do their Bronze Level Arts Award, which involves investigating their arts heroes and heroines. From her experience, project lead Emily Crossland found that:

Young people should know that being aware of other artists, pieces and genres helps them to develop their own style. Encourage them to listen and note what they like and don’t like. Try to figure out why 15

something appeals. Copy others or actively try to make something that sounds like nothing they have heard before. Imitating elements of certain musical styles that already exist can be useful in some cases, for example writing with elements of traditional gamelan, such as cyclic, interlocking, strong beats or the functions of instruments.

Ultimately, your music-­‐making should be rooted in musical realities, professional or otherwise, which supports their developments as experience and knowledge grows.

6.2 Developing Musical Ideas

Inevitably, the progress of the participants in The Creativity Project settings was mixed. As work got underway, some individuals and groups flourished while others became discouraged with their lack of progress or other frustrations. Genuine progress should be affirmed. In situations where the young people have stalled, music leaders found it best to suspend the composing process and give the young people time to reflect, consider alternative routes into the composition or start afresh.

This was a good time to revisit all of the group’s musical ideas, even those that were discounted, in order to re-­‐ignite their creative spark.

At whatever level the young people are working, once a musical idea or set of ideas has captivated them, a facilitator can take their music-­‐making to the next stage and help them progress their composition to the next level. There are several approaches that can be taken to support this:

• Establishing an overall framework for the piece and filling it in with ideas from the group; • Working section by section, reviewing and completing each as progress is made; or • Playing with and improvising various ideas, and then capturing and refining them.

There is no correct way to support this developmental stage and a facilitator should remain receptive to any approach or combinations thereof which emerge in the group. Active deliberation and decision-­‐making are vital at this point and must be supported to avoid losing or diluting the original musical ideas or having the young people feel their views do not matter. Music leader Donna Smith, working with young people with additional needs, commented:

Through group discussion, using question and answer, we established the outline of the story. Obviously some members of the group contributed more than others; some participants did not say anything at all.

I found a voting process, in which participants made choices by either putting up their hands or thumbs, nodding their heads or smiling worked well as we discussed each element of the story. This ensured everyone contributed to the decision-­‐making process.

When the musical materials are being discussed and selected, good listening is crucial because it enables young people to reflect, test new approaches, make comparisons between different options and decide what happens next. At this juncture, a facilitator may consider ways of capturing the work in progress, either by scoring or noting the music or recording it, while remembering that the creative process should remain open, playful and respectful.

6.3 Improvising

Allowing time for improvisation is crucial because it draws young people into the cycle of making new music, listening to it and responding to the sounds they hear. Improvising challenges young people to think freely and spontaneously; introduce musical interactions between two or more players; and create opportunities for putting a structure into the new music. It may also help the young composers to experience how ‘playing’ leads to creating and composition and to understand how texture, dynamics, melodic space and rhythmic weight can inform one another.

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While improvisation may be seen as ‘messing about’, young people should be encouraged to realise that improvisations and compositions in progress are extremely valuable even if they have not been created in a structured session or formally noted. The improvising stage is a good time to introduce another musician or composer, perhaps someone more expert, who can use experimentation to support the development of the young people’s musical ideas and probe the creative possibilities of making music together.

This close link between improvising and composing was demonstrated in a group, supported by Tim Brooks, which comprised four boys playing guitars, drums and bass. The young musicians enjoyed improvising and were motivated to revise their music every time they played. For them, improvising and performing came naturally and were their main entry point into composition. Tim found that recording the music helped the young people to finalise the structures of their compositions. For those who were intent on improvising, the recording process was an opportunity to capture their work as a fixed piece of music.

The use of ‘make a rule and try it out’ techniques also promotes improvisation and helps young composers to develop musical ideas. Here are some suggested techniques:

• Play/sing and hold a long note, and then start to move it, visualizing shapes and directions.

Repeat this process and perhaps invert the emerging pattern. Consider turning this into a response to another person’s music or introduce a drone, rhythm or two chord pattern; • In pairs, take turns to copy, change or dramatize a musical idea. Encourage one musician to start while another young person joins in with the same pattern or something different; or • Find a chord progression and then improvise over or along with it either rhythmically or melodically, vocally or passing it around; • Start with the rule that at some point each player must stop, listen and be silent, and then add rules such as each person’s playing must complement/contrast with another’s; • Encourage each contributor to identify ‘where the power is’, for example who is leading and what themes are dominating, and then ask if they want to oppose that power; and/or • Suggest that improvisers try to make eye contact with another person in order to improve ensemble coherence.

Rules can be added, taken away and/or changed depending on the results and the outcomes towards which the young people are striving. Improvisation should involve a discussion about how the rule(s) functioned and what their impact was. The point of the exercise is that, through improvisation, the young composers are helped to continue the creative process beyond the identification of the preferred musical ideas and take the composition to the next level.

6.4 The Review Process

An important, ongoing aspect of music-­‐making is reviewing a work in progress. The review process is inextricably linked to the act of listening and needs as much structure and support as composing activity. Young people may be clear about their purposes and aims and how well the composition is progressing. However, if they are inexperienced, they may need a formal discussion with guidance on the appropriate vocabulary to use and encouragement to listen and work closely with the music.

This reflection helps to avoid disengagement from the creative process and making fixed judgments about the value of the emerging music.

The review process can be supported by working afresh with the music and reviewing it before moving on, or by taking time to reconstruct it from a score, listen to an audio capture or have someone else play or sing back the music. The simple act of listening to the piece repeatedly can 17

often lead to an understanding of the musical materials needed to give shape and scale to the composition. Again, active decision-­‐making is a key part of this process.

Once a draft is beginning to take shape, editing can begin. Project lead Emily Crossland suggests reassuring young creators that it is acceptable to filter ideas as the piece is developed and that more material may be discarded than it retained. It is important to set aside unused ideas rather than destroy them, as they could be utilised elsewhere.

Seeking and responding to feedback encourages both the listeners and composers to take direction from others and consider other musical possibilities. This is especially useful for any young person wanting to make music for other people. In order to help a young person understand how composing, as a profession, works, a facilitator could pose the following questions:

• What happens between the composer and the people ‘realising’ the ideas? What do composers do and how? Refer this to real world practice.

• Who writes down musical ideas and who does not? Who works in recorded sound?

• What if composers and performers live 1,000 miles apart, or 300 years apart, or have not met? What are the possibilities and challenges?

• What does a composer ‘give’ and what do performers ‘do’ with new music? What are the dynamics of their working relationships?

6.5 Playback and Progression

One-­‐off and time-­‐limited composing projects, such as The Creativity Project, can be stimulating and open up lots of musical possibilities. Even if the experience is challenging, a facilitator should explain that there may be a future, or an ‘after life’, for their finished compositions when helping young people to create their own music.

Some young people are dissatisfied when their composition does not match up with the music they are used to listening to. As project lead Tim Brooks observed, this dissatisfaction can trigger further development of a piece or impede progress. It can also be difficult to communicate to young people that their efforts may not initially reach their expectations, especially if they are new to composing.

Time and experience will help them to develop as creators.

At this juncture, it is important for music leaders to be positive about what the young people are doing. One-­‐to-­‐one input may be needed to encourage and motivate the young composers. If they are not satisfied with the composition, a facilitator may ask questions, make suggestions and encourage further experimentation. If the young people have excelled, a facilitator should praise their work and challenge them further. For example, they may be encouraged to create music for a new instrument or learn how to capture their music in staff notation or other notation system.

Most of the music leaders involved in The Creativity Project found that the prospect of recording their work focused the participants on refining their compositions and brought authenticity to their work. It also spurred those young people who were having difficulties to renew their efforts. Project lead David Power also noted, “how valuable many of the participants found listening back to their own work. This is clearly a very powerful tool for the task of creating and developing original music”.

Other incentives to progress the composition may be:

• repeated performances to foster improvements; • a more formal recording in a professional environment suitable for the performance; • going into rehearsal with attention given to how the music is going to be sung or played during a performance; and/or 18

•

targeting particular audiences (e.g. at special occasions or online via You Tube) and preparing the music to be taken beyond their immediate setting.

In another example, Emily Crossland made the young people aware of the work of their peers and, once they had the confidence, encouraged them to try working in different groups and influencing each another. This exchange enabled the young people to bring their own original pieces together and see how they could be adapted to work as one larger piece of music, such as in the Hull Colours of Music project with groups from Ganton, Tweendykes and Northcott Schools coming together (see Appendix 3).

Asking these questions awakens the young people’s musical awareness and helps them develop a mature approach to their composing. In order to strengthen a group’s collective music-­‐making, it is important to allow time for the critical appraisal of different music forms, styles and genres. Wider horizons will help the young people understand the differences between their work and the music they are used to listening to. Building up a context for music-­‐making also underscores the value of developing key skills; taking a creative ‘trial and error’ approach with some risk-­‐taking; and exposure to different musical practices, processes and concepts.

Once young people are creating and working on their own time and bringing their music back to the setting, the group is likely to be much more productive. The sessions become opportunities for the young creators to share what they have learned with the whole group. They can also be used to address issues that have emerged during the composing process; try out new ideas with other people on different instruments; and/or record a new piece of music. The emphasis should be on exploiting the strengths, skills, knowledge and experience reposed in the musical setting so that the momentum for progressing the piece or moving on to new work is driven by creative processes and the young people's own learning.

7 Conclusion and Recommendations

Regardless of the type of creative music setting, the roles and relationships of those active in it need to be clearly defined in order to foster a vibrant and nurturing creative environment. Compositional style and confidence take time to develop and need to be supported by a culture of respect, listening and positivity towards everyone's work and differences.

Composing can become a continuing part of a group’s musical collaboration and should be encouraged to be undertaken beyond the established setting. When working with large groups, the young people do not need to work altogether. The key is to start small, involve everyone as listeners and encourage them to give constructive feedback, and learn from one another.

Music-­‐making has different starting points, such as song-­‐writing, the use of a commission, interactive games and rule-­‐setting, which can spur creativity and help advance the composition. The most important aspects of composing include active listening and decision-­‐making; improvisation; and continuous review.

The prospect of sharing the new music – either in a rehearsal, performance and/or through a recording – can also provide the incentive needed to advance, refine or complete a composition.

Music-­‐making is a developmental process which has many milestones which should be celebrated as they are achieved during the creative journey. It is important to allow time for a supported post-­‐ composing stage, which enables young creators to maximise learning and take their collaboration of a higher level.

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Whatever approach is taken, facilitators should prioritise playful learning and exposure to a range of musical forms, styles and traditions. The young people’s knowledge and experience can be deepened by learning about other composers and understand their views on music. This will also ensure that the young people's composing activities are rooted in musical reality (which is particularly important for those wishing to continue their practice into their musical futures) and strengthen the group as a creative collective.

Based on the findings from The Creativity Project and the subsequent consultation with regional and national partners (as outlined in the Executive Summary), the following recommendations can be put forward for consideration by Music4U:

1. Share this research with Music Education Hubs and with partners working in formal and non-­‐ formal education to highlight the common issues which occur in both school and community settings and showcase what can be learned through this project’s focus on support outside the mainstream school classroom; 2. Share this research with Music4U’s wide network of partners and beyond in order to build key strategic links with new and known colleagues, working in young people’s formal and informal music education; 3. Prioritise opportunities and partnerships which enable young people living in challenging circumstances to access excellent music provision outside mainstream school settings; 4. Link future activities, which support young people’s music-­‐making, to Music4U’s focus on youth employability in order to raise awareness of the different careers available in the fields of composition and creative music-­‐making; 5. Develop further opportunities for young people in the York and Humber region to access tuition, mentoring and advice from professional composers, particularly seeking to engage young and emerging composers, through routes such as Sound and Music’s creative-­‐artist and composer development programme, Embedded.

6. Explore the development of training opportunities for professional composers to help develop a sense of value for young people’s composing within the professional sphere, and to support those wishing to enhance their teaching/mentoring skills and develop their understanding of work with young people from challenging backgrounds, particularly considering opportunities through Sound and Music’s Embedded programme.

7. Consider how developments in the next phase of work on Creativity may lead into Hull City of Culture celebrations in 2017 and explore opportunities for the development of new pieces of music to mark this occasion.

It is important that a lasting legacy is established for The Creativity Project and that the ways forward take into account the learning undertaken in this period. As project lead David Power comments, “The Creativity Project shows just how much creativity is waiting to be ‘unlocked’ in the Music4U region… it is very heartening to be reminded of the sheer pleasure that creating original music brings to young people”. Music4U will continue to support young people in accessing opportunities to experience this joy, develop their skills, and seek situations in which they can apply their learning.

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REFERENCES

Bohlman, P. V. (2002). World Music: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford Paperbacks.

Burnard, P. (2002). Mapping Pathways: Fostering Creativity in Composition. Music Education Research, Vol. 4 (2).

Burnard, P. (2012). Musical Creativities in Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Burnard, P. and Murphy, R. (2013). Teaching Music Creatively. London: Routledge.

Collins, D, ed. (2012). The Act of Musical Composition: Studies in the Creative Process. Sempre: Ashgate.

Cook, N. (2000). Music: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford Paperbacks.

Crow, B. (2006). Musical Creativity and the new technology. Music Education Research, Vol. 8 (1).

Fautley, M. (2004). O Fortuna: Creativity in English music education considered from a post-­‐ modernist perspective. Music Education Research, Vol. 6 (3).

Fautley, M. (2005). A new model of the group composing process of lower secondary school students. Music Education Research, Vol. 7 (1).

Fautley, M. and Savage, J. (2007). Creativity in Secondary Education. Exeter: Learning Matters.

Finney, J. and Laurence, F., eds. (2013). Master class in music education: transforming teaching and learning. London: Bloomsbury.

Glover, J. (2000). Children Composing 4-­‐14. London: Falmer Routledge.

Green, L. (2008). Music, Informal Learning and the School: A New Classroom Pedagogy. Aldershot UK: Ashgate.

Mills, J. and Paynter, J. eds. (2008). Thinking and Making Selections from the writings of John Paynter on music in education. Oxford Music Education Series. Oxford University Press.

Sundin, B., Macpherson, G. and Folkestad, G. eds. (1998) Children Composing Malmo Academy of Music, Lund University Research in Music Education (1).

Stoll, D. (2004). Building Music. Report of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters primary composing project. London: Department for Education and Schools.

Wiggins, J. (2011). When the music is theirs: scaffolding young songwriters. In Barrett, M. S., ed. A cultural psychology of music education. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wigram, T. (2004). Improvisation: Methods and Techniques for Music Therapy Clinicians, Educators and Students. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

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Appendix 1 Music4U (Musical Inclusion) from the NCEM Learning and Participation Strategy

Music4U: Musical Inclusion Music4U is an established partnership between the National Centre for Early Music and the local authorities in York, Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, funded by the National Foundation for Youth Music.

Outcomes Music4U works to achieve the following outcomes:

1. To improve the quality and standards of music delivery for children and young people, particularly those in challenging circumstances.

2. To embed learning and effective practice in the NCEM and partner organisations and share practice beyond immediate project teams.

3. To increase the number of sustained, high-­‐quality music-­‐making opportunities for children and young people, in particular those in challenging circumstances in the York and Humber region.

4. To extend the expertise, knowledge and skills of people and organisations in order to strengthen and develop music provision for children and young people in challenging circumstances.

5. To support the development of progression environments that encourage children in challenging circumstances to realise their full musical talent and potential, regardless of their background or chosen genre.

Target Groups Music4U focuses on offering high quality music-­‐making and development opportunities for children and young people aged 0-­‐18 (and up to the age of 25 in the case of those with special needs), living in challenging circumstances. Music4U has engaged young people facing a variety of challenging circumstances in their lives, including:

• those from economically deprived backgrounds or receiving free school meals; • young people who are excluded from school, at risk of exclusion or attending pupil referral units; • those whose first language is not English; • homeless young people and children in care; • those with mental health problems; • young people not in education, employment or training; • rurally isolated young people; • those with physical disabilities, sensory impairment or special educational needs; • young travellers; • young parents; and • young carers and children with a responsibility for disabled siblings; • young people from minority ethnic groups.

The partnership also works to encourage continuing professional development (CPD) and create a skilled workforce of professionals, equipped to support young people in their musical development.

Strategic Working Music4U is successfully working with the five Music Education Hubs in the York and Humber region, supporting the delivery of the National Plan for Music Education and advocating for equality of provision, particularly playing a key role in developing the Inclusion Strategy of the East Riding, York and North Lincolnshire Hubs. Music4U is represented on the strategy groups of the Hull, East Riding 22

and York Hubs and works closely with Hub leaders in North and North East Lincolnshire. Music4U works to support the Hubs with provision for the 0-­‐5 age group (for whom Hub funding is not available), as well as sharing resources, good practice and progression opportunities for young people across the region.

Music4U nurtures valuable relationships with higher education institutions, including the University of York and Leeds College of Music. Opportunities are created for students to volunteer on Music4U projects, to provide positive role models for younger musicians, while also developing their own skills. Through these partnerships, young project participants are also given insight into the progression routes available to them.

Music4U has a pool of dedicated and skilled music practitioners, many of whom originally trained on Music4U’s 2004/2005 Community Music Practitioners Courses. These professionals are provided with training and CPD, mentoring and access to Music4U resources. Music4U practitioners are encouraged to work reflectively and with a clear awareness of current musical and educational affairs.

Strategic relationships with other organisations, venues, community groups, young people’s services, nurseries, schools and pupil support units across the region, as well as a strong web and social media presence, further strengthen Music4U’s ability to create effective projects, share good practice and signpost young people onto appropriate development opportunities.

Targeting Cold Spots Music4U works particularly to target areas and groups that have been identified, through consultation and research, as lacking music provision. Geographically, the cold spot areas being targeted in the Music4U region include:

1. Areas of Hull City, including Bransholme; 2. Rurally isolated and economically disadvantaged areas of the East Riding, such as Bridlington, Hedon, Withernsea and Goole; 3. Areas of North East Lincolnshire, including Immingham and Grimsby; 4. Rurally isolated and economically disadvantaged areas of North Lincolnshire, such as Brigg and Epworth; and 5. Economically disadvantaged areas of York, including Tang Hall, Clifton and Westfield.

Consultation and research have also shown that there are particular opportunities and skills that need developing across the Music4U region. In particular, Music4U has identified and is working to combat the following cold spot themes:

1. A lack of confidence in composition and the creation of new music.

2. Limited provision for deaf children under the age of five.

3. Limited opportunities for young people to access a variety of musical styles.

4. Low educational attainment, resulting in poor employability across the region.

5. Patchy and lacking provision of qualifications, including the Arts Award.

Professional Development Music4U is dedicated to providing access to appropriate training, mentoring and advice for all stakeholders, working particularly to achieve the following:

1. Provide work experience, training and networking for students from University of York MA in Community Music, University of York Music Education Group, and Leeds College of Music.

2. Partner highly skilled music leaders with newer practitioners on projects to provide mentoring and encourage skill sharing.

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3. Provide observation and on-­‐the-­‐job training opportunities for parents, carers and staff from the settings visited by Music4U. 4. Provide established practitioners with the training and skills to be able to support the CPD of other members of project teams, including trainee and volunteer music leaders and the staff in settings visited by Music4U. 5. Develop the employability skills of young people through dedicated training days and the dissemination of appropriate resources and signposting.

6. Enable members of the youth and music workforce across the region to meet and share good practice through informal discussion groups and skills swaps.

7. Provide practitioners with targeted training, through Music4U’s offer, as well as through signposting to other providers’ CPD programmes.

Key Facts Music 4U has continually provided opportunities for young people to gain accreditation, including Bronze, Silver and Gold Arts Awards, Discover and Explore Arts Awards, Scouting Badges, BTECs, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, World Record Certificates, ASDAN awards, NOCN and NVQ Youth Work qualifications, among others.

Since 2007, Music4U has offered 1,250 freelance employment and volunteering opportunities and has offered CPD and training to 605 members of that workforce.

In the last three years alone, over 2,000 young people said that Music4U provided them with music-­‐ making experiences that were completely new to them and that would not have existed for them without our input.

During the last three years Music4U has created nearly 350 performance platforms for young people’s music-­‐making and has facilitated the creation and performance of 325 new songs/ compositions by young musicians.

Significant Projects Managed by NCEM

Youth Music Mentors (2007-­‐2011) Music4U managed the Hull branch of this national programme, run by Youth Music and supported by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The scheme aimed to improve the life chances of young people through music-­‐based mentoring by professional musicians.

Voltage (2008-­‐2011) Youth Music's national music volunteering programme for young people aged 16-­‐25. Funded by V, the youth volunteering charity, Voltage gave young people the chance to act as ambassadors for music, make positive differences to their local community and gain accreditation for their contributions to the programme. Music4U managed Voltage projects across the Humber region.

Musicport Festival (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) An ongoing collaboration with Headlands School, Bridlington and Musicport Festival, giving young music students the opportunity to learn from and make music with professional performers from across the globe, as part of an internationally renowned world music event.

The Power Tour (2009, 2010, 2011) An annual rock tour, providing a national platform for talented young bands from five Youth Music Action Zones (Music4U, CoMusica in Gateshead, More Music in Morecambe, Make Some Noise in Staffordshire, and The Hive in Shrewsbury).

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Music to Young Ears (2012-­‐13) A conference and extensive report looking at provision for early years deaf children to engage with music.

Youths, Lutes ‘n’ Ukes (2013) A project which supports primary school ukulele players and gives them the chance to perform Tudor and Blues music alongside professionals (see above for details).

The Creativity Project (2012-­‐13) A project exploring the approaches young people take to creating their own music, with a view to supporting more young people to get involved in original song-­‐writing and composition.

Exploring Gamelan (2012-­‐15) A project giving young people the opportunity to play traditional music on and create new compositions for Gamelan Sekar Petak, a genuine Javanese gamelan set based in York. This project focused on making gamelan accessible to those who would normally experience barriers for reasons of physical disability, rural isolation and economic deprivation.

Significant Projects Managed by Local Authority Partners

Rock Schools (2001-­‐2015) Across the Music4U region, young people have been provided with opportunities to take part in regular rock development sessions, developing their skills alongside experienced professional tutors and meeting like-­‐minded musicians with whom they can develop songs and performances.

World Percussion (2001-­‐2015) Projects across the region have focused on a variety of percussion genres from around the world, including Taiko, Gamelan, Samba and a variety of African drumming styles. In 2011, a Music4U project in North Lincolnshire broke the British record for the largest under-­‐16s samba band.

Hull Rhythm Pixies (2007-­‐2015) Hull Rhythm Pixies are an ensemble dedicated to exploring a fusion of world and urban music. The group brings together experienced young musicians (including former Youth Music Mentors participants) and beginners, particularly recruiting from Fountain House Pupil Support Unit

Music Hub Regular Provision (2012-­‐2015) Since 2012, Music4U has been working with the Music Hubs in York and North Lincolnshire to ensure that Saturday morning and weekday evening music provision is inclusive and accessible.

Trash Bang Crew (2012-­‐2015) Directed by Billy Hickling (STOMP), Trash Bang Crew is a newly formed junk percussion outfit, based in York, working particularly with young people at Door 84 Youth Club, and managed by Music4U.

Castaway Young Musicians (2012-­‐2015) In 2012, Music4U worked in partnership with Castaway Goole Accessible Music Theatre to create a new opportunity for young people with additional needs to learn and create music. Castaway Young Musicians has since developed into a longer-­‐term Youth Music funded project and still collaborates with Music4U and the East Riding Music Hub to develop music provision in local special schools.

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Appendix 2 Biographies for the Project Team and Other Contributors

Project Team

Tim Brooks Tim graduated from the University of York with a BA (Honours) in music, composition and music education. This was followed by a post graduate teaching degree in music and drama at Leeds University. Tim has 16 years of experience as an instrumental teacher, ten years as a class teacher, five years as a head of department and seven years as an educational consultant, as well as experience in informal youth settings and adult education. Tim has been a national workshop leader for the Trinity/OU KS2 Continuing Professional Development programme to help develop Wider Opportunities. He also manages York’s Arts Education Service and is an adviser and trainer for the Arts Award.

Emily Crossland Emily is a community musician, specialising in Javanese gamelan, collaborative composition and contemporary music theatre. Since graduating from a Music BA and a Community Music MA at the University of York, she has remained involved in academic life, working as a visiting lecturer for the universities of York, Leeds and York St John. Emily also manages and delivers arts projects for a wide variety of clients, working particularly with Music4U and Castaway Goole Accessible Music Theatre.

As a composer, her music has been performed across the UK and Ireland, and has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

Dave Foulds At the age of 19 Dave began his professional music career as a drummer and singer, touring and taking up residencies throughout the UK and Europe. In the 1980s, Dave began to explore computer-­‐ based sequencing, synthesisers and recording, and used this knowledge to produce backing tracks for artists and compose his own portfolio of work. Dave has worked extensively in music education and as a lecturer and Head of Performing Arts (Music) at Grimsby College. He is now a Musicians’ Union Learning Advisor and delivers ‘rock school’ and sound engineering workshops, projects and events to community groups, alongside running his own PA hire and sound engineering business.

Rich Huxley Rich is primarily a guitarist though he has played piano, double bass, glockenspiel, Hammond organ, bass guitar, multifarious percussion, Fender Rhodes and drums on numerous records. Rich is a member of Hope and Social and the Gary Stewart Band. He has been very active in the new music industries, having founded the UK’s first fan-­‐funded/fan-­‐owned record label. Rich records and produces albums with and for other artists and labels. During his career, he has worked for Leeds, Lancaster and Liverpool Universities and the UWCSEA in Singapore; at Leeds College of Music; for the Musicians Union; and at events such as UnConvention in Manchester, Live at Leeds’ UnConference and with the Department of Trade and Industry for Global Enterprise Week.

David Power David has been a local government arts officer for the last 15 years and has led on an array of projects ranging from outreach work to engage hard-­‐to-­‐reach young people through to cutting edge arts projects in various disciplines. He has a strong interest in composition, having studied the subject at university and having written music of his own ever since. His music has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and released on commercial CDs, and he has received a number of commissions over the years.

Donna Smith Donna has spent many years performing in folk and rock bands and later combined her passion for music with her love of travel by busking in Spain and Tel Aviv and working as a singer for Hilton 26

Hotels in Dahab, Egypt. Donna has been working as a community musician for the past eight years, during which time she has delivered projects across the globe. From 2008 to 2010, Donna was responsible for delivery of the high profile Youth Music Mentors programme with Music4U. Donna has also undertaken community music training with Phil Mullen, Em Whitfield, Jason Singh, Maggie Nicholls, Dr Mark Hughes and Professor Philip Renshaw, and is a professional member of Music Leader, Sound Sense and the Musicians' Union.

Sue Williamson Sue is one of the two directors of Tang Hall SMART Limited. She has been teaching at Burnholme Community College for over 20 years, and is well known for her commitment to the welfare and achievement of pupils of all abilities and backgrounds. Sue’s role as SENCO at Burnholme has given her lots of experience in supporting young people with learning disabilities and/or other vulnerabilities. Sue has worked for the National Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth, teaching talented young people during the summer holidays. Sue is also a passionate performer and teacher.

Over the last few years, she has ensured that pupils at Burnholme have participated in various performances and concerts, including the 'Best of Bands' at the Grand Opera House; 'York Youth Music' at The Barbican; a joint performance for the Burnholme Community Choir with Applefields Special School; and a collaboration with world-­‐famous saxophonist Snake Davis.

Other Contributors

Jo Glover Jo is an educationalist, musician and co-­‐director of Castaway-­‐Goole Music Theatre. Jo compiled the feedback and findings from the project team for this report.

Annabel Hanson Annabel is a freelance researcher and project co-­‐ordinator who authored Music4U’s report, ‘Music to Young Ears’: Engaging Deaf Children with Music. She edited this report and supported its dissemination to partners and other key stakeholders.

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Appendix 3 The Creativity Project Groups and Pieces

Burnholme Community College, York, working with Sue Williamson: • Bad Bargain Blues (composed and performed by Year 9 students): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/bad-­‐bargain-­‐blues • Burnholme Memories (composed and performed by Chloe, Amy-­‐Jo, Robin and Solomon): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/burnholme-­‐memories • Goodbye (composed and performed by Nicole, Laura and Chloe): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/goodbye • School’s Out (composed and performed by Charlie and the Stinkers): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/schools-­‐out

Danesgate Community (PRU), York, working with Sue Williamson: • Fishy (composed and performed by Oliver and Brian): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐ music4u/fishy • Bro (composed and performed by Oliver): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/bro • Magaluf (composed and performed by Ryan): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐ music4u/magaluf • I Don't Know (composed and performed by Luke): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/i-­‐ dont-­‐know • London (composed and performed by Paul): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/london • I Hate You (composed and performed by Abigail): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/i-­‐ hate-­‐you

York High School working with Tim Brooks: • Jamaican Celebration (composed and performed by Class 7AX): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/jamaican-­‐celebration

The Colours of Music gamelan ensemble, comprised of young people from Hull’s special schools, creating music for a new shadow puppet play with Emily Crossland: • Sunrise/Prelude (composed and performed by pupils from Northcott School): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/sunrise-­‐prelude-­‐1 • This Happened Every Day/Evening Scene (composed and performed by pupils from Tweendykes and Ganton Schools): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/this-­‐happened-­‐ every-­‐day-­‐1 • Into the Giant’s Belly (composed and performed by pupils from Tweendykes and Ganton Schools): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/falling-­‐into-­‐the-­‐giants-­‐1 • The Giant Was Dead! (composed and performed by pupils from Tweendykes and Ganton Schools): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/the-­‐giant-­‐was-­‐dead-­‐1 • Celebration/Sunset (composed and performed by pupils from Northcott, Frederick Holmes, Tweendykes and Ganton Schools): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/sunset-­‐1

Young people from Ukulele Junction, Goole’s ukulele orchestra, working with Rich Huxley: • Geoff and Delilah (written and performed by The Smithereens): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/7-­‐13

North East Lincolnshire Rock Schools working with Dave Foulds: • Jimmy Chong (composed and performed by young people from Immingham Young People’s Centre): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-­‐B4WNwTKYEI • Bacon Song (composed and performed by young people from Immingham Young People’s Centre): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/you-­‐complete-­‐me 28

• • • • • •

Rockin’ Good Band (composed and performed by young people from Immingham Young People’s Centre): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypCmf5hA14w Tacos and Cheese (composed and performed by young people from Immingham Young People’s Centre): http://vimeo.com/68717928 Fred (composed and performed by young people from Immingham Young People’s Centre): http://vimeo.com/68722955 Tiger (composed and performed by young people from Immingham Young People’s Centre): http://vimeo.com/68757547 Suitcase Full of Dreams (composed and performed by Danny from Whitgift Young People’s Centre): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/suitcase-­‐full-­‐of-­‐dreams You Complete Me (composed and performed by Brooke and Jon from Whitgift Young People’s Centre): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/you-­‐complete-­‐me

Healing School, Grimsby working with Tim Brooks: • Adam’s Place (composed by Adam and performed by young people from Healing School): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/adams-­‐place • Aimee’s Place (composed by Aimee and performed by young people from Healing School): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/aimees-­‐place • Darci’s Place (composed by Darci and performed by young people from Healing School): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/darcis-­‐place • Lucas’ Place (composed by Lucas and performed by young people from Healing School): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/lucas-­‐place • Lydia’s Place (composed by Lydia and performed by young people from Healing School): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/lydias-­‐place • Elizabeth’s Place (composed by Elizabeth and performed by young people from Healing School): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/elizabeths-­‐place • Our Place (composed by Elizabeth and performed by young people from Healing School): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/our-­‐place

St Hugh's Communication and Interaction Specialist College, Scunthorpe working with Donna Smith: • Earth and Space (composed and performed by young people from St Hugh’s Communication and Interaction Specialist College): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/earth-­‐and-­‐space

Exploring Gamelan groups, working with Emily Crossland: • Anna’s Waves (improvised and performed by members of Castaway Goole Accessible Music Theatre): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/annas-­‐waves • Exploring Gamelan (improvised and performed by members of Castaway Goole Accessible Music Theatre): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/exploring-­‐gamelan-­‐improv • Layers (composed and performed by students from York High School): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/layers-­‐extract • Jeff (tree) (composed and performed by NYMAZ Young Music Leaders): https://soundcloud.com/ncem-­‐music4u/jeff-­‐tree

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Appendix 4 Recommended Song-­‐writing Process

Dave Foulds developed and captured this song-­‐writing approach while working with young composers based at the Whitgift Young People’s Centre on the song, You Complete Me.

Process • Start with an ‘ice breaker’ chat about pop/rock songs. What do these songs comprise? (e.g. words, melodies, harmony, guitar, bass, instruments) • What is the normal format for a song? (e.g. introduction, verse, chorus, bridge, ‘middle 8’ and solo). If the young people are unsure of these terms, listen to a song and use labels selected by the group.

• Give an ‘off-­‐the-­‐cuff’ demonstration of how easy it can be, for example a song about the litter bin or other items in the room chosen at random by young people or selected themes such as love or saving the planet. If the facilitator is unsure about leading a demonstration, invite someone, such as a member of a local band or a young person’s family member, to help. The facilitator could also issue a call for help on local radio. The demonstration should be facilitated in a way that the experience is exploratory and experimental and involves problem solving.

• Split a large group into sub-­‐groups, making sure each smaller group has a leader, singer, guitar player, drummer, etc., according to experience and resources available. If there are additional musicians, volunteers and more experienced young people, they can then fill the gaps and work with the less experienced. If there are no instrumentalists, a capella voices can be used.

• Ask each group to come up with ideas, starting with a theme and then key ‘buzz’ words.

Encourage them to think about tempo, type (e.g. fast rock, slow ballad) and format. Expect differences of opinion, try each idea, choose one and keep the rest for later.

• To start, a scribe or leader in each group should formulate simple words for a verse and a chorus only. At this stage, help and encouragement will likely be needed.

• Get a simple chord structure for the verse and chorus. At this point, it is good to give some demonstrations, such as the three chord pattern and one or two relative minors. If the young people are uncertain, encourage them to find examples online. They will soon tell you if they like what you are doing. For the more experienced young people, make sure to comment and encourage their attempts.

• Keep checking on all groups’ progress and provide ideas to those that are struggling and compliment the ones that are moving forward. To aid progress in a limited time-­‐frame, a light-­‐hearted competitive spirit could be introduced. With the appropriate support, in most cases, the groups will be able to create a simple song with verse, chorus, guitar solo and all the other elements.

• Consider using a drum machine to programme a rhythm to suit the song, use a keyboard track, or, if you have the skills available, lay down a basic guitar track. Record the young people’s vocals, bass, drums and guitars, etc., and wipe off the drum machine and other supporting tracks. This helps to speed up the process, especially when time is limited.

• When the song is completed, all the participants should be given audio copies and should also learn to play their own song and perform it live.

Once an idea for a song and lyrics are written for at least one chorus and verse, the project starts to work well. Participants are inspired and ideas for music and song flow. They were all keen to contribute and use their creativity.

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