Zone magazine issue 20: December 2010 by Zone New Media Limited

zone Singing in the Gorbals

In Colour Connected to Music A Day in the Life Inspiring Change Q&A BIG Music

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december 2010 / digital issue 20

Listen up! There will be minor modifications to ABRSM aural tests from January 2011. Full details can be found at www.abrsm.org/aural. New books of Specimen Aural Tests to support teachers and students are now available, with optional CDs for students to use to practise at home. Ask your local music shop or visit www.abrsm.org/shop.

Connected to Music Jan Ford reports on a dynamic orchestral music partnership project

Givinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; it Laldie

Getting the Gorbals singing p9

A Day in the Life Jazz and afternoon tea with Kai Hoffman p12

Inspiring Change

A NYCoS partnership project in Polmont Young Offenders Institution p15

Q&A

Session singing with a difference at Abbey Road Studios p17

BIG Music

Kim Edgar reports from Broomhouse in Edinburgh p18

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december 2010 / digital issue 20

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zonedigital edition 20 December 2010

Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves! It’s coincidence that all of the articles in this edition of Zone magazine are written by women yet what a happy coincidence – and what a varied and inspiring collection of women! From 12-year-old Amber who tells us about her experience of session singing at Abbey Road Studios (p17) to jazz singer Kai Hoffman who reports on the pleasures and pitfalls of presenting a concert for Music in Hospitals (p12); from the three community musicians – Shelly Coyne (p9), Kim Edgar (p18) and Carol Laula (p15) – reflecting on their work in community settings in Scotland to Jan Ford, Partnership Manager for Orchestras Live, reporting on Northamptonshire’s Connected to Music project (p5), these women represent an intriguing cross-section of those working at the forefront of music and music education in the UK today. Less of a coincidence is the fact that three of our contributors are living and working in Scotland. musiclearninglive!, Zone’s national festival of music education, will take place in Scotland for the first time in March 2011 and we have consciously chosen to put the spotlight on Scottish music education in the lead up to this major event. Presented in partnership with Creative Scotland and sponsored by GAK Education, musiclearninglive!2011 will bring together music educators from all over the

world for two days of learning, networking, showcasing, performing and debating at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow on 3 & 4 March 2011. Shelly Coyne (who was so inspired by musiclearninglive!2008 that she retrained as a community musician!) will be presenting a case study on her Gorbals-based project, Givin’ it Laldie, while Carol Laula will lead a session on songwriting. Other conference highlights include keynotes from Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland and Dr László Nemes, Director of the Kodály Institute in Hungary as well as case study presentations by Sistema Scotland and In Harmony Lambeth, a whole Digital Learning strand and a concert for delegates by Scots Singer of the Year 2008/9, Emily Smith. If you can get there, do but in the meantime, we hope you enjoy these fascinating contributions from our six women musicians and educators. Happy reading! Cathy Tozer Editor Conference information and registration musiclearninglive2011.com

zone magazine digital edition 20 / dec 2010 © zone new media 2010

Editor Cathy Tozer Contributors Shelly Coyne Kim Edgar Jan Ford Kai Hoffman Carol Laula Publisher Ian Clethero

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Orchestras Live: Connected to Music It seems like only yesterday that Orchestras Live and its partners in Northamptonshire got the go-ahead by the then DCSF, now DfE, to launch Connected to Music, one of five Music Partnership projects. Jan Ford, Partnership Manager for Orchestras Live, the lead partner, reflects on a project that has had a profound impact on all those involved.

t all started in October 2009 when we hosted the launch event for Daventry schools at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate. Since then, there have been over 69 creative sessions in schools involving 250 pupils who have worked with 111 professional musicians, played 28 different instruments and performed three concerts attended by over 3,000 people. That’s a lot of musical creativity and a massive logistical achievement.

Built on the foundations of a strong existing partnership with Northamptonshire County Council, Royal & Derngate, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and sinfonia ViVA, the project set out to develop a

new model of music learning in seven Daventry schools that would connect listening, composing and performing in schools linking the KS2 and KS3 music curriculum, providing a real connection between Primary and Secondary music teaching.

modelled explicitly on particular pedagogy, it has nevertheless achieved outstanding outcomes in the area of personalised learning as young people have been engaged throughout as co-partners in the learning process.

Uniquely, the project has been delivered by a Creative Ensemble made up of music and nonmusic specialist classroom teachers, Advanced Skills teachers, peripatetic music teachers from Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Service, professional orchestral musicians from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and sinfonia ViVA and two post-16 musicians from the Daventry area – all led by Creative Director Tim Steiner. Whilst not

Jane Hargrave, peripatetic music teacher for NMPAS and Director of Daventry Music Centre has observed the rapid development of the new string players. ‘Working in small groups to create music that is their own and not from a book or written notation seems to have a profound impact on the children. The groups have a stake in the music they perform as it has been created by them. There is an immediate

Connection, the celebration concert which took place at Royal & Derngate on 25 May 2010. Photo credit – Bob Fielding

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‘Hearing a child say that they want to play an instrument makes it all worthwhile’

connection with the music which has increased their motivation to improve and perfect it for performance.’ The programme has included training sessions every month for Creative Ensemble members and regular visits to five Primary and two Secondary schools in Daventry as well as sessions with young people who attend the Daventry Music Centre on a Saturday.

share many exciting performances both in schools and at Royal & Derngate.’ Rigorous evaluation has been built into the project from the outset with a focus on the formative rather the more usual summative research. Our research partner, Dr Ross Prior at the University of

In March 2010, there was an opportunity to see the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Get Connected schools’ concert at Royal & Derngate. Over 3,400 children and young people from across Northamptonshire attended the two performances presented by Tim Steiner and conducted by Patrick Bailey. The celebration event, Connection, which took place in May 2010 at Royal & Lyn Stowe from Southbrook Junior School Derngate with sinfonia ViVA, was an inspirational milestone in the project’s development, Northampton, has helped us to collect a wide range providing the springboard for the next phase where of material using a range of methodologies and not classroom and peripatetic teachers took over just the usual questionnaires. Extensive use of minileadership of the creative programme from Tim digital cameras and audio recorders has been used Steiner and musicians from the RPO and sinfonia to track progress and all Creative Ensemble ViVA. members have kept a reflective journal which has reduced the reliance on summative research. The concert – featuring young musicians’ compositions Reactions and learning are recorded as they inspired by Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Manuel de happen rather than having to wait until the end of Falla’s El Amor Brujo and orchestrated by Tim – was the project where the spontaneity is often lost. carefully woven into a stunning programme which featured sinfonia ViVA and musicians from the RPO There have been many unexpected as well as conducted by Stuart Stratford and Daventry-born mezzo planned outcomes. We have reached and, in many soprano Kim-Marie Woodhouse. cases, exceeded our targets. Over 3,500 children experienced live orchestral music for the first time Hilary Miles, Advanced Skills Teacher and Creative and 60 children as well as some of their teachers Ensemble member, has found working alongside have taken up a musical instrument. Participants professional musicians inspirational. ‘Hearing a have expanded their musical knowledge, listening child say that they want to play an instrument skills and attended concerts for the first time; proud makes it all worthwhile. I have seen a change in parents enthuse about their child’s performance behaviour, concentration, listening skills and and professional musicians are reappraising their general musicianship from all the children that I professional practice - proof that Connected to Music have worked with and have been lucky enough to has enriched and, in some cases, changed lives.

Despite uncertain times, the Connected to Music partnership is set to continue. Two after-school Connected to Music clubs began in September, initially in the Secondary schools for the new Year 7s who were involved in this year’s project then, after half-term, open to Year 6s from the feeder schools to join. The Daventry Music Centre hopes to build a 40-minute weekly session into the Saturday morning timetable called Connected 2 Music. Musicians from the Music Service as well as talented young musicians from the area will lead these sessions with occasional interventions from Tim and RPO/ViVA musicians. The development of a digital music resource for use in all schools is well underway and is being led by one of the Creative Ensemble members. The aim is to enable Primary school teachers across the County to use Connected to Music learning techniques to deliver the KS2 music entitlement. It will provide music and nonmusic specialists in Primary schools with a range of material to guide and enhance music making in the classroom and will be supported by training by the County Council and through the ongoing relationship with the partners. Henry Little, Orchestras Live’s Chief Executive, believes the project is a clear illustration of what an effective partnership can achieve and what Orchestras Live is all about. ‘Every Connected to Music partner has generously contributed their skills, knowledge and resources to create something that is truly greater than the sum of its parts, possibly something as significant as a new model of music education has emerged which is very exciting. Despite the current difficult financial conditions, we are determined to sustain the work in Northamptonshire, linking venues, professional orchestras and educators to deliver high-quality music experiences for young people.’ For further information about the project, visit the website at www.orchestraslive.org.uk/connectedtomusic

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Tim Steiner gets the audience going at the Get Connected schools’ concert on 2 March 2010. Photo credit – Alex Soulsby

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The Gorbals Boy

‘I loved the beautiful, unexpected pieces of art dotted around, including my favourite, The Gorbals Boys, a sculpture based on an original photo taken in 1963’

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Givin’ It Laldie: a Community Musician in the Gorbals In May 2010, community musician Shelly Coyne moved to Glasgow to set up a crosscommunity music project. Here she talks about the first few months of this challenging and inspiring programme.

efore moving to Scotland earlier this year, I was offered a wealth of opinions on what to expect when I started work in the Gorbals. The Glasgow taxi driver at my interview dismissed it as ‘a dump’, an Edinburgh Estate Agent warned me that I would not be safe walking or cycling through the area alone and that unless I was wearing a track suit, I would be pelted with eggs and, finally, a Scottish colleague in my previous job informed me that I would get on well enough as long as I did not mention football or religion or wear anything green (Celtic), blue (Rangers) or orange! With the internet full of tales from the not-toodistant past of overcrowding and violence, I was more than a little intrigued to find out what the Gorbals was really all about and why the Church of Scotland had seen fit to create the post of a full-time Community Musician to serve the local area.

Arriving in the Gorbals and driving around the streets, I was struck by how clean and modern much of the area known as New Gorbals appeared. The roads were broad and light with new, spacious and well-cared-for flats and attractive landscaped parks. I loved the beautiful, unexpected pieces of art dotted around, including my favourite, The Gorbals Boys, a sculpture based on an original photo taken in 1963. The three life-sized figures cast in bronze and chrome humorously depict little boys trying on their mums’ big, silver high-heeled shoes which light up at night. Despite having read about and studied maps of the Gorbals, I had failed to really consider how close the area was to the city centre – only separated by the bridges over the Clyde – or how cosmopolitan and vibrant it must be, housing the city mosque, a nautical college and a repertory theatre.

tolerating poor physical and mental health, high levels of addictions, poverty, unemployment and social isolation. A Community Profile created by Faith in Community Scotland’s Transformation Team (2002) reveals that nearly a third of all Gorbals children grow up in workless households with over half living with single parents. The number of people said to be ‘income deprived’ is 178% above the national average and overcrowding is still evident in over a quarter of households. The local picture for health and crime is equally negative; a quarter of residents describe their health as ‘not good’, life expectancy for men is 12 years below the national average and violent crime is prevalent and nearly three times above the Scottish average. Givin’ it Laldie is the inspiration of a group of ministers and worshippers at Gorbals Church of Scotland parish in response to issues for residents in the local area. The Glasgow expression refers to a state of great high spirits brought about by putting a huge amount of effort into something, often singing. Givin’ it Laldie is a Community Music project with a focus on singing, designed to address those needs of the local

Shelly Coyne

community brought about by poverty, deprivation and poor health. The programme seeks to use music to help create opportunities for greater social cohesion and integration, to raise selfconfidence and self-esteem and help address the very real and recognisable divisions brought about by sectarianism.

Despite all this, there is, however, no escaping the harsh reality that the Gorbals is one of the most deprived areas of Scotland with many residents, including high numbers of asylum seekers, Children from St Francis Primary School & Blackfriars Primary School singing at a joint concert

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‘The impact of music and singing across a diverse and, at times, challenging community really has no limits’

children, asylum seekers, students, Gorbals residents (both those from older families and newer residents) and those that work in the local area, chatting, laughing and making plans for the future of the group. The relaxed and positive atmosphere is attracting singers from out of the area, sending out a positive image of the Gorbals across the wider community. The Sing for Health group which has just started in Gorbals Leisure Centre is a fairly unique initiative. The session focuses on the health benefits of participating in regular group singing and is strongly endorsed and supported by South East Glasgow Community Health and Care Partnership and local GPs who are already making referrals to the group.

Young women singing with Shelly at the Playbarn Youth Club

One of the many concerns I had before beginning this post was that it would take some considerable time to become accepted into the community and then it would be a slow process convincing people to come and sing and get involved. Neither has proved to be the case. The congregation of Gorbals Church, the many agencies operating in the area and, most

Shelly Coyne will make a presentation on the Givin’ it Laldie project to delegates at musiclearninglive!2011, the National Festival of Music Education, 3 & 4 March 2011 at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow. Groups from Givin’ it Laldie will also be performing. www.musiclearningive2011.com

importantly, the local residents, including school children and teenagers, have been enthusiastic about both joining and helping to support all the groups that have been set up. The first two groups to be launched in September 2010 were the Gorbals Children’s Choir and the Gorbals Community Choir. The children’s choir is a cross-school collaboration which brings together children from the adjacent Catholic and non-denominational schools – a rare event in the Gorbals. The choir has to alternate its rehearsals between the two schools in order to not appear to be favouring one group over the other and this is proving a success, with numbers from both schools remaining high and singers committed to working towards their first performances. The community choir, which meets weekly in the community centre, is a night not to be missed for those involved! The characters that make up the choir could not come from more diverse backgrounds and the tea and biscuit break sees

It has been set up in response to research that supports the principle that group singing can have a positive effect on mental health issues, including depression, and can help raise selfesteem and encourage a positive self-image. Singing can also help address physical health issues; it may improve sleep, aid breathing problems, increase stamina and reduce pain. The Sing for Health group is generating a lot of interest from professionals across Glasgow and it is hoped that it could be rolled out more widely across the region. The beauty and uniqueness of this Community Musician post, where the work is intense and localised, is the opportunity it affords me to work across such a wide spectrum of the community and with all age groups. It is possible that I will lead singing with many hundreds of people across a week and these might include mums and toddlers, school children in the area, young people at the youth clubs, music students, refugee groups, those in nearby hostels and adults in addiction recovery. The more time spent in the Gorbals, the more it is clear the positive impact the project is having and how much more Givin’ it Laldie could be

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achieving. As the only person delivering the project as well as managing the programmes, there are constantly challenging decisions that have to be made as to how my time should be spent efficiently and effectively.

Gorbals are a welcome asset and it is hoped that this relationship can be sustained in the long term.

place full of pride and energy and well known for its friendliness. I am privileged to have been welcomed so warmly into the community and want to extend this openness to others who wish to come and visit Givin’ it Laldie or get involved in the programme.

Givin’ it Laldie is a unique and inspiring project where the impact of music and singing across a diverse and, at times, challenging community really has no limits. Although still in its infancy, it continues to make a significant mark on the lives of residents living in the Gorbals and is becoming recognised across the city. It is set to run for three years, funding-dependent, but the vision is that the programme proves to be invaluable and is still growing beyond 2013. The Gorbals is a

The role of volunteers and music students conducting placements in the area opens up greater possibilities and brings a constantly changing colour to the project. The exceptional Community Music students from Glasgow’s Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama who are involved in placements in the Primary schools in the

Shelly Coyne givin.it.laldie@gmail.com 07728 323636 www.givinitlaldie.org.uk

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( zone magazine digital edition 20 / december 2010 © zone new media 2010 / www.zonemag.net

A Day in the Life of... Kai Hoffman 5 May 2010 – a Music in Hospitals Concert for Central and Cecil Housing Trust

London-based American jazz singer, Kai Hoffman on jazz, early mornings and a tea dance with a difference! 9:00 Reluctantly wake up… 9:15 Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee! A quick shower, quick make-up and off into Soho for a meeting. As a jazz singer, I keep late hours so anything before 12 noon feels like the middle of the night. However, with a really busy schedule, I often survive on less sleep than I’d like - as is, I’m sure, the case for most busy people! 10.30 I head into Soho on the tube, running late as usual, earphones in place, learning the songs which I’ll be singing later on in the day for my upcoming Music in Hospitals concert and also for the project which I’m heading into town to discuss. 11:00 Meeting with Ray Gelato, my new duet partner, to discuss our brand new show, ‘Hey Boy, Hey Girl’ which will be premiering at Ronnie Scott’s Club. More coffee! 12:00 Head back home - a quick lunch of Whatever I Can Find in the Cupboard (I

absolutely love food but at the moment seem to rarely have time to think about it much!) then I begin to focus on the afternoon’s concert. 12.30 Starting to pack for the concert. As a singer, I often have a whole selection of items I need to bring along for each performance – from make-up and dresses to my own amplification and microphones. The amount of kit I need to take along varies from venue to venue – sometimes, it feels rather like moving house every time I go to work (especially when I’m wearing my ‘bandleader’ hat and have the equipment for an entire six-piece band)! For my work today with Music in Hospitals and Central and Cecil Housing Trust, I’ll be performing with my trio (with piano and double bass) in a local hall where I will need to bring my own small PA and a microphone. I’ve already rung up the venue and have Kai Hoffman’s band, Kai’s Cats, has been resident at Ronnie Scott’s in Soho since 2008 and her new show, ‘Hey Boy, Hey Girl’ with Ronnie Scott’s Best Band Winner Ray Gelato opened on 12 September 2010. Kai’s Cats’ brand new CD, Jump Jive and Swing, is available via www.kaihoffman.co.uk.

been assured that there is a piano on site - so I just need to get out the door! 13.30 Back on the tube - this time with my little amp, concert clothes, make-up and music! I’ve brought along a cheery spring dress as the weather is a bit overcast – a nice bright red polka dot 1950s-style number with a full skirt. In the last couple of years, I’ve been incredibly lucky to be sponsored by the fantastic, UK-based, vintage-inspired clothing company Vivien of Holloway. I absolutely love wearing Vivien’s dresses; they look fantastic on stage and, for my Music in Hospitals concerts, I’ve found that the right dress really helps create an atmosphere for the elderly residents I meet. Often ladies comment that they had a similar style dress when they were younger. I love that kind of connection. 14.15 I arrive at Swiss Cottage tube, dig around for my iPhone which (very, very handily in my profession) has a built-in map feature and try to orient myself. As I’m walking across the square, my piano player Pete sees me and says hello! This is a relief as it means he’s already found the venue and he takes me there. Marvellous.

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14.34 The keyboard arrives! Phew. A very close call and an unusual situation! Anyway, I can finally breathe again and focus on the performance. It’s hard to concentrate when half the band doesn’t have an instrument (this doesn’t usually happen!).

14.20 Pete and I walk into the hall where we’ll be performing. Oddly, I don’t see a piano in the room so I ask at the front office! 14.21 Hmm. No piano! Or, in fact, I learn that there IS a piano, it just isn’t where we need it and they can’t move it. Hmm….

be a part of these performances - I love being able to give something back to the community, doing what I absolutely love to do - sing and entertain. The elderly audience members and Central and Cecil staff have, by now, all arrived. Still no keyboard…

14.37 We begin to play - luckily, we’re almost on time… As I have worked with Music in Hospitals over the last couple of years, I have found that it’s far more effective to be flexible with the music - not to pre-plan my programme - instead, I like to see how the residents and audience members react to a particular piece or style and then choose songs as I go along. Today, Central and Cecil have done a fantastic job of decorating tables with flowers, cakes and artwork and some audience members choose to listen, others choose to chat – but, as we’re jazz musicians, we’re happy to perform either for background music or for listening. Over the course of the concert, I’m really pleased to see audience members joining in and singing along – I’ve chosen songs from the era of the Big Bands and swing music, the 1930s and 40s, and it’s wonderful to hear that people are relating to it and enjoying! 15.30 As our hour-long concert progresses, I try to say hello to as many individuals as possible and to get

14.25 My bass player Dave arrives. We discuss the lack of piano… Dave, who happens to be a brilliant guitarist as well, offers to perhaps play guitar… and then… 14.26 Pete rings his wife… And she sets off, with his keyboard and a blue flashing light! 14.27 Whilst trying to maintain a sense of calm professionalism, Dave and I set up our equipment. Now running rather behind schedule, I disappear to change into my lovely dress! 14.32 Still waiting for the keyboard. I chat briefly with the lovely people from Central and Cecil and admire the wonderful artwork which I have just noticed is decorating the room and includes numerous, fascinating portraits of the elderly. It’s wonderful to

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perform to the highest standard as well as being in possession of a wide repertoire and sensitivity which will enable them to relate to each member of the audience, whatever their age, illness or disability. ‘The audience found it spellbinding and delightful. One patient actually forgot her pain and did not take her tablets.’ St Peter’s Hospice, Bristol ‘The concerts are particularly therapeutic for sick children, reducing anxiety and clinical stress.’ Frimley Park Hospital www.music-in-hospitals.org.uk

Central & Cecil Central & Cecil provides housing, care and support for vulnerable people in London, Luton, Berkshire and the Midlands. Service users include older people, the homeless and people with mental health support needs.

them involved. Some audience members even begin to dance so I add a few more of my jumpin’ jive 40s dance tunes to the set! 15.45 As the concert draws to a close, a number of the staff have joined in as well. It’s a fantastic experience, seeing people having a good time - lots and lots of smiles all round! Excellent! It means I’ve done my job ☺. 15.47 As Pete and Dave need to rush off to their next performances, I help them pack up quickly once the concert finishes - and I take a moment to say hello to some more of the audience and to enjoy, briefly, being a part of a very special day.

singing the words along with me or even dancing whether it’s from a wheelchair and I’m holding their hand or if they’re up on their feet - it’s wonderful to sense that the audience are enjoying themselves, relaxing and smiling.

For over 20 years, Central & Cecil’s Arts & Education department has provided a range of creative, therapeutic and social activities for older people. The department has worked in partnership with a range of arts organisations including the British Film Institute and The Royal Festival Hall. A partnership project with theatre company Ladder to the Moon was recently broadcast on Channel 4 News as an example of best practice in artistic therapy for people living

Music in Hospitals

with dementia.

Music in Hospitals (MiH) is a charity whose mission is to

Arts & Education provide opportunities for people to engage

improve the quality of life of people with all kinds of illness and

in new activities and share thoughts and feelings. Being

disability through the joy and therapeutic benefits of live music.

offered the opportunity to be creative and take part in

Established in 1948, MiH has grown into the leading provider

happiness for people of any age.

creative events is essential to personal growth and of live music across the healthcare spectrum. In the region

Over the last couple of years with Music in Hospitals and Central and Cecil Housing Trust, I have performed concerts in a huge variety of venues - every one different from the next. Sometimes, we’ll be playing to an audience of just a few individuals in a care home; sometimes, for over a hundred at a tea dance but it’s always very, very rewarding work.

of 5,000 concerts are presented each year to audiences of

Arts & Education organise regular tea dances for care home

all ages in hospitals, care homes, hospices, day care centres

residents, with residents enjoying live music, dancing and

and special needs schools throughout the UK. These

an elegant afternoon tea served on beautiful china tea sets.

concerts can provide an effective diversion for those in pain,

Tea dances are a wonderful opportunity for frail older people

help dementia patients to reminisce or bring laughter to a

living in residential care, some of whom are living with

children’s hospice.

dementia, to get dressed up and go out to a lively social event in a bunting- and flower-filled room.

The musicians engaged by MiH are carefully chosen by

To see a smile on someone’s face or to catch them

audition and require very special qualities. They must

www.ccht.org.uk

‘And all the roads we have to walk are winding...’ Carol Laula was one of a team of music leaders from NYCoS working on a songwriting project at Polmont Young Offenders Institution in Falkirk, Central Scotland. She reports on the highs and lows of working in a prison setting.

s a singer/songwriter, I’d been lucky enough to meet and work with Lucinda Geoghegan through an Early Years initiative with Scottish Book Trust. I’d worked in prisons before so when I was approached to take part in this project working alongside Lucinda as part of the NYCoS (National Youth Choir of Scotland) team (Marco Rea, Phil Gault and Fiona Hunter), I jumped at the chance.

I knew what to expect that first day. It wasn’t so much

NYCoS’s project is part of Motherwell College’s Inspiring Change programme which has been delivering high-quality arts interventions to five Scottish prisons since the beginning of the year. The programme uses the arts to stimulate engagement with learning, improve literacy skills among offenders in custody and to demonstrate the potential of the arts to support the process of rehabilitation.

about what we were presenting but more about the young guys working together, the politics, the different personalities. Half of them weren’t even sure why they were there – something to do with free biscuits they thought! Once the outright disengaged guys left, we got on with it. Some were vaguely comfortable singing in front of guys they knew but were put off by new guys coming into the room. It was really intense. A lot of energy was expended just keeping things going. As soon as there was a pause, that’s when the nonsense started – mucking about, arguing with each other, swearing, joking and walking out of the room! That first day, I didn’t think we would have anybody left by the end. My remit was getting the guys writing songs and then, with some grounding in musicianship from other members of the team, singing those songs in a choral

setting. The best laid plans! Actually, we did get some songs written and the seven guys who stayed really wanted to be a part of it. The songs were pretty uplifting. Really tuneful – about being in prison, missing your family, what you did to get there in the first place and, of course, a mischievous one about drinking in the park! One of the very best bits was when we did a folk song (Jock Stewart – introduced by Fiona) and all the guys took a solo verse. I couldn’t believe it! There was no big chat, no drama, I just signalled to them that it was their turn – and they just did it! That was my highlight. We ended up with three original songs as well as five cover versions in a fantastic live performance in front of a large and appreciative audience of family members, other prisoners and invited guests. Just being in that room, feeling their vibe, their natural high – these ‘criminals’, these ‘bad boys’ – was amazing! Later, we got to go back and give the guys a copy of the CD of the songs that they wrote and recorded. Yes, it was challenging, difficult and really tough going, and I was glad when it was over, but yet I felt it was just the beginning, a taster project. If we had been able to go back in about a month later, then the chat in the halls would have been all about the outcome and a lot more guys would have wanted to join!

Photos: Stewart Attwood, Herald & Times Group

The title of this article? It’s a line from Wonderwall by Oasis and, much as it pains me to say it, it was the best way of getting this particular type of young guy singing – use a song they know, one they feel comfortable singing along with, one they like! Perhaps not NYCoS standard repertoire but in this situation it was one of the keys that unlocked the potential of these young lads. The impact of Inspiring Change will be evaluated by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from the University of Edinburgh. The programme will culminate in an exhibition and conference on the arts in prison.

www.motherwell.ac.uk/inspiringchange www.nycos.co.uk www.carollaula.co.uk

Carol Laula will lead a session on songwriting at musiclearninglive!2011, the National Festival of Music Education on 3 & 4 March 2011 at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow. www.musiclearningive2011.com Carol Laula

Q&A: Session Singing with a Difference Ever fancied getting behind a mike at Abbey Road Studios? 12-year-old Centre for Young Musicians’ student, Amber did just that earlier this year when she and seven fellow singers from CYM’s Saturday choir took part in a session for Disney films at the world-famous London recording studio. Cathy Tozer spoke to Amber and her Mum, vocalist and singing teacher Elizabeth Littlewood, and found out what it’s really like to follow in The Beatles’ footsteps! Amber

Did you get to hear the finished result? We listened to the end result through our cans. It sounded quite unrealistic. I had to ask myself, ‘Is that really me singing?’ It was very child-like!

Hi Amber, what was the Disney film you were singing for? Well, it was actually two films: ‘Despicable Me’ and ‘Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue’. We did two three-hour sessions on different days, one at Abbey Road and one at a studio called RAC.

What did you enjoy most about the experience? Just being able to go to the studios and meet all the people and have fun. The other singers weren’t really my friends – I knew them by sight but by the end I’d made new friends!

Were you told the stories in advance? Yes, we were given an outline of the story of each film and told about the different sections we were singing so we knew what to sound like. They also told us where to find the ‘Despicable Me’ trailer online. And while we were singing at Abbey Road, we saw footage of ‘Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue’ on a video screen.

Do you have singing or instrumental lessons? Where? I don’t have singing lessons – I’ve never really had the time. I learn trumpet and piano at CYM. When you grow up, do you think you’ll end up doing this as your job? I wholly doubt it!

And did you like the stories? The first one seemed good but the second one... hmm… I’m not really a Tinkerbell person myself! How did you get involved? Was there an audition? I rehearse every Saturday with the CYM choir which has about thirty members. For the sessions, our teacher, Linda Richardson, got together a group of eight singers from the choir whose voices blended. She didn’t ask me to audition because she knew what I sounded like already. Were you given the music and words in advance or did you learn it when you got to the studio? How much was there to learn? Was it easy or hard? We learnt it when we got there. There wasn’t that much to learn and none of it was particularly hard as it was all on an ‘ah’ sound except for one bit in ‘Despicable Me’ which had words for backing for a rap artist. Was this the first time you’ve sung in a recording studio? What did it feel like? Did you understand how it all worked? Yes. It felt quite amazing. They explained it to us and gave us a tour where we met the director and producer of the film as well as the Disney person and the composer.

Elizabeth Littlewood

Photo: Suzi Webb

Who ran the sessions? Linda and the composer ran the sessions. The composer was really good. Did you do any warm ups or games? What were they? We did a brief warm up. Just some scales and exercises to loosen our jaws. Did you like the music? I thought the music was well written and fitted in with the film. Did you sing in unison or harmony? Or did you sing on multiple tracks to create harmonies? We sang in unison and in two and three parts. I don’t think we did any multi-tracking.

I see Amber has instrumental lessons but not singing lessons. Is there a reason for that, for example, do you think it unwise to start training voices too young? She’s still quite little and she does a lot of singing in her junior chamber choir at school so I think that’s enough for her age. What do you think Amber has gained from the experience? Would you encourage her to do more session work? I think it’s great that Amber’s music gives her access to opportunities that wouldn’t be possible otherwise and while I wouldn’t push her to do more session work, I would certainly allow it. Is there anything about the experience that you felt could have been better for Amber? No, I think she really enjoyed the whole thing. Linda Richardson is experienced so she made sure the singers had proper breaks and drinks and were well looked after throughout.

BIG Music Singer/songwriter Kim Edgar has been working in partnership with Edinburgh’s BIG project since 2003. Here, she explains how music is opening hearts and minds in a small, deprived area of the city.

et up in 2002, The BIG Project is a registered charity providing services and support for children and young people living in the Broomhouse area of Edinburgh. Broomhouse is one of the most deprived wards in the city, consisting almost entirely of social housing. It has high rates of family breakdown, unemployment is more than double the level for the rest of Edinburgh and the free school meals allocation is high.

The BIG Project offers children, young people and their families an innovative programme of personal and social development, promoting activities and interests not as an end in themselves but as part of a wider developmental process to raise aspirations, increase self-esteem and develop selfcontrol, thus influencing the overall quality of life of children and young people and their community. It achieves these aims through a range of open access weekly clubs, special interest projects, a football team, holiday programmes, residential experiences and targetted work such as art therapy and bereavement support groups. As a self-employed singer/songwriter, I’ve enjoyed working in partnership with The BIG Project since 2003, using music as a tool to achieve these aims. I’ve seen first-hand the tangible, positive impact that music can have on children and young people’s physical, emotional and social well-being. Over the past few years, with support from Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative (YMI), The BIG Project has offered free music making opportunities which have had a big impact on children, young people and families in and around Broomhouse. Our current project, The BIG Sing, reached its culmination with a performance at the Queen’s Hall as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2010. Our three choirs of children and young people, aged 5-18, sang their hearts out in a sing-a-long show with an audience of family and friends, funders, well-wishers and families attending the Fringe from all over the world.

The BIG Sing-a-long! concert was enriching for all who experienced it. During the show, the view from where I was sitting at the grand piano was amazing: kids full of energy and joy, the band and conductors giving their all, and an audience of over 300 enthralled, then in stitches, standing up and punching the air, trying complex singing/hand games that our children and young people ran into the audience to teach… I’ve never seen an audience look so joyful! Their standing ovation at the end said it all. It’s probably the best gig I’ve ever played.

audience member suggested an exchange with her Primary class in Barcelona. Those who had experienced the concert sensed the power and potential in the air. There is much that we can, and will, do. I hope that The BIG Sing members will hold onto that. I’ll certainly keep it in my heart. It’s the heart bit that matters to me: the connection between our emotions and the music - and that’s what I’d like to tell you about: how music has opened hearts and minds over the last few years in a small, deprived area of Edinburgh. The BIG Tour and BIG Album Project

Musically, members of The BIG Sing demonstrated how much they’ve learned over the last year: I was impressed by improvements in pitching, phrasing, expression and dynamics. But above and beyond this is the improved concentration, behaviour and communication, the increased confidence and self-esteem and the tangible emotional well-being we’ve all been experiencing when singing together. It’s a privilege to do this kind of work. After the show, several children asked, ‘Can The BIG Sing go on Britain’s Got Talent?’ and an

Our first big music making project began with group lessons in guitar, keyboards and singing held in the evenings at the local Primary school where the project is based. Informal concerts to friends and family marked the end of each block of lessons, allowing us to share achievements in a relaxed way. Ripples affecting the community began: one example was a dad so impressed with his son’s progress that he bought two guitars - one for his son to practise on and one so that he could start to learn himself (with help from his son).

The second phase consisted of weekend songwriting workshops in three locations: Broomhouse, West Lothian and Strontian. I led the workshops with Lissa McIntyre, the full-time BIG Project Youth Worker, alongside staff from our partner projects, West Lothian Youth Action Project and Highland Council. The groups contained young people from right across the social and geographical spectrum with varying levels of musical experience and skill. We built relationships between the groups through ‘Passports’ which the young people made about themselves and shared with the other groups and by recording and sharing songs as they were written, encouraging feedback between groups (mediated by us and also through an online discussion forum). Songs varied greatly in content and style: for me, the honesty of the lyrics written by the most deprived children from Broomhouse about real experiences blew me away. For example: ‘Don’t put me down, don’t put me down, I fly so high nothing can put me down’, and ‘You never said goodbye, I never got a chance to say I love you for the last time’. The nine-year-old who wrote the first lyric

identifies himself strongly as a songwriter now and frequently brings me the lyrics of new songs he’s written. He’s often to be heard saying ‘Sorry I can’t come, I’m busy writing songs’. The final stage of the project was The BIG Tour: a three-date tour with a professional band with songwriters showcasing the songs written during the project. We took four Music Trainees (young people aged 14-18 with an interest in a career in music or youth work) with us on tour, who benefitted from getting to know music professionals, seeing a lot of Scotland and working with a range of young people. Performances confounded expectations with ‘Goths’ and ‘Emos’ singing traditional Scots songs and communities celebrating the achievements of young people in hooded tops! Live recordings created an album which we launched in Edinburgh to complete the project, with the songwriters celebrating their achievements and socialising in person after building relationships online and through the songs. Many connections between the young songwriters continue through the wonders

of technology; a three-way songwriting partnership between one Music Trainee from Broomhouse and young people in Livingston and Strontian still continues, with a demo recording afoot. Filmed interviews with the young people helped us to evaluate the project and one strong message was the popularity of group singing. Because of this, we decided to focus on singing for the next project, working with more children and young people within Broomhouse and also with their families through sing-a-long nights - our aim being to affect a greater level of positive change within the community. The BIG Sing Over the past year, we have led three weekly choirs for 60 children and young people aged 5-18 alongside group lessons in percussion, guitar and keyboard and special events such as beatboxing workshops, performances with Sangstream Community Choir and at Leith Festival, free family sing-a-long nights and two shows with a

professional band: a Christmas concert and our Queen’s Hall Fringe show.

of Sangstream Community Choir who quickly built up a strong rapport with our members. When Sangstream came to Broomhouse to perform with us, it was the first time many parents and guardians had ever heard a choir perform or listened to traditional Scots songs. The Future: BIG Music Our third YMI project, BIG Music, is about to begin - and I can’t wait! We’ll be building on the strengths of The BIG Sing with continued opportunities for singing but adapting our approach based on evaluation feedback: some members are keen to perform and to tackle more challenging songs while others enjoy singing without the pressure of performance so we will be offering 40 places in two open access singing groups for 5-12 year olds as well as 30 places, by audition, in a performance choir for 9-18 year olds.

Kim Edgar

The BIG Sing members have contributed song suggestions, new lyrics, arrangements and choreography. Rather than having a no phone’ policy in the clubs, we use breaks to listen to songs on our members’ mobiles, which has helped us to select popular songs and keep interest levels high. We’ve relished the chance to sing uplifting songs with positive messages like ‘Be the change you want to see’ (Man In The Mirror) and ‘Find good things even in hard situations’ (There’s Gold In Them Hills) – research has shown that our brain hears and responds to what we say or sing. We’ve also selected songs like You Raise Me Up, which has led to tears and members opening up, sharing experiences of loss and bereavement with the group. We’ve learned songs from a range of genres – spirituals, gospel, rap, pop, rock and folk music. Songs learned at musiclearninlive workshops and from NYCOS, Singing Sherlock and Sing Up resources have also proved popular.

Music making will also continue, using the keyboard and guitar resources, and we’ll be adding recorder lessons, a junk percussion orchestra and monthly jam sessions for instrumental players of any level. We’ll also continue to work alongside professional musicians with two special concerts featuring all children and young people accompanied by a full band.

I’m at the beginning of my career as a songwriter and as a music facilitator and I’m grateful to YMI not just for the funding support we’ve received but also for all I’ve learned through the way the funding is structured and the ongoing support given by their staff. YMI has a commitment to professional development and evaluation and also a pathway for 14-18 year olds to gain experience and ultimately employment in music or youth work through the role of the Music Trainee. Having these priorities built into our projects has helped us to continue to improve the opportunities we can offer to children and young people. We’ll be aiming to further develop the role of our Music Trainees and volunteers in the planning and delivery of workshops and to involve more of the local community through monthly singing opportunities for adults as well as children. We’ve seen how beneficial music making is in Broomhouse for children, young people and their families and we want to bring as many people together as possible to share that feeling of wellbeing – in a range of spaces and places, with a range of partners. If you’d like to be a part of it, please don’t hesitate to get in touch: we’re at www.thebigproject.org.uk.

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The people that the children, young people and their families have met through The BIG Sing have enriched their experience: notably, the members

g O n i ut S

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for Marie Curie Cancer Care

Every song you sing will support terminally ill cancer patients at Christmas To find out more or to host your own event Call: 08700 340 040 Email: singout@mariecurie.org.uk Visit: www.mariecurie.org.uk/singout

Marie Curie Cancer Care provides high quality nursing, totally free, to give people with terminal cancer and other illnesses the choice of dying at home, supported by their families.

the UK National Festival of Music Education

musiclearninglive!2011 March 3 & 4 at the RSAMD, Glasgow Sistema Scotland’s Big Noise Orchestra perform at mll!2011

Go on. Enjoy yourself. We’ve got an amazing line-up of presenters, speakers and performers at the musiclearninglive!2011 conference. There is a whole range of practical, hands-on sessions including songwriting and composing, Scottish and English folk/traditional music, music technology in the classroom and instrumental workshops. You can even learn how to make your own ukulele. Presentations include In Harmony Lambeth and Sistema Scotland. And there are great networking opportunities, a concert by Emily Smith, a trade exhibition and a delegate reception hosted by the Lord Provost of Glasgow. Check out the website now: www.musiclearninglive2011.com.

Pete Moser – The Fastest One Man Band in the World The dynamic Director of More Music Morecambe leads a session on Creative Composition session and goes walkabout as a OneMan band

Emily Smith, Scots Singer of the Year 2008/9 performs for delegates at the spectacular City Chambers after a reception for delegates hosted by the Lord Provost of Glasgow. She’s also leading a session on Scots Song

Marc Jaffrey, former Music Manifesto Champion The governmentcommissioned Henley Review of music education in England will be published in the wew Year. Marc Jaffrey gives his response

Delegate fees: £360+VAT (standard) Discounted places remaining at £270+VAT (QUOTE StanDisc) Primary/non-formal sector rate: £180+VAT Hotels from £44/room/night

Play the Skoog? You know you want to The Digital Learning strand of mll!2011 includes a host of hands-on sessions including a introduction to the amazing Skoog. And you can build your own recording studio

Participating organisations/presenters & projects include Sistema Scotland – ABRSM – National Youth Choir of Scotland – English Folk Dance and Song Society – Stephen Deazley – Live Music Now – Royal College of Music Junior Department – Pete Moser – In Harmony Lambeth – Marc Jaffrey – students & staff from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama – Recorder Rebels – Cyrilla Rowsell – Creative Scotland – Aileen Monaghan – Love Music Festival – Emily Smith Givin’ it Laldie – Musicians’ Union – Yamaha – Carol Laula – Michael Harper – Music and the Deaf – Soundbeam – Drake Music Scotland – Utterly Butterly Ukulele Company –Songschool Ireland –Sarah Thurstan – Jo Miller –Kevin Rogers –Roland Key Supporters: Creative Scotland GAK Education

a UNESCO Creative City

Registration: www.musiclearninglive2011.com