“Through the Our Music Project Soundabout has embedded its ethos for child led music making. Using simple music making techniques, a playful approach to sound and silence and providing the opportunity for the child to lead the music making we model an approach that empowers music leaders to unlock the potential in children of all abilities.”
The Rockschool team have added so much to the Our Music Project with their expertise and ability to embrace a new approach to music making with children with additional needs. By considering the diverse needs of children with both physical and social emotional difficulties Rockschool have helped this project succeed in its goal to provide an inclusive environment for music making, adapt instruments and develop musical activities that provide appropriate opportunities for children of all abilities to express themselves musically.
“Our
Music” is a two-year project taking place in Wolverhampton schools and is
funded through the charity Youth Music. It is an inclusive music project
through which we set out to develop the confidence and self-esteem of the young
musicians, embed an awareness of the well-being of others in the group, to
increase the musical creativity and self-expression of young musicians and to
develop the confidence, skills and knowledge of music leaders working in a
SEN/D setting across the Black Country. It is an incredible opportunity to
develop partnership working, for the benefit of both young musicians and music
leaders; it also challenges us all to look in more detail at the positive
impact of reflective practice and more honestly at the extent to which this is
currently embedded in all that we offer.
The Youth Music grant was
awarded to Wolverhampton Music Education Hub and the project began in September
2017. Staff from Wolverhampton Music Service have led the project, alongside
partners from Soundabout, Rockschool Music Ltd and music leaders from both
special and mainstream schools in the city.