Drake Music gears up for PQASSO

Hi everyone,

I would like to share with you that I have been at the Implementing PQASSO training on the 29.and 30.September 2009.
PQASSO is a quality assurance system for Voluntary Organisations that will not only improve the systematic working of an organisation but is also recognised as a quality mark that qualifies us for local government funding.
In the near future we will set up a PQASSO working group, that will gather the evidence for the 12 quality areas of PQASSO, which are planning, governance, leadership and management, user-centred service, managing people, learning and development, managing money, managing resources, communications and promotion, working with others, monitoring and evaluation and results showing that Drake Music operates according to the requirements of a quality mark.
So... what this space...

All the best,
Christine :-)

Digital Beginnings update

The inter-regional, Youth Music funded 'Digital Beginnings' project is now up and running in the North West, East Mids and will start soon in the South West. For regular updates please check out the separate Digital Beginnings Blog which currently features posts from Merlyn (NW) and Alex (SW) as well as a growing list of free / cheap software for use in schools.

The Digital Beginnings project has a separate blog so that it can be used by pupils, teachers and anyone else involved in the project.

Doug

NW News & Updates......

Consultancy work at Sheffield University
Ray is a disabled person and a keen music enthusiast producing his own
music using Cubase and Grid 2 for several years. He has been trying
to get a place on Sheffield University’s Music and Creative Media
course for the past three years. Ray has a significant impairment and
experiences physical barriers accessing this course. Sheffield
University employed us to write a report with recommendations in how
to make the course accessible to Ray.

Based on our recommnedations, Ray has now been accepted on their Music
and Creative Media course. This is a real achievement for Drake Music as
well as Ray. Sheffield University have proposed Ray and his Tutors
undertake training and preparation during the semester 1 (September to
December 2009). Following which Ray completes one module in Semester
2 (January to May 2010): Musical composition: styles and techniques.

The Prospectors Performance
The Prospectors, Stockport CPs resident band, performed at Granville
House on the 7th August. Their regular audience enjoyed a lively
collection of classic pop covers and upbeat remixes of old school
house tunes.

Stockport CP beginners
These weekly sessions are continuing with more focus on individuals
and their development and using new techniques to ensure full access.

Individual Support
We are still receiving requests from individuals wishing to purchase
one to one music lessons. We have successfully delivered 4 weekly
sessions for an individual in Stockport and received very positive
feedback.

Digital Beginnings
We are continuing to work with two schools in Wigan. One school
primarily deals with children who are autistic and the other deals
with children that have significant physical impairments. The 5
observation sessions went well and we will be delivering the sessions
in September. One school has approached JBB Stadium for support and
to arrange a visit for the children to get their inspiration. We have also extended the project to include Lancasterian school in Didsbury and will start work there in September.

We Are Here
The sound and mixed media installation based on a theme of 'Journeys
and Maps' was a huge success. Linking in with multicultural and
multilingual communities from Gorton Education Village, the six pieces
focused on 6 geographic regions of the world: China (SE Asia) and
Africa, Carribean and Pakistan/India, Eastern Europe and Middle East.
We are hoping the success of this project will lead to further
partnership work with Band on The Wall

Re-mix
As part of Full Circle Arts animation / film project, we delivered an
exciting and fun workshop for eight young disabled people. We
facilitated the production of four pieces of music to accompany
animation produced during the project, which was then aired at the
celebratory event at the Zion Arts Centre on the 26 July. To see the
work, please see vodpod.com/watch/1974164-remix-animation-shorts.

Training
Music Leader NW have agreed to support us with associate team training
for this financial year. Our team training day will take place on 17
September, and will be an opportunity for our associates to network
and reflect. Doug Bott will be facilitating discussions around best
practice and new technologies. Following this we will be organizing
small group training sessions on specific technology such as Soundbeam
and Live.

Youth Music Mentees (Camden, London)

We are looking for young disabled musicians aged 15-25 living, studying or working in the London Borough of Camden to take part in our exciting new mentoring programme.

You will get the opportunity to work with one of three music mentors for 10 hours (over 5 weeks), with support from our music technologist.  Our mentors are all highly experienced disabled musicians.

The mentor programme will help you:

*Set goals

*Encourage areas of talent

*Build your confidence

*Develop you as an artist

* Support your progression in music

Whether you play an instrument, sing, use Assistive Music Technology or compose, either as a solo artist or as a band or collective, the mentoring programme could support you (for example in highlighting areas for development, making connections and networking, setting up your own gigs or music installations, broadening your existing influences or listening, widening your audience, career development and personal development).

This FREE opportunity is open to young disabled musicians working, living or studying in the Camden borough who:

*Are aged 15-25

*Play a musical instrument (including Assistive Music Technology such as Soundbeam or switches), or sing or compose music

*Have a keen interest in their own development as an artist

*Are considering music either as a career or as a route to personal development, or both

*Are either a solo artist or a group

*Are passionate about music!

To apply for a place on the programme or to apply on behalf of a young person you work with please request an Information Pack by calling 020 7739 5444, 

by email melanieclifford@drakemusicproject.org or 

by post to Drake Music, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA

London updates

Connecting across Difference

We have now completed the evaluation process for this project.  As you know, the final performance was in March 2009 and the whole project was a huge success.  We are currently feeding back to funders and will use the evaluation documentation for future funding bids and to inform the way we work in London and in other regions. 

Holloway Arts Festival

Anya Ustaszewski and Gary Day have just completed a series of 5 workshops at The Bridge School as part of this project.  The children there have composed a piece of music plus a percussion part which accompanied the Holloway Arts Festival procession on 4^th July (the percussion part was performed by children from two other schools in the borough). 

The theme for the day (which included projects led by other artists and organisations including costume-making, poetry-writing and other fun activities) was the score of Alice Through the Looking Glass, a musical play composed by Stephen Daltry.  Gary and Anya had the opportunity to visit Stephen at his home prior to starting the work to go through his score and discuss his inspiration/composition. 

Youth Music Mentor programme

Drake Music has been commissioned by Sound Connections as part of their Youth Music Mentor programme.  It is funded by Youth Music and each partner organisation is paid a fee of £7500 to deliver mentoring to 10 young musicians in a specific borough.  We are representing Camden, however by prior arrangement we have left 3 spaces open to students at George Green school in Tower Hamlets.  

Anya, Victoria and Melanie (our 3 CAD associate musician mentees) are the adult mentors delivering the programme.  It is a really exciting step in their development and we will bring in Daryl and Lynn (our 2 CAD mentors) to offer some support to them over the course of the programme.  It is also a chance for the 3 mentors to take the lead on the project and have a more substantial input into the development and planning of this kind of work.  Nick Wilsdon will continue to work as music technologist on this project and support the young musicians with any practical or technical advice.  We are currently in the planning stages and hope to start the delivery of the mentoring at the end of summer/beginning of September.

Melanie will also take on the role of project co-ordinator for this project, with support from me as I am currently managing the London programme.

The Orpheus Centre

Following the success of our 9-week series of sessions led by Gary at the Orpheus Centre a residential performing arts centre run by Richard Stilgoe (one of our patrons), I met with Danny Bravermen who is head of their learning/education and outreach work.  I am currently liaising with them and planning a programme for the whole of the academic year 2009-10.  Their focus is on personal development and independence, so this is an interesting partnership for future work.  

THAMES/Beatrice Tate School

Beatrice Tate school was one of the partners for CAD.  We have been approached by THAMES to deliver a further project at the school on their behalf (as they currently do not have any practitioners specialising in music for disabled children/young people).  I am liaising with THAMES about costs (as the cost to the school is below our current full-cost recovery, THAMES may choose to subsidise some of the work).  The project would be for 4-week chunks of work at the start of each term (so a total of 12 weeks) 2 sessions per week. 

Disability Awareness Event

Victoria Oruwari performed at the Disability Awareness Event at Guy’s Hospital on 24^th June.  This performance has been paid for by Guy’s Hospital and she will be sang a 10 minute set of 3 varied songs.  The audience and staff were hugely impressed.

POSSIBLE FUTURE WORK

• Roundhouse: we have given them a quote for a joint project, there will also be other opportunities in the future for partnerships.
• Individuals: We currently get quite a few enquiries for individual sessions.  Some of these might be paid for by the individual musician through new ways of receiving social services support.  Unfortunately at present we aren’t able to offer anything for people who aren’t able to pay for the service (or fund it somehow).  Ideally I would like to look at developing options for individual sessions/adult group work that might be open for people to attend.  At the moment we don’t have the capacity to even start to plan this work.
• George Green: I am in liaison with George Green school who want some more work in the new academic year.  We will finalise what they want within the next few weeks (before the end of term) and hope to start delivery in September.
• I am submitting a funding application to Goldsmith’s Company Charity to support the programme in the London region, at present we are only working for fees and always at full cost.

Anna (Betty) xx

NW News & Updates......

The Prospectors Performance
The Prospectors, Stockport CP’s resident band, performed at the Stockport Beer Festival on the 29th May.  With a few new members and a good sized audience they performed an energetic and inspiring set of
classic pop covers and remixed nineties dance tunes. We are hopefully performing at the Mind Body Boogie festival in August, more details to follow.

Stockport CP beginners

These weekly sessions are continuing with more focus on individuals and their development. The participants have requested a performance for friends and family at the end of term.

Consultancy work at Sheffield University
We have been employed to provide some Consultancy for Sheffield University to enable them to make the contents of their Music and Creative Media course accessible to a potential student who has significant impairments. Ray has been trying unsuccessfully to access this course for 3 years.

On the 9th June we attended an initial consultation with both the student and staff to establish the physical barriers this student faces and current structure of the course and technical set-up.  We are now producing a report detailing the software and hardware needed to remove barriers as well as suggestions for adapting course material.  This report will include information on software/hardware costs and providers and research into the various options available.

Individual Support
A couple of individuals have approached us about using their individual budget to buy in our services to deliver one to one music lessons.  We have been booked to deliver 9 weekly sessions for an individual in Stockport starting on the 3rd July

Digital Beginnings
We are now working on a joint project with two schools in Wigan.  One school primarily deals with children who are autistic and the other deals with children that have significant physical impairments. We have started the 5 observation sessions and will begin delivering the sessions in September. We have funding for 2 terms and the schools are looking into finding funds via their connections with Wigan rugby club for a 3rd terms work. 

We Are Here

We are working in partnership with legendary Manchester venue Band on the Wall and Gorton Education Village with pupils from mainstream and SEN schools to produce a sound and mixed media installation in the school. The project will be based on a theme of 'Journeys and Maps', linking in with the schools' multicultural and multilingual intake. The six pieces created will focus on 6 geographic regions of the world:  China (SE Asia) and Africa, Carribean and Pakistan/India, Eastern Europe and Middle East. The project is lasting 2 terms and is entirely funded by Band on the Wall.

Re-mix

We are delivering our first project in partnership with local disability arts organisation Full Circle Arts. Re-mix is a summer project for disabled young people with creative workshops leading to a celebratory event where the work will be shared. If this project is successful, we hope to offer more music workshops from September.

Training

We are in the final negotiations with Music Leader NW who will support us with associate team training for this financial year. This should allow the NW team to have a few days training before term starts in September and to then meet once a term.

East Mid's in the sun! (for now...)

Hello... busy times here so just a quick update with what's happening now, more to come! Music Our Way which is a music tech course for older young people in the region is going really well with some interesting pieces of music emerging. Over 35 people have been involved so far and the project will end with a performance night in Mansfield at The Old Library in July..

Drake Music and Salamanda Tandem

Arts Work with People in Nottinghamshire Seminars

14th and 15th July 2 - 5pm

Dear Arts, Health and Care Professionals

If you or anyone you know is interested in arts, and disability work in Nottinghamshire do get in touch!

In order to contribute we would like to invite you to one of our consultation seminars:


14th July 2 - 5pm at Drake Music - Blue Water Studios in Ollerton, Nottinghamshire
or
15th July 2 - 5pm at the Salamanda Tandem offices in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire.

Its all about how we can help support and develop a fertile arts and disability practice in Nottinghamshire over the next few years. We have been commissioned by Nottinghamshire County Council's Arts Service, to undertake a consultation project with both experienced professionals and other artists who may be new to the field but are interested in reaching disabled people through the arts in Nottinghamshire. For development to happen we need to look at what the barriers are for arts, health and carer professionals working in Nottinghamshire - e.g. work opportunities, funding, volunteering, training issues etc and would therefore like to know your thoughts.

Salamanda Tandem and Drake Music are conducting the seminars, and there will be a series of focused questions to discuss. If you can't make either event but would like to contribute, we can send out the questions to you via email, or if you'd rather have a chat by telephone that would be great too.

Please forward to anyone you feel would like to make a contribution.

RSVP by July 10th 2009.

Warm Wishes

Shirley Novak

East Midlands Programme Manager Drake Muisc