Online Exhibition Opportunity - Drake Music In Translation

For Drake Music In Translation, we are seeking to commission 2 artists
with personal experience of disability to collaborate with Drake Music
artist / curator in residence, Melanie Clifford, on a new online commission
investigating translation and interpretation.

We are interested in commissioning artists who work in any medium that
can be exhibited via an accessible online platform, including, but not limited
to: music, text, sound, image, performance for video and / or a conceptual
approach to networked media and collaboration.

The starting point for the commissioned work(s) will be a 1 minute silent video
by Melanie Clifford, which will be audio described.

Across 4 weeks in March 2011, the 3 artists will use online communication
tools to explore translation and interpretation in their work. During this period,
some of their ideas / conversations / work-in-progress will be posted to
commission-specific pages of the forthcoming, new Drake Music website. At
the end of this process the final piece(s) will be exhibited online via the Drake
Music website, launching our New Commissions programme, 2011.

DM will undertake to publicise and host the final piece, and each artist will receive a small honorarium of £400 for their work.

To apply, please send your CV + up to 3 examples of your work, documented
in digital format (or link to website where examples can be found) + a brief
statement of your interest in the theme of translation and interpretation. We
can accept attachments up to 25MB in most digital formats.

Please contact us if you have any questions about your application, the
project, or Drake Music.

Applications and enquiries by email to: info@drakemusic.org

The deadline for applications is 5pm, Monday 7th February 2011.

This commission is open internationally.

Commissioned artists should be available to work online during the period
28th February - 25th March 2011.

For more information on Melanie Clifford: www.melanieclifford.net
Prior to website release, keep up to date with Drake Music via: http://
drakemusicblog.blogspot.com

Launching our New Commissions programme 2011

The Drake Music New Commissions programme is designed to provide opportunities for musicians, composers and artists with disabilities to develop new work in an integrative, critical context. We are particularly interested in exploring process and participation in the production of new work, and in encouraging cross-disciplinary dialogue and socially engaged practice.

Drake Music is part of the wider cultural activity of re-imagining (dis)ability and diversity via arts and music. We are intent on using the opportunity of commissioning new work to inspire contemporary critical debate.

Join our mailing list for details of new projects as they happen! info@drakemusic.org

New Website will be ready to go soon!

We are completely redeveloping our website into a new inclusive resource, for musicians, composers, artists, learners, teachers, participants and audiences. The new site, along with our new look, is currently being tested and will be launched shortly.

Music Mentoring programme in London

Looking for one to one support in music making? Or maybe you are already a professional musician looking for new ways to express yourself creativly?
We are looking for Mentees to join our FREE Mentor programme. More details can be found here www.drakemusicproject.org/newsdetail.asp?nstoryid=162

NW Update

Adult Work:

Sheffield University

Sheffield University are funding one-to-one tutorial support for Ray de Gussa until Christmas. Depending upon Rays attainments this is likely to continue in 2011. One of the main outcomes of the module will be to perform a short improvised solo. This outcome will be assessed by an improvisation test including a practical and song writing component. Ray will be given a stimulus, e.g. a chord sequence, 1 week before his exam. During the exam itself, the chord sequence is played again and Ray will be expected to play a melody over the top of the chord sequence. Fil Hill will be advising the University on how a student using AMT can be measured against this outcome.

Jigsaw

Jigsaw is a social and sports group for young disabled people living in Bury. The group caters for around 30 disabled people aged between 13 and 30 years of age with a range of physical, learning and behavioral impairments.

Jigsaw have commissioned Drake Music to deliver an exciting pilot 4 week course for up to 20 members of Jigsaw from October 2010 until December 2010. Following this both Jigsaw and Drake Music will provide feedback about how the pilot went, and Jigsaw will make a decision about whether they wish to purchase 18 further sessions. Feedback so far has been very positive and it’s likely further sessions will be purchased.

Stockport CP

These weekly sessions are continuing to be of immense value to Stockport CP participants. The Prospectors have performed at the Alma Lodge Hotel in October for Stockport MBC “Valuing health, Valuing people” conference. They are also gigging at the Trafford Centre in December 2010.

Ramp it Up Projects

Music Services in St Helens are funding Drake Music to run a 16-week music course throughout the Autumn term for Key Stage 4&5 pupils at a local Special School. The project will involve 15 two hour workshops, 1 performance and 1 recording, training teachers and local music associates/therapists. The workshops will encompass one to one sessions as well as group activities to make certain that all the pupils are meaningfully involved.

An mp3 of the final piece of music created will give participants a record of their achievements, inspire other disabled people and promote both our partner organisations and ourselves.

They are very impressed with the quality of our work and have helped us to source two of the schools we will be working with as part of our national “Ramp it Up” programme.

Training

We have delivered half day training to a special school in North Wales around the Soundbeam and we are in negotiations with St Helens Music Services regarding future training days and/or a conference on inclusive music making.

Funding

We have recruited Alison Jones for 5 days to secure money from local/regional smaller trusts and help research sources of funding for Ramp it Up/other projects in the North West. Alison will also be working on an Awards for All bid to develop a programme of work in the North West.

Drake Music student has GCSE success!

Talented Drake Music student Jordan Andow has achieved his goal of passing GCSE Music. Jordan, who attends the City Academy in Bristol, had previously worked with Drake Music (SW) on a range of performing and composing projects. He has been supported over the past two years by Jonathan Westrup, Drake Music Curriculum Development worker.

Jordan’s achievement is made even more remarkable for the fact that he nearly didn’t take the course. A mixture of timetabling clashes and other pressures meant he considered having to drop his favourite subject. However, the school stepped in to fund one-to-one support from Drake Music and the result is a fantastic outcome both for Jordan, and for music education generally in this country. Jordan is soon to start college and plans to continue making his own music.

Drake Music South West Update

Sing Up
Drake Music have been working in partnership with Sing Up to make singing accessible to every child, in particular students who face significant physical or communication barriers. We've made a short film about this work. You can watch it here:



Barrs Court Music Motivator
The Drake Music SW team have completed the Barrs Court Music Motivator project funded by Youth Music and delivered in partnership with Barrs Court School and Music Pool, Herefordshire. Drake Music produced 6 schemes of work for the school. We took 6 units written by QCA and made them more accessible for students and staff by creating supporting resources using Clicker 5 software, Powerpoint and by creating audio CD's containing sound effects, backing tracks etc. The project has also included a considerable amount of staff training on subjects such as using Clicker5 and powerpoint for music making, soundbeam2 and setting up a PC to play and record sound.
Barrs Court have been extremely pleased with the project and have decided to engage Drake Music to complete another 6 units of work over the next year.
We will also be working with Youth Music over the next year to develop access to the resources for other special schools.

Gloucester Music Service
Drake Music SW have been engaged by GMS to deliver participation and training in accessible singing in every special school in Gloucestershire during the summer term. We will also be training GMS staff in accessible singing. We will be reporting back to GMS in August on the best way to deliver music making in these special schools in the future.

RAMP it Up! Real Accessible Musical Participation
This creative music project is running this summer term at St Roses school, Stroud, Claremont Primary and Claremont Secondary. Students at all schools will take part in a series of music workshops and compose and learn a piece of music which will be performed in a sharing at the end of the project. We are also working in partnership with the schools to ensure the longer term delivery of accessible music education and will be training teachers and support staff.
This project will delivered at another four schools in the South West next academic year and we will shortly be inviting schools to apply to run the project in their school.

Emersons Green Afterschool Music Club
A new integrated after school music club started at Emersons Green School in June, led by Drake Music. Funding has been secured from Aiming High funds, South Gloucestershire Council, to run the club until the end of 2010.

Summer Playschemes
Drake Music are running music making sessions during July and August at Briarwood Summer Playscheme and Claremont Summer Playscheme. These sessions are open to all students at the schools and their siblings.

Vocal Force Project
Drake Music SW have delivered accessible singing training at schools in Oxfordshire and Berkshire and trained Vocal Force staff.

Funding
We have received generous donations from Serena White and Kitty Cavendish towards our work in the South West who raised sponsorship by running the Rome marathon and completing a skydive respectively. The donations will go towards our core costs and the new work at Barrs Court School. We also received donations from GASfest and Cardiff Legal Services both in memory of Jason Morris. We are extremely grateful for all these donations which make our work possible.

CDI
We are currently looking at ways of delivering the NOCN Introduction to Music Course at St Roses and piloting a new accessible BTEC music course at Claremont Secondary, both from September. For more information about the CDI please see the CDI blog