IN2MUSIC

 "Playing an instrument develops a sense of self worth & success"

Music in

The Government's Wider Opportunity Programme wants every child to be given the opportunity to learn a musical instrument at some stage during their primary school education. The In2Music project has been designed by Southampton Music Services to begin to meet this requirement. The aim is to provide free instruments and tuition to all Year 3 children over the next four years.

All primary and junior schools in Southampton, with the exception of two, are now part of the programme. Each school is visited for an hour a week by a team of qualified, instrumental teachers who work alongside music teachers in the school. The work is also supported by a dedicated Advanced Skills Teacher. Together, they integrate instrumental teaching with the requirements of the National Curriculum.

The range of instruments offered is  violin, viola, cello, double bass, guitar, trumpet/cornet, trombone, French horn, tenor horn, baritone horn, clarinet, flute, bassoon, oboe, harp, djembe, tabla tuned and un-tuned percussion.

The results so far have been very encouraging. The following aspects of project were identified as being outstanding by Ofsted in June 2005:

• Live music performed well by staff as pupils enter sessions.
• Quality of joint planning and follow up with staff.
• Quality of partnership with schools
• The content and sequencing of activities in sessions.
• Teaching and management skills of leading teachers.
• Relationships with pupils.
• The quality of instruments and loan arrangements.
• Delivery as part of KS2 National Curriculum for all pupils.

A significant proportion of pupils have chosen to carry on with instrumental tuition in Year 4.

Additional In2Music pilot projects are being developed a) to extend the concept into Year 4 and b) to provide school based teachers with the ability to teach instruments.

For further information on this project please contact Kathryn Page. 

The RESPECT drumming project.

This project was set up in 2002 as part of Wider Opportunities for youngsters in schools in the Millbrook area of Southampton:

Fairisle Junior, Mansel Junior, Shirley Warren Primary and Millbrook Community.

The initial aims were to enable children who wouldn't normally get involved in music to develop skills associated with musicianship, to feel proud of their achievements and to have fun at the same time.

Through the creative use of junk percussion and the work drum teachers, Matt Hayward, Matt Brombley and John Bell, the project has been a great success. In 2004, Ofsted  made the following observations:-

" The inclusion project 'Respect' is having a significant impact on improving the confidence and self-esteem of identified vulnerable pupils in five schools".

In 2005 the teaching in the project was judged by Ofsted to be outstanding.

Over three hundred children have now benefited from the club's activities. They have :

• Gained certificates that recognise their drumming skills.
• Made C.D's.
• Made a video.
• Appeared on radio.
• Appeared in concerts in their individual schools and collectively at Millbrook Community School.
• Played alongside some the country's best musicians.
• Developed a sense of pride in the community.

and they have the t-shirt to prove it!

Pupils who have shown particular talent are now taught as part of the RESPECT Drum Academy that meets once a week at Millbrook Community School. Here they have the opportunity to learn advance drumming skills as part of an ensemble. This aspect of the project has been awarded £3,250.00 by the Children's Fund. The money has been used to purchase top quality snare-drums, stands, cases and music stands so that the concept can be developed into an American style drum-corps.

The concepts behind the project have been welcomed by the general, education community; introduced at music and PSHE conferences. There is now a waiting list of schools who want a piece of the action!

For further information on this project please contact Kathryn Page. 

MAD4MUSIC

The Mad4Music project was originally set up in 2002 as a research project for work with pre-school children in five settings in the most deprived areas of Southampton. It was particularly successful. Ofsted judged it to be an outstanding venture in June 2005. It is currently funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, enabling us to extend the work into fifteen pre-school settings in the most deprived areas of Southampton. 

The project has the following aims:

• To deploy an early years music consultant for the provision of music and associated education for 0-5yrs in Southampton.
• To develop a focussed relationship between music education and the development of language, maths and social skills in the foundation years.
• To provide training in the use and development of music in education for early years practitioners.
• To provide training for the parents of 0-5yrs children in selected settings.
• To work through a strategic plan that will eventually impact upon all 0-5yr settings in Southampton (maintained and non-maintained).

During the project the following observations have been made:

• Over the course of the project considerable musical progress has been observed.
• During the year the project has become more and more well known with more families wishing to access it.
• The music maker, Judi Galbraith, has maintained outstanding quality throughout the project.
• Parents and support staff are very effectively involved.
• During one observation of the project, it was difficult to tell parents and trainees apart, such was the involvement.
• All the evaluations and monitoring show that parents and children enjoy the sessions and the venues feel that the project supported the child's social, emotional, physical and intellectual development.
• There is clear evidence of staff at some centres trying out some of the new ideas and taking the project forward.

As a result of the work so far, a detailed programme of study has been written by Judi in the form of work units for each half term. These units have a music strand focus that integrates specific aspects of language, maths and social development. The work units are supported by tracking documents that allow practitioners to relate the activities to Stepping Stone assessments.

Judi is now an important contributor to conferences on pre-school education.

For further information on this project please contact Christine Ward

GROOVE MERCHANT - The Southampton Academy for Popular Music

Southampton Music Services launch this new, enterprising project in October 2005 for the very best Pop/Rock students aged between 14 and 16years.

The aims are:

• To enable young, talented Pop/Rock musicians to achieve their full potential
• To enrich the music curriculum in secondary schools.
• To inspire more young people to become musicians.
• To show the people of Southampton how good our young musicians are!

The students will be coached by some of the best working musicians on the guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, voice and drums. They will work as two bands in the east and west of the city. The students will have an important say in what they want and need to learn as they develop as musicians in a band.

Not only will the students be coached to achieve the highest standards in essential aspects of Pop/Rock/Blues music, but they will be also expected to visit schools as performing artists to inspire other students and to show how studies in school music relate to the world of the working musician. The Creative Partnerships organisation is sponsoring this aspect of the project.

The course will also help the students to compose their own material and to make their own C.D. Negotiations are in place with St Mary's Stadium, West Quays and the Nuffield Theatre to provide gig venues that will reach the widest possible audience during the year.

At the end of the course the two bands will be involved in a "Battle of the Bands" competition in front of a live audience. It is hoped that Jerry Donahue, the current Yardbirds guitarist, will be able to come along to judge the competition. Jerry worked with John Bell, the course organiser, at Selmers Music Shop in London in the wonderful Sixties!

FRET Music has agreed to give essential support to the project with additional advice and equipment.

For further information on this project please contact Kathryn Page