But I think he had a point. I have recently started playing with a string quartet The Oxford Four, and in order to get experience, promote ourselves, earn some beer money, but most of all to have fun, we’ve started busking. In the weeks leading up to Christmas we managed to get a much-coveted busking pitch in Oxford’s Covered Market. It’s a good place to busk because it doesn’t matter if it’s raining, and because it’s got a roof there is an acoustic, which there isn’t always when you busk out in the open. It was lovely to watch out of the corner of my eye as people stopped to listen – and the groups of people who seemed to appreciate it the most were older people, and parents with small children in buggies. It was wonderful to watch the faces of the children as they watched us play – transfixed by Hugh’s bowing, or by Janet’s left-hand as she moved it up and down the neck of the cello. I think busking can be seen as a community music activity. I wonder if the groups (the very old and the very young) I mentioned who seemed to appreciate it the most are those most precluded from attending concerts because of the barriers put up to some by traditional classical concert formats – finishing late at night, which may be difficult for older adults who may be uncomfortable being out at night, or who might rely on public transport – or the idea that you have to sit silently and still to listen to the music – and not be able to respond with your voice or body…. I really felt during that busk that we were providing something important for people – the unfolding of live music, something to enjoy for free, something that connected them with a heritage…..

Lately I’ve been using the Pegasus Theatre cafe to work from. There is a tree sculpture full of quotes, one of them is:

“Culture – it’s what we grow people in”

Last term was amazing. I started the Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Masters programme in London, and I was also on placement a day a week in a community mental health setting in London. The work is difficult emotionally, and the level of musicianship required for the programme is demanding. On top of this we must be able to reflect personally on the work – and we are guided through this by a therapist (Health Professions Council requires that trainee psychotherapists or arts therapists have a minimum 40 hours psychotherapy before they qualify).

I am feeling really positive about the coming year – my placement is a year long in a special school a little bit closer to home – and I suspect it is in the work with children I will find the different aspects of music therapy coming together for me. But probably not in any way I would expect, because if there is anything I realised after last term, it is to expect the unexpected.

In other work, I am continuing to run three Singing for the Brain groups, work on an ad hoc basis with various day centres, and another series of Sound Bites is coming up at The Warneford. I’ve now handed over all the Age UK singing groups to various people, and I hope these continue to grow – and that it gives the singing leaders who took them on a chance to stretch their wings and try out new ideas too.

And do I have any New Year’s Resolutions? Not really. I’ve tried before and they usually are over-ambitious and crumble instantly. However, now I’m commuting to London a little less I’m hoping to have more time to go swimming, which I find so beneficial for strengthening my back, and my wrists, hands and fingers (I know this sounds really specific – but when you play drums, piano, violin and guitar as much as I do – finding low-impact ways of keeping these joints strong and supple is important). I’m also going to try and blog a bit more. Last term was a strange time of transition as my identity as a community musician shook as I became a student. I won’t be able to share here any detailed reflection on my work as a trainee music therapist as of course this needs to be confidential, but I do hope to share my more general learning.

Have a wonderful 2012!

(in no particular order) Things I learned – taken from reflections of various groups:

• always do a proper introduction with a new group – find out about people before I start
• don’t make assumptions about people’s abilities – if people don’t join in it’s not always because they can’t but more likely because they don’t want to
• learn to ask the right questions about a group – what a worker considers to be a homogenous group doesn’t always turn out to be
• stick with your plan – sometimes I panic and abandon my plan when there really is no need, and when the plan would work better than off-the-cuff winging-it. Don’t panic!
• be confident – some groups sense weakness or interpret gentleness and sensitivity as weakness
• be brave and talk directly to everyone, even those who seem uncommunicative
• don’t give in to people’s every whim “can’t we sing something we know?” – community music is about challenge as well as nurture – take what people say on board, but don’t be afraid to stick to your guns.
• Explaining the rationale for things can help build rapport, trust and relationship
• spend time working for longer on one song – people feel they’ve achieved more
• contrast of pace, and particularly rhythmic contrast helps keep focus and interest
• small, but challenging changes help everyone to engage and take responsibility for their music-making- partner songs, changing the words of a familiar tune, 2-part sections to a song
• giving people some free choice over words eg “If I knew you were coming I’d've…..” is positive – people like to be asked.
• Hey Ungua (from Voiceworks) is a brilliant song – rousing, rooted, stirring etc. more songs with this kind of energy
• working at something hard can help build people’s confidence – I can achieve
• building ‘theme songs’ into the repertoire from an early stage pays off later as we dropped the hard piece and finished with something we all knew.
• Sometimes when working with people with memory problems they will need reminding to use their percussion instruments
• where musical achievement might be limited (ie. not singing anything complicated), concentrate on other aspects more, for example, helping everyone engage with each other.
• Not joining in doesn’t always mean the person isn’t enjoying it – sometimes people sit and nod along to a song they know and find enjoyment and calm through it.
• small groups: important to boost confidence and be positive about small numbers as often people are negative about small numbers
• when working with smaller groups, familiar repertoire works well as a confidence-booster, but don’t be afraid to work in new repertoire
• during a session with one ‘disruptive’ client, the whole group became louder – in an effort to cover her up? it was important during this session to keep the thread going, moving the whole group along – which was difficult because usually the group prefer something more relaxed with more opportunity for informal discussion between songs.
• Gradually putting up the pitch of songs helps people explore different parts of their range – and gradually higher notes will become easier
• If someone suggests a song you don’t know, invite them to sing it to you, it might get the whole group singing
• Using actions can help people join in in different ways, and it can help people learn the words to new songs
• building songs up gradually (patiently!) over a number of weeks can pay off.
• keep the pace going, even in more informal groups – important to keep underlying thread moving through sessions, whatever the facilitation approach
• When explaining a more complex activity it can be beneficial to break down the different parts of the exercise into little bits, and not refer to the next section until the previous section is achieved.
• amongst your volunteers, carers and workers, know who you can lean on to sustain a part, and who you can’t!
• If someone interrupts you mid-explanation/demonstration, don’t get too drawn into what they are saying – it might feel like you are ignoring them, but you have a whole group to facilitate.
• simple and up-beat songs work wonderfully in mental health groups – find a stack to keep up your sleeve.
• short and engaging songs and exercises also capture imagination and engage when attention spans are short
• use the warm-up to help people improve skills
• warm-up also useful time to introduce facilitation style and to get everyone’s attention – start with activity everyone can do, even if they are still talking, eg. rubbing hands together
• if people join a group late, ask them to introduce themselves so they feel included
• be decisive – as a leader everyone’s waiting for you to decide how many times? how many parts? how fast? how high? etc – if people don’t like it, they will usually tell you
• reassure people that if something ‘goes wrong’ it doesn’t matter – it’s not like spilling paint, just making a few air molecules bounce around.
• When teaching a new song, make it very clear by pointing at yourself, then at the group to indicate when they should listen and when they should sing
• it’s important to find ways of drawing people into a group – offering an instrument, asking someone to choose a song etc
• the expectation when there is ‘disruptive behaviour’ is to carry on – but is this always right? Know the purpose of your group – is it for self-expression? building confidence? helping people socialise and find a role within a group?
• Make sure the room size suits the group size
• singing together should be fun and joyful – if it feels like a chore, something is wrong – and sometimes as a practitioner you may feel like you are repeating yourself if you are working with multiple similar groups.
• Don’t be afraid to challenge people with the unexpected – get the nurture/challenge balance right
• repeating some songs within a group can be beneficial for confidence and enjoyment
• if you give people percussion instruments they will use them – give instructions before the noise kicks off!
• unaccompanied singing is often more satisfying than accompanied because participants can really hear what’s going on
• sticking to the plan can work – so can abandoning it! First rule of group work: write a plan. Second rule of group work: tear it up!
• Having a ‘too-big’ plan can work because it means I’m prepared to go with whatever is on it, but it gives me the options to choose something that is most suitable for the group.
• choose some short activities for people to join in with, or ignore and join in with the next activity
• Gradually building things up – pulling everything apart (rhythm, notes, words) and then putting together to form a whole
• make sure everything is printed good and BIG
• Often a group wants to make their existing sound better and work in the middle of their ability rather than pushing the limit

As I look back over the notes made during the last few years, the learning points coming out of them seem to be time and again ‘be more confident’, ‘present this song/activity more confidently’, ‘speak more clearly and boldly about this activity’, ‘don’t be afraid to get up and lead from the centre of the circle’, ‘hold my nerve’ – this learning is not something that could be taught (apart from in theory), but something I just had to experience for myself. Being confident is a state, and whilst I can act confidently whilst facilitating, this is no substitute for being confident, because  without confidence how can the music be convincing?

The Oxford Four is a newly formed String Quartet made up of myself (Violin II), Hugh Conway-Morris (Violin I), Emily Eastwood (Viola) and Janet Phillips (‘Cello). With a fixed fortnightly rehearsal slot, a shared passion for chamber music, and additional musical skills (we’re all keen singers, and we count several pianists in our number) we’re excited about the possibilities of music-making, for our own joy, and to bring high quality, live music to your party, wedding or other event.

If you would like to book us for an event, or want to find out a bit more, then please get in touch

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7147684@N03/921738854/sizes/o/in/photostream/ used under creative commons license

Download my flier as a pdf here

The last few months have been busy, exhausting, energising and exhilarating for all sorts of reasons. I’ve done several things I’ve not done before; I’ve led singing workshops in new settings (Fairtrade events, Christian Aid fundraiser, in the countryside under a very dark sky next to a bonfire at a peace conference), I’ve led sessions with content that I haven’t shared before, drawing together ideas from the music therapy literature and from community development, social change, and nonviolence movements (which I will get round to posting here at some point!). I ran an unConference in April, and a week later attended training provided by The Alzheimer’s Society. I’ve performed 16th & 17th Century Spanish Polyphony for a Good Friday concert, and I’ve managed to squeeze in something of a social life too!

The other thing I’ve done which I haven’t done before is complete the application to train to be a Music Therapist on the Nordoff Robbins Master of Music Therapy programme. In January I sent in a video audition and written application form, and in March I had two auditions, the first an individual audition, and the second a group audition. I’m very happy to report I’ve been offered a place, which will start in London in September.

Obviously this has implications for my work, so I’ve created a newsletter which outlines my plans.

Download: May 2011 – Singing Newsletter

Aside from the song-share and the Communicating with People with Dementia presentation, most of the day was led by Mary King and Fraser Trainer.

The day began with an hour-long vocal warm-up led by Mary – and I’ve got to say it was a wonderful luxury; my voice felt good and free afterwards. It was a great refresher too – reminding me of technique I forgot I knew and helping to tighten it up again and think about my voice and vocals with renewed clarity.

This was followed by the teaching of two well-known spirituals – Wade in the Water and Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child. The main point that came out for me here was the use of speech and speaking the words in rhythm – really thoroughly, and with no inhibition about repeating every last line multiple times – before introducing the notes. Not only did the time spent on this help very thorough learning of the structure and words of the song, it also helped everyone pick up the syncopation, something I struggle to convey to groups of singers who don’t naturally ‘feel’ syncopated rhythms.

A warm-up of the next session comprised circle games: passing the clap around the circle, passing the ‘shhhh’, passing them both in opposite directions. Another was for everyone’s little fingers to touch, and anticipate the clap of the leader, or the clap of two leaders… all about group awareness, and getting comfortable as a group.

Fraser then led the group composition. This was delivered in a number of steps:

1. A pulse was established

2. We were asked to think of a short phrase of 5-6 words.

3. say those words in a repeating rhythm

4. Sing the words in rhythm on one note (D)

5. Sing the words in rhythm using different notes (Dorian mode)

6. The sound was pared down to 6 phrases, forming small groups

7. Chose 1 phrase which everyone sings and harmonises.

What did the group composition feel like? Lots of repetition, and trusting the facilitator to mould the sounds, sculpt, so you could hear different parts. Was it our piece or was it Fraser’s piece? We all created our own unique chunk of it, though I imagine it would be possible to give everyone the ‘sculpting’ tools, as in drum circle facilitation. It was exciting and energising for us. I’d love to try it at a singing for the brain group, but only with lots of volunteers who have been primed!

After lunch Mary led us in the learning of several new songs including: Senwa de Dende, Tomorrow is Another Day and Travellin’. Her expertise in vocal technique was the real bonus here, and I enjoyed the use of Boal’s Games for Actors and Non-actors (the classic mirror, for example) and use of eye-contact with people around the room (something I often feel inhibited about). One exercise sticks out for me, which was in two circles to pass objects around, without looking down, whilst singing a song which is in cannon to the other circle, and then changing direction you pass the objects – lots of concentration and co-ordination required! Mary also touched on conveying emotions through song which again was very helpful – if we’re singing loud, why? or quiet, why? Thinking inside –> outside.

The whole day was incredibly inspiring and energising, from the input, but also because it was great to see fellow Singing for the Brain leaders and volunteers.

More of the rest in another post, but here are some of my learning points from Marielle’s presentation:

• “When you’ve met one person with dementia, you’ve met one person with dementia”
• Saying ‘lovely to see you again‘ can be unhelpful as the person may not remember and this can cause uncertainty.
• Watch for someone’s non-verbal communication – laughter can sometimes be a sign of uncertainty, a deflection of not understanding something – how might you react if I asked in all seriousness ‘have you seen the squarg?’
• When speaking, put things in chronological order – for example, do say ‘we will collect in the books and then we will finish our session with a song’, don’t say ‘before we finish our session with a song, we’re going to collect in the books’
• Idioms can be difficult to understand, and wordplay can exclude – but humour can be a gift.
• Don’t ask questions that require short term memory, or specific details
• Sometimes questions such as ‘would you like a cup of tea’ can be difficult – the person may not remember if they have recently had a cup already, or they may not want you to go to the trouble for them. Instead saying ‘I’m having a cup of tea, would you like one?’ gives permission.
• Pace – speak slowly with a clear vocabulary.
• Infantilisation – this can happen because often our main experience of caring is with and around small children, when we naturally speak in a higher-pitched voice. It’s important to reject the notion of dementia as a second childhood and recognise the person with dementia is an adult with a life-time’s worth of experiences.
• Look for the meanings behind the words: ‘I’m going to work now’ might mean I need something to do – ‘where’s my mother’ or ‘I want to go home’ might indicate feelings of insecurity.
• When these difficult questions arise through disinhibition or confabulation there are various options: 1. To correct 2. To distract 3. To validate 4. To fabricate
• When talking to someone who is becoming less lucid it is best to let them take the lead – listen to them and give them the full attention – read the non-verbal signs and repeat back key words that might prompt a memory.

Marielle’s presentation was incredibly rich, full of really practical tips about communicating with someone living with dementia. She finished by talking about Tom Kitwood’s book Dementia Reconsidered (1997). Tom Kitwood was a proponent of person-centred care for people living with dementia, and examined a variety of ways in which this could be undermined, including: outpacing, disempowerment, infantilisation, invalidation, imposition, ignoring… the list goes on.

This presentation really helped me reflect on how the Singing for the Brain is such an effective model for empowering and building the confidence of people with dementia, but also how easy it can be to fall into the traps of not always listening to someone, by not making an effort to be with someone who is less communicative, or by not taking the time to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n when speaking to someone with dementia.

Thanks again, everyone who attended, everyone who wanted to attend but couldn’t, and to everyone who supported the idea!