Sounding Out

  Sounding Out was a project created by Yorkshire Youth and Music
to run for three years from 2000-2003. In brief the project:


* Worked with 23 schools in 5 Yorkshire local authorities
* Reached over 4000 young people
* Provided 1829 music sessions
* Staged performances watched by over 8000 parents, teachers and peers
* Employed 53 musicians on med/long term contracts


My part in this project was to work in the main with a group of children from
Lowerhouses junior school in Huddersfield for the best part of two years.

The following is an extract from the report on the project:


Sept 2001: School

"In a large assembly hall a group of about 20 children, some with obvious attention disorders, others who are hearing impaired, or deaf, are making what could only be described as a 'complete racket'. Instructions from the workshop leader Paul are largely being ignored and I have made two big mistakes...getting lost on route and arriving late and secondly bringing a camcorder to document the session. The children divert what little attention they had for the drumming to the stranger with a camera. One of the deaf children has become frustrated and becomes so disruptive that she eventually leaves the group. Even playing the simplest unison drum patterns are a stiff challenge to them..."

February 2003: School

"The same group of children is working in four groups devising their own rhythmic patterns, putting forward ideas, editing and suggesting amendments. No-one fidgets, everyone is attentive. Not one, but three external observers are present ( it looks like the words got around…)but the children barely notice them. The groups combine their inventions into one piece, and add dance movements to their playing. The rhythmic pulse throughout is metronomic."


April 2003: Dewsbury Town Hall

"Lowerhouses school is one of 4 Kirklees schools taking part in the Sounding Out culmination link up concert. For the past two days they have rehearsed solo and collaborative pieces. Their solo performance will be improvised...risky for most adept musicians, but they seem confident and assured in their performance. They join with the pupils from the other schools in the second half, sensitive in their ensemble playing, and listening attentively to the other ensembles, when not playing. Their Keyworker, Lorraine, has been anxious about how the children would view performing in a large formal venue with other, mainly older children.She need not have worried. Under Paul's guidance, they perform brilliantly..it might not be Evelyn Glennie, but these are not 'naturally gifted' musicians, and it's unrecogniseable from the chaos of the early sessions. Some of the parents in the audience acknowledge the progress made, and discreetly dab their eyes….."




The children of Lowerhouses and the staff who worked with me for that period provided me with an opportunity to see first hand the impact that music,and in particular, drum circles can have on a group of people.

I am grateful to them all for my learning in this process and will never
forget the journey we made together.

Axé Axé

Paul

"Taking Soundings"

The Impact Study of the Project was commissioned and published by
Yorkshire Youth and Music

Foe more information YY&M can be contacted at

Room 125 E Mill

Dean Clough

Halifax HX3 5AX

Tel: 01422 383130

Fax: 01422 321823

Email: info@yym.org.uk


Written by David Price with Bill Vince.

Designed by Mary Wilson


All Photos Richard Hanson

www.hansonphoto.co.uk