Back in 2015, I developed a new course for my RCS students, as an opportunity for them to learn about the technologies used by the organisation and ways to integrate these into their musical practice, whilst developing new material for the instruments, then encouraging interaction with DMS musicians and participants. One of the principle aims was to build skills and confidence in devising and leading workshops/performances with musicians with disabilities; this was identified as an area for enhancement within the RCS, which may contribute to music education more widely in Scotland and the UK, and distinct from Music Therapy as a separate discipline (which is not currently offered as a course of study within the RCS).
The Composing and Creative Music Making module takes place in our Intensive Learning Week (the last week of our second term), where students experience an immersive learning environment for 5 days, working with staff and peers; towards the end of the week, students work directly with musicians regularly involved with Drake Music Scotland, and share their work in an informal setting amongst fellow students and staff members.
Within this course, we explore the following areas:
Notation – We encourage students to explore a number of methods, not relying entirely upon standard Western Classical Music notation, and introducing a degree of flexibility in scores and performances. A number of examples of composing and performing with different forms of graphic notation (such as Figurenotes) are presented to students, who are encouraged to create their own methods of capturing and recording aspects of musical work as they develop (as much for their own future reflection as to aid with any immediate recreation of a new piece).
Additional Support Needs – through discussions, we ask students to consider their personal definitions of Additional Support Needs (the term used in Scotland to help recognise a range of educational needs), and how this might affect our practice as musicians, or alter our approaches and methods when working with particular individuals.
Composition/Improvisation – we use improvisation as a tool to create and develop musical material within the group, discussing a range of methods for setting up musical environments in which others can more easily participate. This includes: initial exercises in musical memory, expanding on simple material (e.g. a well-known melody) and then harmonising within an agreed chord sequence; layering of simple, improvised, repetitive rhythmic cells, which are vocalised initially, then introducing instruments to build a broader range of pitches and expand the tessitura of a texture; free improvisation, using simple themes created from 3 or 4 pitches which may be separated by a certain pattern of intervals.
Technologies – through the module we introduce all of the technologies DMS regularly utilise in workshops and performances (including those listed within my own projects), encouraging practical engagement and consideration for integration with acoustic instruments.
Throughout, there is an emphasis on practical composition and methods for creating new musical material for people with Additional Support Needs. We assess students through observing their work with each other, the application of their musical skills, and how they implement collaborative methodologies within small groups to create new work with musicians from DMS.
A short, informal performance ends the intensive week of activities, and students have previously gained the opportunity to perform new work with DMS musicians as part of the RCS lunchtime concert series; some were also involved in demonstration workshops at the International Society of Music Educators (ISME) conference in Glasgow in 2016, or in the RCS new music festival, PLUG in which a new work by one of our student composers, (also participating in the module), was developed in collaboration with several RCS Woodwind Department students.
Oh, and it is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding weeks of the year for me...