Great enthusiasm and expression at Atlas Academy in the heart of Doncaster this week with use of Microphones and Samplers. The students embraced the opportunity to use the technology. Although we bring with us state of the art equipment, we always encourage freedom of expression and in recent weeks we have introduced a shopping trolley, a tape measure and improvised drum kits into our music making.
Thanks to Neil the caretaker for his help, looking forward to seeing you all again next week.
HIGHFIELDS BOXING CLUB : A busy day of delivery yesterday, building numbers in the group at Highfields with some new additions. Everything we do is focused on using music as a tool for development with communication and discipline at the core. Thanks to everyone who shared on social media and the parents for travelling from outlying villages.
ME PROJECT : We began our long anticipated work with ME PROJECT last night. Our usual all action hands on session was sprinkled with open group conversation as we explored how music can be used as a tool to reduce anxiety and cope with the increasing pressures of adolescence. Big thanks to all who attended and the staff for joining in and supporting. The due diligence and meeting of professional guidelines for developing this kind of workshop is massive. Utmost respect to Kath and Paige for getting to where they are.
ATLAS PRIMARY : We were back in the centre of Town for this one. Bringing together young people from different cultures and backgrounds. The starting point for this one was chaotic and challenging for every one of us. Our training in recognising SLD’s was helpful as we steered the group into respect, communication and genuine dynamism. We do this work because we know it can be challenging, but we also trust in our understanding and experience to bring out the best in everyone and the young people grew into it with gusto and enthusiasm. Thanks again to the staff for their support.
Exploring what we have around us and visualising what may come in the future, recognising family, pets and pastimes as inspiration and support.
We put pen to paper to creatively explore rhythms and the building blocks of Music. The group responded well to more use of the technology this week.
Sometimes my role in 90minutemusic stems from the youth work which started the journey 9 years ago. Back then some of the kids just needed another adult around as a role model, and sometimes to remind them what is good in their lives. I think we did a little of this tonight.
Thanks again to Liz for the venue, the Parents for travelling from outlying villages, and of course the young people themselves, fantastically creative!!!
It was a great experience to work with the pupils of Windhill Mexborough just before Christmas. Fantastic engagement and a warm welcome from the staff made it a rewarding day for all.
We were blessed to be joined by professional photographer Gavin Joynt. In recent sessions I have asked parents to help me out with taking some pictures and to be fair they haven’t done a bad job, but in my experience getting a professional in can really make a difference. Rather than go on about how much of a nice bloke he was and how he anticipated the shots without getting in the way, I’ll just show a few of his pics to give you an idea.
You can find out more about Gavin and his great work at: http://www.gavinjoynt.co.uk/
Credit to Lindsy at Active Fusion who hired Gavin who was friendly, professional and kept up the positive energy in the room which is vital for us.
We recently attended a celebration of Doncaster Businesses. We were lucky enough to meet David Shaul, Jordan Goldsworthy and Robert Campbell from That Agency Co. They are a Creative Media company based in the Frenchgate Centre.
They created a vlog of the whole event here. https://youtu.be/jJiLt2-OihI
Great to talk to guest speaker Rik Courtney from Be More Social, who have given us business support through the CWB, along with many other wonderfully passionate and creative people. Credit to Doncaster Chamber for organising.
Massive thanks to Well Doncaster, Liz at Highfields Boxing Club, Miss Cordingley from Adwick Primary, and anyone who shared the promotion on social media.
A successful session with parents joining in too which has been a positive feature recently. It is good for us as it shows that 90minutemusic is as much about tools for development and resilience as it is about the building blocks of Music and our relationship with technology.
We will be back every Wednesday for the next 5 weeks and we may have space for a couple more participants. Get in touch, book through the website https://90minutemusic.co.uk
Inspired by cult TV series the Sopranos and our ongoing journey with Dementia, this is the latest offering to help reduce social isolation.
Although much of our work is with the younger population, the personal challenges of recent years have steered us to question how we can help the elderly.
After she had a recent fall I have been spending more time with my Mum, exploring different artistic endeavours. Although I felt a bit guilty for not trying it before, I was surprised just how much she was getting from it and how it supported her mental health and cognition.
Bada-Bada-Bingo Is a (hopefully) less competitive mix between Bingo and Name That Tune which we will be trialing with local groups soon.
If there are any local groups to Doncaster which are interested in smashing social isolation then feel free to get in touch.
How did music come into your life ? Something you heard on the radio, songs you sang in school, maybe even small black discs that you had to get on a bus to get hold of?
From the womb onward, you are affected by music in the world around you.
In 90 Minute Music we highlight the two symbiotic elements that set us apart from millions of other species.
Music and the Development of Technology.
In 90 Minute Music we carefully employ elements of technology to give a shortcut to the reward circuits of the brain and use these to promote positive development.
Humans have evolved by developing traits and functions to promote survival. Music and the development of technology have been constant throughout our evolution.
90 Minute Music offer a unique experience using state of the art music technology equipment to remind us of the often overlooked elements of music while mirroring Ofsted best practice for music education which is based around practical collaboration. Find out more: https://90minutemusic.co.uk
90minutemusic.co.uk 