Page 19 - Community Living Magazine 32-3

arts: making music

One of Oram’s great achievements was
her exploration of the relationship
between mark making and sound.
Oramics was a drawn sound technique
she invented in the 1950s. many modern
apps combine drawing marks on an iPad
to generate or complement sound
creation, but not all are user friendly for
people with learning disabilities.
We have been using music apps and our
learning disabled artists have been
reviewing them. you can read about apps in
our comprehensive teacher’s guide on the Bethan Ap-Evans improvises a bottle horn while Oliver Tatum rustles up some paper percussion
Resources page of the Carousel website.
Feedback from students who have been platform for women and non-binary On show
introduced to apps through the Synthesize artists working in electronic music, who The Carousel House Band performed to an
me! project has been very positive. One are under-represented in the industry. enthusiastic audience at The Rock House
said about the musyc app: “I think its great She gave this feedback: “The sessions hosted by the Green Door Store in Brighton.
fun to use, so many sounds that you can with the house band allow each of the Using their newly honed skills operating a
hear and so many different shapes as well artists to show their flair and tastes in variety of digital musical instruments,
you can use.” Others have said of the Bloom learning and music making. The apps they performed the Dr Who theme tune
app: “It’s a good app to use. I like to look at allow the artists to independently explore and an original composition devised as
the colours. It makes me feel happy”, “The the themes of the session. part of the Synthesize Me! project.
mood of this app is kind of dreamy. When “As part of an eclectic group, each artist The Rock House is a monthly music gig
you press it, little circles with colours come adds something interesting to the music for learning disabled musicians and is
out and it makes different rhythms, so it’s project. I believe the way the sessions are always a very lively night. you can find out
really nice” and “It sounds like a rainbow!” built shows clear progress and learning for more on the Carousel website.
We also had fun with the Stylophone, a all the artists. The sessions are set up for We also ran two workshops at St John’s
miniature keyboard first produced by success, for whatever level of involvement School and College for children and young
Dubreq in the 1960s. The original each artist is ready to participate in.” people with learning disabilities. Our
Stylophone was famously used by David keyboard player Bethan Ap-evans said:
Bowie on the recording of classic song Inventing music in colour “I’m excited – I can show the students
Space Oddity. It is a compact instrument Software programmer Sam Halligan has how to play the instruments well.”
operated by touching a metal-tipped created a sound patch that enables The students created their own samples
stylus on a keyboard metal strip. It is very people to use Figurenotes, an accessible from unlikely sound sources such as
intuitive and makes a small but colour notation system. household items. These were manipulated
satisfyingly unique range of sounds. We Using a sequence of colours and shapes, and used to create of original music
used three varieties of Stylophone and Figurenotes demystifies musical notation through a mix of technologies, including a
band members found them very easy to and is particularly useful when working theremin, an electronic instrument that
play. Gliding the stylus sideways to make a with musicians of mixed abilities. can be controlled without physical contact
glissando effect was particularly popular. It is exciting to be road testing these from the performer.
software patches at a developmental The head of music at St John’s said:
A professional view stage. It makes for a very fun and “The level of engagement and feedback
Lara Rix-martin, musician and owner of accessible musical activity, leading to from learners was excellent and the end
Brighton record label Objects Limited, came rapid development of composition ideas. result was of a very high quality. In
to several sessions to offer a critical eye. The colour coding went down really well addition to the workshops, we were given
Rix-martin started her label as a with our musicians. a thorough guide to all apps used and
some guidance on how to use them best.
All together now The whole experience was inspiring not
(l-r): Sam Dook, just to our learners but also to myself as a
Oliver Tatum, Elliott teacher and we are left with some exciting
Duffield, Laura
ideas of how to use music technology in
Paul mansfield, Sam Dook, Gareth evans, David Parker Matthews other work by Carousel, visit www.
McGowan, Bethan
our college.” n
Ap-Evans, Claire
l To find out more about this project or
carousel.org.uk, email enquiries@
carousel.org.uk or call 01273 234 734
l Carousel would like to thank the
Ambache Charitable Trust, youth music and
Arts Council England for funding this work

Sam Dook is producer and guitarist for the
Carousel House Band and a member of
The Go! Team band

www.cl-initiatives.co.uk Community Living Vol 32 No 3 | Spring 2019 19