Author Archives: Lauren

MuseScore Plugin Update

A four-part score. The noteheads are in Figurenotes colours

We have been in contact with some of you recently regarding the Figurenotes plugins for MuseScore 4. There were a few problems arising from changes within the MuseScore programme. We are delighted to announce that these issues have been fixed and an updated version of the plugin is now available. Please download the plugin again […]

Book your Professional Development for 2024 – now with student discount

4 black and white images. Smiling women work on computers. A teenage boy smiles playing bass guitar. A young man plays on an electric guitar - he has an intense expression and a plectrum held in his mouth. Close up of hands on a piano playing from a Figurenotes score.

Booking is now open for our ever-popular course for music educators and facilitators. Read on for more information, including funding pots and new discount for full-time students. Figurenotes: Developing Your Practice Come and join us for award-winning CPD for music practitioners and educators. Do you want your pupils to learn to play and read music […]

Christmas Party Games

The festive cheer has well and truly taken over at Figurenotes HQ. We’ve been planning some Christmas Figurenotes activities for Drake Music Scotland musicians and thought we’d share the joy with you all. If you’re planning Christmas parties and events at your school or music setting then read on for some festive Figurenotes fun. Bauble […]

Music Mark Conference

The end of November saw the Figurenotes team heading down to Southampton to present at the Music Mark Conference 2023. After the complimentary tea and caramel wafer on the tiny plane, we were set up nicely for a day of inspiring talks. The day started with a key note on Learning to Thrive in a […]

Christmas Order Dates

A blue present with a yellow bow sits on a purple background.

Snow is falling, all around me (we are in Scotland, after all). The children have indeed been playing (mostly Jingle Bells) and having fun. As we get the school Christmas concerts done and before the frostbite from carol singing starts to set in, we thought we’d better let you know the last order dates for […]

MuseScore 4 Plugins

A few bars of a piano score. The noteheads are the colours and shapes of Figurenotes, but everything else is standard notation.

Calling all MuseScore users. Are you up-to-date with MuseScore 4? Have you also updated your Figurenotes plugins? There are 2 plugins for Figurenotes. The first creates coloured noteheads in Figurenotes colours with just one click. The second creates shaped noteheads with Figurenotes colours for a slightly easier transition into reading stage 3. Both plugins have […]

A VI(M)P member of the band

Tommy Sheppard smiles to the camera while playing a short bass with Figurenotes stickers on it. A Figurenotes score sits on the music stand to his right

Our staff band got a new member last week when MP Tommy Sheppard joined us to workshop some new arrangements for a youth music session we have planned. As the MP representing our local area, we are always keen to connect and share the powerful work that Drake Music Scotland does, as well as the […]

Free Early Years Training

We are partnering with Early Years Music Scotland to deliver free Figurenotes training. This is part of their year-long programme of free, high-quality, creative and inspiring continuous professional development for musicians working with children in the early years across Scotland, supported by Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative. Come and join us for a fun, interactive […]

Guest Blog: Less Talking, More Success!

A birds-eye view of a glockenspiel played with red beaters, a xylophone played with wooden beaters, and a guitar being played.

In today’s guest blog we look at why Figurenotes has been so successful in additional needs settings. Iain Macleod works in Kaimes School, a wonderful specialist school in Edinburgh. They have had projects from Drake Music Scotland for many years, alongside their regular music lessons. Iain explains his reasoning for using Figurenotes in the classroom. […]

Guest Blog: Giving Tools to Talent

In today’s guest blog, Fiona Sharp shares the success of a talented pupil she is working with in Scotland. Fiona is an Associate Musician with Drake Music Scotland, who arranged this project. She is also the founder of F Sharp Music, recently celebrating their 10 year anniversary. Natural Talent From a very young age Arnas […]

Funding for Training

A green background with a light pink piggy bank peeking from the bottom edge. Only the area from the eyes upwards are visible.

Would you like to join our online Figurenotes course, but don’t have the budget? We can help with that. The wonderful YMI CPD fund is open for 2023! This is one of our favourite funding pots, as it applies to so many of our Figurenoters. Funding is available for training and continued professional development. Aimed […]

Notate – Computer keyboard as MIDI keyboard

Did you know you can use your computer keyboard to input notes into your Figurenotes notation programme? We’ve got a lot of different ways to input notes into your Figurenotes score, so you are spoilt for choice. This one may not be as obvious as others, so we thought it needed a blog post. We […]

Screen Reader Access for Notation Software

Headphones sit on a wooden tabletop next to a computer keyboard. The image has a purple filter over it.

We have been working closely with our software developer, Tayfusion, and Drake Music Scotland Associate Musician Sorcha Pringle on accessibility within our software. This work has focused on using the Figurenotes notation software with screen readers. Access to music software is extremely limited for people that use screen readers. This isn’t right, so we set […]

YMI asks #YMusicMatters

Monochrome drawing of people playing instruments. One person sitting down playing guitar, 2 people playing keyboard, 1 on ipad, and 1 on chimes holding 2 beaters in the air.

The Scottish musicians and teachers among you will likely know the Youth Music Initiative well. This music education initiative, funded by the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland, has made so many projects possible over the last 20 years. It is a vital source of funding for the work that so many of us deliver. Drake […]

Christmas Orders

A red circle made to look like Santa

We’re feeling particularly festive this year. Everyone is in need of a big bucketful of joy after such a tough period and we’re hoping the Christmas break will deliver! Stock up on your mince pies, get out your fluffiest slippers, and enjoy not listening to Jingle Bells being played 30 times a day. Relax and […]

“The best CPD I’ve ever done!”

Trainees on Zoom

“Not only was the training great, it was also really fun, which is so important” As always, we had an absolute blast delivering the Figurenotes: Developing Your Practice course. The interactive elements always have everyone smiling and it really brightens our day to work with such enthusiastic music leaders. The inspiration was sparking for our […]

Making Music Together IRL!

fox flashcard. Black background with orange fox face.

It was a long wait, but our first in-person training since the pandemic started took place last week. It was an absolute joy. We delivered training to new Associate Musicians of Drake Music Scotland who are working with the Sound Explorers projects. They spent two days in the company of Drake Music Scotland staff, with […]

Training returns for September

4 black and white images. Smiling women work on computers. A teenage boy smiles playing bass guitar. A young man plays on an electric guitar - he has an intense expression and a plectrum held in his mouth. Close up of hands on a piano playing from a Figurenotes score.

Did you miss out on our online course back in April? Well, we have great news! Figurenotes training is BACK 🎉 for all teachers, tutors, music practitioners, and music therapists. Join us for Figurenotes: Developing Your Practice, running online in September. Live delivery takes place in small groups on Thursdays, September 16th, 23rd, and 30th. […]

And the winner is…

Wheel of names ready to spin and choose a winner

Our highly sophisticated random selection tool has chosen a winner for our Figurenotes Champion competition. Congratulations, Lifesize! You have won a bundle of Figurenotes goodies, including a stickers value pack, your choice of tune book, a year’s subscription to the Resource Base, and the new Figurenotes Software (which you’ll receive as soon as it is […]

Inspiring. Encouraging. Loved it!

Zoom call gallery with 8 smiling faces

“Really great to see everyone’s ideas and the range of different minds from all over the world – great for inspiration!” We had a fantastic time delivering our new online course designed to help people explore Figurenotes within their own teaching settings. Running 2 small groups across 3 weeks of training, we’ve really enjoyed getting […]

Baird’s Piano and Art Studio

Paper keyboard with Figurenotes colours drawn on the keys

As a private, neighbourhood piano teacher, my goal is to help all of my students feel successful. FigureNotes has helped my traditional and non traditional learners be successful in learning to play piano. What’s been your biggest success using Figurenotes? I had created a methodology for my non traditional students but learned about FigureNotes and […]

Lifesize

Lifesize is a community interest company based in Hastings and St. Leonards-on-Sea, UK. We provide music and arts engagement with young people and adults. We are focused on delivering a unique and community orientated music and arts provision. We use traditional instruments as well as digital and analogue technology. We are interested in expanding audiences […]

I just had to share!

“I thought you’d like to hear this story” is always an intriguing start to an email. We LOVE hearing your anecdotes and this is such a lovely one. Jill Henderson, at Craigmarloch School in Inverclyde, Scotland, sent us this wonderful story from her lessons and kindly let us share it with you all. Both Jill and […]

ELM School of Music

ELM School of Music was founded in January 2010 by Emma Lines and provides private instrumental tuition, events and workshops in the City of Edinburgh. Emma is a Board Commissioner with the International Society for Music Education’s Commission on Special Music Education and Music Therapy, and an elected member of the Music Education Council (MEC) Forum in the […]

Drake Music Scotland

A group of young musicians on stage with a male conductor, arm raised.

Drake Music Scotland is the nation’s leading arts organisation providing music making opportunities for people with disabilities. Our expertise in inclusive music technology and specialist teaching methods support people of all ages and a wide range of disabilities to play, learn and compose music independently.  We are the proud home of Figurenotes training, resources, and […]

Just Accessible Music (JAM)

I primarily teach adults and children with disabilities to play, rock, folk, Broadway, and jazz using Figurenotes. I teach a Special Music Education graduate course in Connecticut at the University of Bridgeport that includes a teaching component with our bands. Each student is assigned to mentor and arrange a song the musician would like the […]

ELM Music Therapy

ELM Music Therapy provides music therapy sessions in the North East of Scotland. How has Figurenotes helped your organisation achieve their goals? Sometimes within music therapy sessions a client will express a desire to learn to play a musical instrument together. With the use of Figurenotes these clients have very quickly been able to achieve […]

The Challenge Is On!

Yellow abstract image with black text: Applications Open Now!

We are thrilled to be part of Drake Music Scotland‘s Challenge Project with Creative Informatics. Could you help us find our Challenge Responder? “Drake Music Scotland’s challenge is to create a new online platform that will transform their Figurenotes resource base into the world’s first and most comprehensive inclusive music hub. They would like to […]

Are you a Figurenotes Champion?

A purple square with a hint of a world map showing through. White text reads 'are you a Figurenotes Champion? Win prizes, build a network, and feature on our website #FigurenotesChampions"

Feature your organisation on this site and across our social media channels – join our Figurenotes Champions Showcase! We know our global Figurenotes users often feel isolated, as many musicians and educators are self-employed or are the only music teacher in their school. There are so many fabulous organisations out there doing amazing work with […]

Top Tips for Online Teaching

After a year of lockdowns, school closures, and U-turns, many of you will be total pros at remote, hybrid, synchronous and asynchronous lessons. Here we compile some of the top tips we’ve gathered along the way. Breakout Rooms = Practice Rooms Delivering to a group and need to check up on their individual work? Whether […]

Teaching Figurenotes Online part 2 – Hear My Music

Screenshot of Hear My Music's showcase video.

Emily Carr-Martin from Hear My Music has continued to provide high quality music provision during lockdown. Here she gives us an insight into how they moved sessions online, as well as some of the unexpected benefits of working in this way. I’m Emily and I’m the creative director of Hear My Music, a charity enabling […]

Teaching Figurenotes Online part 1 – F Sharp Music Practice

Fiona Sharp of F Sharp Music Practice has had great success with her online music sessions during 2020 and into the new year. As many musicians worried about their future work opportunities, Fiona has continued to provide high quality sessions for many organisations including PAMIS and Drake Music Scotland. She has also delivered training sessions […]

New Musescore Plugin for Transition Between Stages

Simple piano score of 4 bars. The notes have Figurenotes shapes as noteheads

We’ve got a special Christmas treat for members of our Resource Base – a new Musescore plugin! Subscribers to our Resource Base have long been able to download a plugin for Musescore that allows you to change the noteheads to Figurenotes colours with one click, giving you stage 3 Figurenotes notation at the touch of […]

Figurenotes Online – Developing Your Practice

The world’s first online Figurenotes training programme has launched! Figurenotes Online: Developing Your Practice This new interactive course is suitable for all music educators and practitioners; enabling you to begin or further your work in an accessible, inclusive way. You will take part in 3 interactive sessions with expert course leaders and small groups of […]

Updated Sticker Design

Image of FN stickers

If you’ve ordered Figurenotes Stickers recently, you might have noticed a slight change in their design. The same shapes and colours as before, but without the shadows. We think this makes the shapes clearer and easier to see on the instrument – and you seem to agree! Thank you to everyone that has helped us […]

Guest Blog: Don’t Lockdown your Creativity – 3. Hope

As a strange summer stretches before us, musician Francis Moore-Colyer looks ahead to the joy of what is to come. “After a long time at home, we can start to get excited about the future. When you feel ill, the very best bit is how good you feel when you’re better again. When you miss […]

Guest Blog: Don’t Lockdown Your Creativity – 2. Technology

Homepage of Chrome Music Lab

Musician Francis Moore-Colyer talks about some of the ways technology has helped us through lockdown. “I find that making music can be light relief from ‘work’ – household chores, schoolwork, shopping for groceries, etc. Taking part in music can be a release from these mundane or stressful things, because it sets off lots of sparks […]

Guest Blog: Don’t Lockdown Your Creativity – 1

Musician Francis Moore-Colyer shares some ideas for unlocking your creative side during lockdown. “If you have to stay at home, you might have more time to get creative. Everyone has a creative side, so let yours out! Thankfully, most of us have access to the internet or recorded music, which means we can play along […]

Power Up Your Practice

Image of a notepad with the words 'Plan of Action' and 'Practise' written on it

Lockdown has brought different challenges to different people. You may have discovered that you’ve got tonnes of time to practise. Maybe you’re juggling multiple responsibilities and need to make your practice time as efficient as possible. Or you might find that having lots on your mind means you can’t concentrate very well at the moment. […]

New Music Scotland Awards

Logo for New Music Scotland

Figurenotes projects have led to nominations in FOUR categories of the Scottish Awards for New Music 2020. Diversions, written by Ben Lunn, was performed by Drake Music Scotland’s Digital Orchestra and Hebrides Ensemble. The Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh was the setting for this accessible concert of new works. Figurenotes was used by some members of […]

Coronavirus Delays

Please note that, while our online shop is still open, there is likely to be a delay in processing orders due to the coronavirus. The situation is changing quickly and we will be following governmental advice on how we handle it. We will be available via email on figurenotes@drakemusicscotland.org, but our phone lines will be […]

Music Teacher’s Toolbox Returns!

Group of musicians playing Figurenotes in a band

Our ever-popular training for music teachers and practitioners returns on Saturday 21st March, 2020. Come and develop your knowledge of creating a more inclusive music classroom. Whether you work in a mainstream setting, as a private teacher, in a specialist environment, or any other music-making context, you’ll learn how to realise your pupil’s potential. You’ll […]

Important Christmas Dates

December is upon us and the festive season seems to be in full swing here in Scotland! You’ve probably been preparing for concerts and end of term performances before a well-earned break. Before you get cracking with the Christmas cheer, we thought we’d better give you a few bits of housekeeping news. In order to […]

“I’d love for it to be on again this weekend!”

“Today’s training has been a fantastic experience. Fantastic course and people! Thank you very much!” “Music Teacher’s Toolbox has given me a new way to approach teaching, making music easier to understand and play. Everything was fantastic! I got a very comprehensive understanding of Figurenotes. I’ll be back for the next one!” “Really brilliant! I […]

Work with us!

Are you our Figurenotes Officer Maternity Cover?

Are you our Figurenotes Officer Maternity Cover? We have an exciting opportunity to work with Drake Music Scotland, the nation’s leading organisation providing music education possibilities to disabled musicians of all ages. Based in Edinburgh, we have been working for over 20 years to enable people to learn, play, compose, and perform music. You can […]

Training at Aberdeen University

A group of students sit in a circle working on the Thumbjam apps on their iPads at a training day.

“I feel sorry for those people that couldn’t make the training today, as I think they’ve missed out on something great!” It is always wonderful to get a glowing review from our training sessions. Over two days, this one combined both Figurenotes and demonstrations of the technology that Drake Music Scotland use in their work. If […]

Summer Orders

A beach drawing with umbrella, striped beach bag, suncream, a book, and star fish.

You know it is a good summer when even up in Scotland we get a heatwave! Our staff will be making the most of the weather and getting their holidays in while schools are off. It is generally a quieter time here at Figurenotes HQ, as our school and community projects take a break and […]

Top Tips in New Tutorials

YouTube thumbnails for 3 videos - chime bars, a woman at a piano, and a man holding a guitar.

If you follow our Facebook page, you may have noticed our new series of video tutorials. Commissioned by The Space, we have launched a series of ‘How To’ videos giving step-by-step guidance through many aspects of learning to play music with Figurenotes. Each video tutorial features a different expert from Drake Music Scotland, showcasing plenty […]

Celebrating 20 years

As Drake Music Scotland celebrates 20 years of pioneering work, we hear from Chief Executive, Thursa Sanderson, on the role Figurenotes has played.   From its establishment in 1997 Drake Music Scotland’s primary purpose was to create music-making opportunities for disabled people of all ages. For the first 10 years this was primarily achieved through the […]

Aiding Recovery with Figurenotes

Posters and images, including a green mountain landscape, are displayed on a white wall

This wonderful project, which uses Figurenotes to help in the recovery from eating disorders, was brought to our attention recently. The instant accessibility of Figurenotes seemed to work really well in this scenario and allowed the group to compose and express themselves without any prior musical knowledge. My name is Nadine Allan and I am […]

Busting into Boston

Logo for Massachusetts Music Educators Association

Not a sentence that many people in the UK have uttered in the last week, but we have been extremely lucky with the weather! Why? Emma, Pete, and Lauren just managed to get out of the country before all flights were cancelled. Boston played host to the Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) Conference 2018. Drake Music Scotland and […]

Daring to Drum

From banging out some beats on the drum kit, to beautiful marimba solos, Figurenotes works brilliantly with percussion. After all, rhythm is at the heart of the Figurenotes way.  Figurenotes is perfectly suited to playing in a band. We pride ourselves on creating a rock band in a very short time, which we nearly always do on […]

Where Does Your Money Go?

Proceeds from Figurenotes resources go to Drake Music Scotland. This wonderful charity enables people with disabilities to learn, compose, and perform music. “Our vision is to transform people’s lives through the power of music. We play a lead role in making Scotland a place where ground-breaking new music featuring skilled musicians and composers with disabilities comes alive for […]

New in Dorico!

We have a new, easy way for people to access stage 3 of Figurenotes. Figurenotes progresses through 3 stages towards reading standard music notation. Stage 3 is coloured note heads. Until now, stage 3 has only been available via plugins (available from the Resource Base) for use with Sibelius or MuseScore. Now, the people at Steinberg have […]

“Always something new to learn”

A vibrant group of people attended last week’s Music Teacher’s Toolbox. We had a mix of mainstream teachers, music specialists, music therapists, SEN/ASN teachers, and community musicians. Two teachers travelled all the way from Barcelona, continuing our tradition of attracting an international crowd! “Good to get ideas for using/introducing Figurenotes into classroom teaching. Good to hear […]

“I can’t wait to get going!” – ABRSM Conference 2017

“I am so excited about this!” “I’m so glad I came to talk to you. This is great!” “Ooh, this looks fun!” Lauren and Emma were greeted with lots of big smiles and lightbulb moments during the ABRSM Conference. Many teachers are looking for extra tools in areas where their students may struggle; some just want a […]

Pick-a-Brick (and other tips)

A pile of colourful Lego bricks

I know you teachers are a committed bunch and spend much of your holiday time thinking about next term and updating your lesson plans. With that in mind, I’d like to give you a little inspiration for your upcoming lessons. If this feels too much like hard work right now, save this blog and come […]

Guest Blog: Creating a Figurenotes Curriculum

Mark Browne and Jill Reeves have been using Figurenotes to great effect at Craigmarloch School, so we asked them to share their experience. Figurenotes has revolutionised music here at Craigmarloch School. Its visual style and literal colour-matching logic has engaged pupils at all ages, stages and levels, and it has become integral to learning across […]

Thumbjamming with Figurenotes

Image of Thumbjam on a screen with Figurenotes icons on the appropriate notes

At Drake Music Scotland, the charity behind Figurenotes, we love using Thumbjam. Obviously, we love using Figurenotes too, so we wanted to find a way to combine the two. Our Associate Musician, Clare Johnston, came up with a brilliant way to use Figurenotes with Thumbjam on the iPad. Clare is a bit of a Thumbjam virtuoso. […]

Exclusively for Resource Base Members

Our award-winning training is back! Due to a flurry of recent training enquiries, we thought we should open booking for November’s Music Teacher’s Toolbox. This time around, Resource Base members get exclusive access to pre-sale booking. Only a limited amount of places will be released, so make sure you grab yours early. All members of the Resource […]

Snarky Puppy Workshop

It’s not every day you get to workshop with a Grammy award winning musician. Michael League from Snarky Puppy kindly gave up his morning in Glasgow to work with members of Drake Music Scotland’s Digital Orchestra. This group uses all kinds of technologies to compose, play, and perform music: Notion and switches, iPads, synths, and more. […]

Get Creative

Creativity needs nurturing. Parents and teachers often put the focus on technique and ‘getting it right’. I admit that I often get bogged down with this when teaching my violin pupils. Lots of older pupils get nervous when asked to compose or improvise, which can be a hangover from the ‘getting it right’ approach, prevalent in schools and […]

Guest Blog: Focus on Composing 2 – A Composer’s Perspective

Last week, composer and community musician, Matilda Brown, laid out how she introduced Figurenotes and the idea of matching to her music groups. If you missed it, you can read about it in last week's blog post. In part 2 of the series, Matilda tells us about Figurenotes from a composer's perspective.  Part 2 - A [...]

Guest blog: Focus on Composing 1 – Introducing Figurenotes

In a new series of guest blogs, Matilda Brown, composer and community musician, gives us an insight into how she uses Figurenotes with pupils. Matilda uses her work in special schools to demonstrate particular ways into using Figurenotes, which work wonders with beginners of all ages. Look out for part 2 and 3 over the […]

What’s in your Toolbox? More places!

You booked it – we made it bigger! Due to a rush of bookings, we have decided to release more places for our Music Teacher’s Toolbox on 25th March. Get in quick before we run out of space again. You’ll get expert guidance on using Figurenotes with different instruments and in different scenarios. You’ll learn how […]

New Resources with that Friday Feeling

Figurenotes score of Jonathan Dove's 'The Little Girl of Rain'

We are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with Snape Maltings (formerly Aldeburgh Music). Their Friday Afternoons project encourages children and young people to sing. Since 2013, there have been more than 80,000 participants, from all around the world. New songs are commissioned annually, with the most recent compositions from Jonathan Dove, creating a song bank […]

Guest Blog: Figurenotes Collaborations

Sam Dook from ‘Carousel’, a disability led arts organisation in Brighton, tells us of the joys of collaboration and composition, along with some great advice on which resources to use to get you started. For the last two years we have explored implementing Figurenotes in our music projects. It has proven to be very successful; perfect […]

ABRSM Conference

“I just love it. It has worked so well!” “Wow! Figurenotes really transformed my lessons. I love it!” “The way of displaying rhythm is brilliant. It makes total sense.” “I’ve tried to use colour before, but Figurenotes is just perfect.” We were drowning in compliments at the ABRSM conference. With over 500 instrumental teachers attending, […]

Guest Blog: A Short Flight to Standard Notation

Fiona Sharp uses BBC Ten Pieces and Figurenotes in perfect harmony, leading her groups to stage 3 Figurenotes. Learning the coloured note-heads is only one step away from reading standard notation. For three years I have been leading Figurenotes focused projects with pupils in the Support For Learning Department at Arbroath High School. I have been […]

Guest Blog: But they’re the wrong colours!

Emily MacQuarrie tells us how she easily overcame the fact that the colours of tuned percussion don’t always match up with Figurenotes. I am a music teacher at Drummond School Inverness, a school for pupils aged 3-19 who have additional support needs. All of our pupils have severe learning difficulties and many have severe and […]

“If only all CPD left you feeling like this!”

We can't wait until 19th November. Why? It is the next Music Teacher's Toolbox! *insert your own personal fanfare here* These training days are packed full of inspiration, whether you are new to Figurenotes or an experienced Figurenoter. Perfect for freelance music practitioners looking for some CPD. Great for teachers in both mainstream and special [...]

BBC Get Playing!

Have you ever wanted to be part of an orchestra? The BBC have launched their Get Playing initiative, which includes a virtual orchestra. You record your part in time with the conductor and they’ll do the rest. You could feature in the Last Night of the Proms! Worried about reading the music? Don’t worry, we’ve […]

BBC Ten Pieces

We now have a dedicated space on our Resource Base for BBC Ten Pieces. So, if you’ve been wanting to get involved, but weren’t quite sure where to start, or if you’ve been brimming with ideas and want even more, click on over to our Resource Base. We have lesson plans, scores, creative activities, poetic […]

SQA Approved

Did you know that Figurenotes is SQA approved? You can use Figurenotes for both performance and composition in SQA exams all the way up to Advanced Highers! This means that accreditation can be opened up to a huge range of people that struggle with traditional notation, whether this is because of additional needs, such as […]

Special Music Educators of the World, Unite!

We are super excited about presenting with the Finnish creators of Figurenotes at the ISME pre-conference seminar on Special Music Education and Music Therapy!  Figurenotes will have quite a presence at this incredible conference. You’ll also be able to get our event discounts on resources. There will be performances, workshops, presentations, and papers from international stars […]

Guest Blog – The Magic of Figurenotes

Adam Featherstone, a teacher from Middlesbrough, tells us how he used music from Harry Potter to inspire a creative project with BBC Philharmonic musicians (pictured above with a musician from Priory Woods). I started to use Figurenotes in March of 2015 starting with whole class electronic keyboards, using single note melodies. I quickly progressed to […]

EPTA

This Sunday, we will be setting off bright and early to the EPTA conference in Edinburgh. To those not in the know, EPTA is the European Piano Teachers Association. After chatting with EPTA at the Music Education Expo in February, they got very excited about the potential of Figurenotes for their members, and invited us […]

Apologies

Apologies to any customers experiencing problems with Figurenotes software v3.  Some issues have been reported, which can’t be fixed immediately, so we are withdrawing it from sale for the time being.  We will be in touch with those of you affected directly and if you experience any problems, please let us know, as this information […]

London Adventures

We recently sent three of our Figurenotes gurus down to London to spread the word at the Music Education Expo 2016. Welcome to all those that we chatted to on our stall. Welcome to our community of Figurenoters and brilliant teachers, musicians, and all-round inspirational people. Join our Facebook group if you want more contact […]

Wish us luck!

We are off to London for the Music Education Expo, 2016! Figurenotes has been shortlisted for the Best SEND Resource in the Music Teacher Awards for Excellence. We won this award in 2014 and it is very exciting to be shortlisted again. Fingers crossed! Come and see us during the Music Education Expo on Stand […]

Exciting Awards News!

Through the work of Drake Music Scotland, Figurenotes has been shortlisted for Best SEND Resource at the Music Teacher Awards for Excellence. After winning the award in 2014, we are delighted to announce that we are finalists for 2016. It is wonderful to have all our hard work recognised and supported in this way. We have great connections with a […]

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