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We are thrilled to continue our relationship with BBC Ten Pieces this year. Figurenotes resources have featured in every list since Ten Pieces’ inception. This year is a corker! Not only are there 10 interesting and varied pieces by 10 incredible composers, but accessibility has become more of a focus. Open Ensembles The BBC Ten […]
I have been developing my use of Figurenotes for mainstream children of various ages through 1-1 keyboard tuition.
I’d like to share a DIY transition resource I created after inspiration from the Developing Your Practice course, as well as my takeaways from working with Figurenotes over the last few years.
Wednesday mornings have never felt so good. We were sad to come to the end of the latest Developing Your Practice course. Luckily, all participants get an individual follow-up session, so we will see their lovely, enthusiastic faces again. “Really loved this training and will be recommending it to others. Lovely tutors who really engaged […]
Tech Army, Assemble! We’ve never responded to an offer of help so quickly. Scottish Tech Army got in touch to say Drake Music Scotland had been chosen by one of their corporate partners for a day of volunteering. This isn’t your usual volunteering. A team of highly skilled tech folk swoop in and give you […]
“Inspiring, Engaging, Informative, Fun.” “Wonderful training. Thank you!” “I’m feeling so inspired!” Trainees from the Scottish Borders We had an outrageous amount of fun last week delivering training. It was week 2 of our brilliant online course, Figurenotes: Developing Your Practice, which is always a delight. Alongside this, we whizzed down to the Scottish Borders […]
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 […]
Keep an eye out for the postie if you’ve made an order with us recently. Figurenoters receiving stickers, magnets, and tune packs may notice a wee extra in their parcel. We’ve been gradually improving the environmental impact of our packaging, from compostable ‘plastic’ envelopes, to limiting the amount of paper included in each parcel. Our […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Figurenotes partnered with Early Years Music Scotland to deliver a free workshop in accessible notation
Only 3 places remaining on our Figurenotes: Developing Your Practice course. Delivered online in November. CPD for all music educators and practitioners.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
What better way to spend the last few weeks of term than get a whole class band going! In the run up to the winter holidays, Caitlin and Rebecca from the Figurenotes team spent three weeks at Prestonfield Primary School with the Primary 4 class. Focusing on rhythm and composition, we played and created music […]
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 […]
After feedback that our current training clashes with the school run (we see you, jugglers) we need your help to refine our options. We want to hear from you. What time of year is best? Which days work with your workload? Which times make life easiest for you? Let us know your thoughts and we […]
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 […]
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 quickly and to their full potential? Develop your teaching practice with Figurenotes, a form of notation that uses colour and shape to aid the first steps of learning music, progressing to […]
Tis the season to play jingle bells more times than you care to mention! Yup, that’s right, the festive season is upon us. You might be rushed of your feet with festive concerts and sharing events, or maybe you are counting down the days until you can eat an enormous amount of chocolate in your […]
That’s a wrap on the latest Figurenotes training course Figurenotes: Developing Your Practice with a fabulous group of musicians and educators. We had three weekly sessions, each progressing to a different topic. Here’s what we got up to. Week 1 – Figurenotes Rhythm Our first week was spent learning a little about each other and […]
Summerhall opened its doors to a whole load of local legends on Friday night when it hosted the 10th Annual Creative Edinburgh Awards. “2022’s Awards programme will continue to amplify and unite Edinburgh’s resilient creative ecosystem as we celebrate a decade of hosting the Awards in the City. Combined with our Birthday Bash, we want […]
What did you do last week? Anything exciting? We did! Drake Music Scotland are back from an exciting trip to New York, sharing practice with students and practitioners at NYU and University of Bridgeport. Armed with our new digital products, we flew over the Atlantic for a short knowledge exchange with our US partners. We […]
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 November. Live delivery takes place in small groups on Thursdays, November 10th, 17th, and 24th at 1pm – 3pm (UK time) Not in the UK? Check what […]
New improved software you can access from any internet enabled device. Our Figurenotes software has undergone a much needed makeover. You can now access your Figurenotes tunes from any device with an internet connection! You are no longer tied to one computer, and there is a boat load of cool new features to boot. Plus, […]
Learning is a journey, and we are here for it! Our new segment Figurenotes Journeys is all about highlighting the fantastic work you Figurenotes Champions are doing, and showing how Figurenotes can help anyone access music. Our first story comes from a Figurenotes expert and all round wonderful teacher, Jill Henderson. A Figurenotes Learning Journey […]
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 […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
“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 […]
We are looking for companies with experience in developing music software to help us take Figurenotes to the next level. An exciting opportunity has arisen to help us modernise our Figurenotes software as part of our programme: Figurenotes – Everyone Can Play! Drake Music Scotland welcomes bids from qualified organisations and individuals to transform our […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Ten years ago today, Drake Music Scotland unveiled the prototype Figurenotes software at their ‘I Can Play Music’ conference at Glasgow City Halls. Drake Music Scotland look back at some of the highlights of this momentous day… The I Can Play Music Conference on 26 November 2010 at Glasgow City Halls was the biggest and […]
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 […]
How can Figurenotes help music sessions happen as Primary School returns? Educators all over the world are either in preparations or currently navigating the return of our young people to formal education. There are so many factors to consider, and when it comes to music it’s no different. Figurenotes have some great resources designed to […]
How can Figurenotes help as schools plan to return next week? Teachers, pupil support assistants and practitioners do incredible work all year round supporting our young people’s learning. We know that things will look very different when schools return next week, so at Figurenotes HQ we have been putting together some useful resources for delivering […]
How can Figurenotes help as we plan to return to our settings? Today the Scottish Government released guidance on returning to early years settings. Many practitioners in Scotland and all over the world will be wondering how music is going to fit in to the “new normal”. Here at Figurenotes HQ, we want to help […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
Rhythm is so intuitive with Figurenotes – the note is as long as it looks! So how does it all fit together? Our newest #FigurenotesChallenge aims to help you/your students understand the relationship between different rhythms through this gentle movement activity. This is the first in a series of videos designed to develop rhythmic skills […]
Figurenotes HQ would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who took part in our first #FigurenotesChallenge. It was great to see you all showing your support for our #FrontlineWorkers by sharing your renditions of Somewhere Over The Rainbow alongside a huge number of young people all over Scotland. Here are just some […]
On Thursday 30th April at 8pm, musicians all over Scotland are going to pick up their instruments and show their appreciation for our NHS and other frontline workers by having a great big play-along! This national event named the Over The Rainbow Project has been organised by MEPG (The Music Education Partnership Group) and will […]
Staying home comes with some challenges, but one HUGE positive is we can still make music. You might even have more time on your hands to practise! This is a great time to pick up that new instrument, learn a new piece, or finally nail that beast of a drum fill you have always dreamed […]
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 […]
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 […]
We are very excited to see that the BBC Young Composer competition is accepting alternative notation. This means you can enter with your Figurenotes scores! This would make a great project for a school class, as the deadline isn’t until 11th June 2020. Plenty of time to learn how to create your own original music, […]
ThumbJam is undoubtedly one of the greatest apps of all time! This much has always been known amongst music botherers. With over 40 exclusive real instrument samples and hundreds of ready-to-load scales, the flexibility and sensitivity of the app allow for a level of musical expression equal to a traditional instrument. Perfect for beginners and […]
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 […]
As we wrap up our final Music Teachers Toolbox Training Day of 2019, one of our favourite things to do here at Figurenotes HQ is to read the lovely feedback we receive from our participants! It was wonderful! The facility is amazing in terms of the equipment and all the staff were kind and inspiring! […]
“I’ve been using Figurenotes with ASN pupil since earlier this year & love it. Was great to hear a bit more from Drake Music Scotland at #sameconf23. Will now expand my use of this excellent resource with pupils to stop ASN being a barrier to learning & participating in music.” It’s statements like this one […]
The 2019 Ten Pieces are here! Looking for some inspiration for the new school year? Well, look no further. The new BBC Ten Pieces Trailblazers are designed to help challenge the way young people think about orchestral music and 2019’s list features composers that led the way in introducing new cultures and sonic delights to […]
Figurenotes Collect @ Craigmarloch School The final leg of Figurenotes Collect is over! This collecting exercise culminated in visiting Craigmarloch School in Inverclyde. Craigmarloch is an exceptional facility born of the amalgamation of the former Lilybank and Glenbank Schools. The school is one of three in the New Port Glasgow Community Campus, working closely with […]
Another leg of #figurenotescollect done! And what a day it was! This time around Rebecca visited the lovely Parklands School in Helensburgh. Parklands opened in 1993, a purpose-built school for pupils with Complex Special Educational Needs. Since then the range of provision has been extended and the school now meets the needs of pupils from […]
As some of you may already know, we are in the process of applying to update the current Figurenotes Software. A part of the application requires us to estimate our reach i.e how many people are using Figurenotes. With this in mind, we have launched our new project Figurenotes Collect! We are delighted to announce […]
“Great course, thank you! So many ideas for new functional musical activities.” “Could we have more please!!!” What a day! Big thanks to everyone that came along to our Music Teachers Toolbox training event on Saturday at Drake Music Scotland. We could not be more delighted by the feedback from our participants. Quotes like these really […]
Hello Figurenoters! We are thrilled to announce the programme for our upcoming Music Teachers Toolbox on Saturday 23rd March 2019. First Figurenotes & BBC Ten Pieces This time around, we will be focusing on Creative Sessions involving Early Years/Primary/ASN and how best to support your participants brand new to Figurenotes in a variety of engaging […]
Welcome back Figurenoters! We hope you had a lovely Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Here at Figurenotes HQ we are thrilled to be back and to welcome the newest addition to the team, Rebecca Di Rollo. Rebecca will be taking over as Figurenotes Officer (Maternity Cover) as of January 2019. Rebecca is […]
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 […]
“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 […]
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 […]
This November, Music Teacher’s Toolbox will have a reinvigorated structure. Although we always vary the activities, this training day will look a little different than usual. This Music Teacher’s Toolbox will lead you through building up a rounded musician, focusing on the core skills a musician should have. Get new ideas for each stage of […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
“I loved my day. Thank you very much. You have inspired me and made me very excited to get back to school and get started. Today has even made me want to learn how to play the guitar!” Our last Music Teacher’s Toolbox was another fantastic day spent with an enthusiastic group of teachers and […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
When did you last invest in yourself? Twice a year, we run a full day of training for music educators and practitioners. At the Music Teacher’s Toolbox, we’ll give you a good grounding in how Figurenotes can support your work and help your pupils flourish. This training is always tailored to the participants, so let us know […]
Well, we are nearly there. You’ve heard your pupils play Jingle Bells approximately a bazillion times and you are ready to park yourself by the fire with a well deserved mince pie. Before you get cracking with the Christmas cheer, we thought we’d better give you some wee housekeeping news. In order to get your […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
Once again, the BBC have asked us to create accessible resources for their Ten Pieces initiative. The BBC are launching their third list of ten pieces, all chosen with the aim of opening up the world of classical music to a new generation. BBC Ten Pieces invites students to develop their own creative responses using a […]
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 […]
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. […]
You can now book your place on our award-winning training: Music Teacher’s Toolbox – Saturday 18th November, 2017, 10:00 – 16:00. Whether you are an experienced Figurenoter or you are just starting out, you will leave with a head full of ideas and inspiration. There is so much to be gained from our expert trainers […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
“It has been so awesome! Having fun just reminded me to be using Figurenotes more. Loved it all!” “Renewed enthusiasm with new ideas and different ways of working. Excellent day. Great fun. Well done!” “Thank you so much for a brilliant and inspiring day! Loads of questions answered. The presenters were great!” We had an absolute […]
In part 3 of her series of guest blogs, Matilda Brown lets us peek behind the scenes at her work with pupils from Hampden Primary School. You can see tips and ideas of how to get to this step by reading parts 1 and 2 of this series. Part 3 – Composing at Hampden Fun […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Are you visiting the Music Education Expo this Friday? Make sure you’re at stand M1 at 3pm. We are launching some exciting new resources in partnership with Friday Afternoons. Snape Maltings (formerly Aldeburgh Music) is hosting the launch at the Music Education Expo with a visit from Emma Lines from Drake Music Scotland, the charity behind […]
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 […]
We wanted to start 2017 with some positivity, so when Bern MacLeod emailed to tell us how they’ve been using Figurenotes in a project in Uganda, we thought we should share it with you all. How do I tell the story of Figurenotes in Uganda? In 2015, we conducted workshops where 22 orphan students from […]
Figurenotes HQ will be closed from lunchtime on 15th December until 4th January 2017. I can’t say whether Santa and the elves work here the rest of the year, but that can’t be a coincidence! Please be sure to get your orders in by 10am on 15th December, in order for our elves to work their […]
We asked Santa and he can’t find your names on the naughty list, so you must have been very good this year. We’ve decided to treat you all to a Figurenotes Advent Calendar. Sign up via the mailing list and we’ll send you a gift each Sunday of Advent. From resources to discount codes, those […]
One of my favourite jobs on a weary Monday morning after a weekend of training is reading the feedback forms. It is so rewarding to see how valuable this type of training is to so many people. Some of our most experienced Figurenoters were training alongside those completely new to this way of notating and learning […]
“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, […]
“You’re going to need a bigger boat” – Music Teacher’s Toolbox is proving so popular that we’ve booked a bigger space. Looking at a fully-booked CPD course, we thought we’d better make room for some others, so we have released 2 more places. You can see the full programme and book. Please remember to fill […]
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 […]
Drake Music Scotland, the charity behind this site, recently won a Curiosity Award. This has allowed us to make a demo Figurenotes app, which we hope will act as preparation before taking up an instrument. The app will develop musical skills in a game-like environment. We don’t know if this app will be made available to the […]
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 […]
Ok, so your school may not have a Steinway, but I’m sure we have all run into this issue when using Figurenotes in schools. Those beady eyed Figurenoters among you may have seen that we now have Reusable Stickers in our online shop. These went down a storm at the ISME Conference at the end […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Most teachers and Figurenoters tell us that tutorial videos are the best thing for them to learn from (apart from our excellent training days). We have been busy updating our old Figurenotes software tutorials on YouTube. Some have already gone up, but we would love to take your suggestions for more! If you have any suggestions […]
