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 PJ’s? Whatever you are doing, make sure you get your Figurenotes orders in before Thursday, 15th December 2022 if you want your Figurenotes order to be posted out to you before 2023!
Figurenotes HQ will be shut up shop for the festive season from Friday 16th December 2022 and we will re-open on Thursday 5th January 2023.
That’s a wrap on the latest Figurenotes training courseFigurenotes: 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 going over the basics of Figurenotes. We like to start with rhythm, as it is SO intuitive and we know it can make a huge difference to the learners sense of pulse. We all played a high tech rhythm canon game in our Zoom room and then created our very own low-fi canons with enough fun extensions to last weeks. You can find version of the rhythm canon we used on our FAMHub.
Week 2 – Figurenotes Composition
In our second session, we explored the many ways in which Figurnotes can be used to compose. Colour and shape is everywhere! This gives us lots of opportunities as educators to think creatively and find those magic keys that help engage learners and get the creative juices flowing. Our group had some great ideas, including Emma from Hear My Music who came up with this brilliant comic book themed session. POW!
Week 3 – Groups and Differentiation
Our final week was all about working in groups and differentiation within them. There are so many great ways to get everyone playing together using Figurnotes, removing the initial barriers of notation that some find challenging. We used our creative minds to make a sound story based on the story of The Gingerbread Man. Each character had its own theme and everyone got right stuck in. It was a hoot. You can find our Gingerbread Man Sound Story on the FAMHub.
Here are some of the things our trainees had to say at the end of our training course:
“Very helpful ideas and templates – and so great to see/hear how others are using the materials. Loved it all!“
“Very interesting, informative, and helpful!! thank you!“
“I’ve gained loads of workshop content that will last for years, from not only the training content but everyone else’s ideas too.”
Thanks to everyone that came along. Visit our training pages to find out more about our upcoming training offerings.
“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 to get together to raise a glass and cheer on our fellow creatives. Think of it as an awards ceremony, networking event and office Christmas party, all wrapped up in one.”
“Our speciality is building bespoke and unique database systems for clients who have complex and specific requirements or who have odd challenges.
But we also like to build things, break things, and solve problems… and have fun in the process…
In our ranks, we have: current and former musicians, comic book fanatics, D&D enthusiasts, dog lovers, walkers, cyclists, rugby fans and a trained thespian.
But we don’t just build data systems; we can turn our hand to building pretty much anything like, a bass guitar, a distortion pedal, a contactless door locking mechanism; a chicken coop; an artist’s studio, and even a swimming pool for horses. No, really.
“We’re a startup technology partner that delivers the services, teams and expertise you might be missing in house.
Our customers come in all different shapes and sizes, from pre-seed to full enterprise, and they’re all pioneers and game-changers in their field.”
Fun times were had on the night and to top it off, WE WON! We couldn’t be happier and are so grateful to everyone who’s hard work made these projects happen.
To find out more about our new products visit our website or contact us.
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 loved learning how they work with Figurenotes already and sharing our best practice tips and tricks as well.
We explored different methodologies and discussed alternative ways of working alongside disabled musicians to create beautiful pieces of music and creating space and time for people to play instruments and have fun together.
We exchanged knowledge on composition and creative play, free form improvisation using Figurenotes and colours as inspiration, and of course, our infamous Play Together sessions where we make a rock band in five minutes. If you have ever been to one of our training days you will know what we are talking about. You can find more information on our training offers here.
It was great to see the new Figurenotes Software in action on smart boards and iPads. Plus, we could access our scores from anywhere with an internet connection!
Our heads are full of new ideas and reflections on great work happening the other side of the pond.
Big thanks to Dr. Kim McCord of Just Accessible Music (JAM) for hosting us and in general being the best and a sage full of knowledge and advice. Great discussions were had and looking forward to future collaborations!
Special thanks to all the students we met from New York University and University of Bridgeport for putting accessibility first in your practice. You are the future of music making!
Last but not least, big thanks to Creative Scotland. None of this would be possible without the support of the YMI CPD Fund administered by Scottish Music Centre. Thank you to all who helped us get there.
Keep an eye on our socials for more updates on our trip to New York and upcoming events!
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)
Our online training programme consists of three interactive Zoom sessions, plus a 1:1 session with course leaders to focus entirely on you and your work. You can attend from anywhere with an internet connection. You’ll also receive a discount code for our brand new Figurenotes resources!
We can’t wait to meet you, whether you’ve attended previous training or are brand new to Figurenotes. With more interactive activities, peer feedback, and a whole load of practical advice and guidance, this is not one to be missed!
Figurenotes: Developing Your Practice. Online course dates Thursday 10th,17th,24th November
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, you can access the software on iPads and tablets, meaning less printing, more playing!
You’ll be able to create, access and store your own Figurenotes scores as well as import and use existing tunes, simply by logging in to your account and accessing via any internet-enabled device.
Learning is a journey, and we are here for it! Our new segment Figurenotes Journeysis 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
‘That take was the one’
This is a story about a child at Craigmarloch ASN school, Inverclyde who we will call J. J is a bright little boy with a diagnosis of Autism which is the main barrier to his learning. From his earliest days at the school, he has shown a natural aptitude for music with perfect pitch, a beautiful singing voice and an instinctive sense of rhythm. When approximately three years ago Figurenotes was introduced into his class music learning, J took to the system immediately. The concrete nature, simplicity and visual attractiveness of the method make it very accessible for learners with Autism and before long J was sight singing and writing his own music in Figurenotes.
J also really likes to draw and taking himself to a quiet room with a glockenspiel, paper and crayons is an effective and enjoyable way for him to regulate his emotions and calm down if he is becomes stressed or overwhelmed. One morning during lockdown I gave him a booklet of familiar children’s songs written in Figurenotes. He quickly played through them all then asked why Mary had a little lamb was not included. I replied that I would write it for him for the next day. Imagine my surprise and delight when a few minutes later he came out from his quiet room having written the music out for himself! I had not explicitly taught him about lengths of notes but he had visually absorbed this information for himself and was able to write his own music using the system. This example reinforced my belief that Figurenotes was an accessible and meaningful system which enabled beginners and those with learning difficulties to learn to read, play and compose their own music.
This year, now in P6, J is learning to read and play 2 hands together on his favourite instrument, the piano. Again, the Figurenotes software allows teachers to write several parts together and clearly label them as desired-in this case RH and LH. Basing the learning on his favourite song Whole World in His Hands we began by mastering each part separately (easy bass line first) then playing the music together, a line each. After 8 weeks of positive little steps, he was able to play the song all the way through, 2 hands together. This video shows his delight in his success and J tells me he hopes everyone in Scotland will enjoy watching him play his music. In his word’s “That take was the one!”.
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 enjoy the break.
But before you do…
Make sure your Figurenotes orders are in by 16th December for UK delivery before Christmas and the start of next term.
Our office will close for Christmas at the end of 17th December; reopening 5th January 2022. Orders for physical resources will not be processed between these dates. Digital resources, such as the Figurenotes software, will continue to be processed automatically.
Royal Mail have warned that delays are likely to happen due to coronavirus, so we can’t guarantee delivery by Christmas. However, we are following their recommended last postage dates, so all should be well. The earlier you order, the better.
Launching in 2022
We’ve got some really exciting stuff coming in the new year. Our little elves have been working away in the background producing some exciting new resources that will be a game-changer for so many Figurenoters. We can’t wait to tell you about them! Watch this space…
If you want to stay in the loop about the launch in early 2022, make sure you’ve subscribed to our mailing list.
“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 fabulous course participants from the very first week! It is so invigorating to set an activity or a homework challenge and see the ideas pouring out of the wonderful teachers before us.
“Online worked a treat! Well planned for the context and plenty of opportunity to share practice. Good space for thoughts to be absorbed too.“
The Group
Last time we had an international crowd, but this crew were all based in Scotland, so we are also building a lovely network of musicians that can support each other in their day-to-day work too. That is why we encourage all our Figurenoters to join the private Facebook group too. It’s a great place to ask questions and share ideas with other Figurenotes teachers and leaders.
Getting to know our small groups and working together over the weeks really helps us to deliver practical advice relevant to each person and their working environment. With such broad portfolio careers in music and music education, we love hearing about the incredible professional experience each attendee brings to their work. Instrumental and classroom teachers, mainstream and specialist schools, composers and community musicians – we had a wealth of knowledge and experience within this group. Music education in Scotland is very lucky to have such an inspirational bunch of musicians teaching the next generation.
“Excellent, fun, interactive, and curious sessions that were active and engaging.“
Week 1 – Rhythm
After introducing the basic principles of Figurenotes, we start the fun and games. Our rhythm activities using canon even got a live outing with a woodwind group in the week following the session, which went down very well with the pupils!
Our rhythm homework challenge inspired such innovative responses. These ranged from movement activities inspired by Pachelbel’s Canon, exploring and listening on an adventure with a cuckoo (Saint-Saens), all the way into outer space for a space-themed rhythm and structure activity. Their pupils are going to be having a lot of fun in the coming weeks working on this lot.
Week 2 – Composition
Chime cam made an appearance this week to showcase some compositions created during the session. We played with different ways of using rhythm and colour (pitch), as well as directing each other’s playing. It is always lovely to hear some live playing in an online setting too (the viola played as a cello was my personal highlight).
Week 3 – Groups
The Gingerbread Man came to play today. Incorporating elements from the past 2 weeks, this activity is great for differentiation, turn-taking and other ensemble skills, as well as having more extension activities than you can shake a rainstick at!
By combining this with practical tips for making group-work accessible and fun, this action packed week should set up our music leaders with the tools they need to get cracking with Figurenotes.
“I’ve already started using it and the kids just get it straight away. It’s definitely here to stay. It’s been life-changing!”
1:1 Follow-ups
Every participant can book a follow-up session with course leaders to ask whatever questions and queries that weren’t covered in the training or to dive deeper into certain aspects of their practice. This could be anything from reviewing and discussing resources created during the course, refining and developing them, or a walk-through of the software. These sessions are a wonderful way to tie up the learning from the previous 3 weeks to set our participants up with the skills and confidence to dive into using Figurenotes in their practice.
What Next?
Our next course will run in March 2022. Book your place here and join us for more Figurenotes fun and games, learning skills for delivering accessible music sessions, whatever your work setting.
“Loved all of the compositional games gifted and the resources of materials – an amazing package of tools to get going in a lot of contexts.“
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 in-depth sessions learning about technology and Figurenotes.
Lauren and Rebecca took our new musicians through a fun play-together on instruments they do not usually play, forming a makeshift band. As always, the shorty bass proved very popular, especially with Figurenotes making it easy to play!
Our wee band was grooving away to tunes by Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, Nancy Sinatra, and Ben E. King – all while learning about ensemble skills, leading a group, reading Figurenotes notation, catering for mixed-abilities, and choosing accessible repertoire.
For the second day, we took on a scheme of work based around a story, The Gingerbread Man, with a whole host of extension activities. This activity includes composition, turn-taking, performance, and much more! We’ll be featuring this in our online training course in September too, so make sure to bag your place before they all get snapped up. You can find out more through our training pages.
There were giggles galore when performing our story, complete with musical motifs composed by the group. The dramatic narration and turn-taking kept everyone on their toes, and Saint-Saëns would have been impressed with our animal inspired tunes and sounds.
So much fun was had, all through learning-by-doing, which we love!
We may have been socially distanced and masked, but that allowed us to feel safe, explore music together, and have some great discussions. Thank you to everyone involved in this training.
“I just wanted to say thank you so much for a brilliant two days of training. It was so good to meet everyone and the training was just excellent. I feel like I am going into this term so full of inspiration and motivation because of last week and all the tools you gave us on the training course. You are an incredibly inspirational organisation.”
Trainee
Want to join in?
If you’d like to join us for some more Figurenotes fun and games, book your place on our ‘Figurenotes – Developing Your Practice’ course. Running online over 4 sessions, we dive into the fundamentals of music-making with Figurenotes for all music leaders and teachers. Come and join in the fun!
The Gingerbread ManA clip of our makeshift band working on Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5.
Transcript of video lyrics:
9 to 5. For service and devotion, you would think that I would deserve a big promotion. Want to move ahead, but the boss won’t seem to let me. I swear sometimes that man is out to get me.
