Figurenotes

“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 make all the hard work worthwhile. Just seeing these fantastic teachers and practitioners enjoying themselves, playing music together using Figurenotes and swapping creative ideas is what CPD is all about. But don’t just take our word for it, check out what some of our participants had to say.

Our sessions focused on First Figurenotes and how best to introduce Figurenotes to new users. We held creative composition sessions inspired by BBC Ten Pieces, using pieces of modern art as stimuli.  We played games and told an interactive story about Mr. Whale. All of this fun culminated in a huge Play Together session where we paid tribute to the Ben E. King classic ‘Stand By Me’.

Thanks again to everyone involved and we cannot wait to do it all over again on the 23rd of November 2019! Keep an eye on the Figurenotes website for more information and updates on the next Music Teachers Toolbox. You can also sign up to our mailing list to get regular updates on all things Figurenotes.

We understand how isolating it can be as a teacher or practitioner and hope these events help to form new ideas for using Figurenotes and facilitating music making in general.

If you are looking for somewhere to share your ideas, check out the Facebook page Figurenotes – Let’s Make Music where you can chat to colleagues and get general advice from other Figurenotes users.

Alternatively, drop me an email at figurenotes@drakemusicscotland.org or rebeccadirollo@drakemusicscotland.org with any Figurenotes queries.

Rebecca

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 ways. We will also be incorporating pieces from our collaboration with the fantastic BBC Ten Pieces.

Why not take a look at some of the resources BBC Ten Pieces have available online.

Although there will be an emphasis on Early Years and Primary, there will be something for everyone regardless of the age and stage of your users. If you have been to our training days before, or your participants are older, do not fret. We will provide a fun filled day of activities where you will learn news skills and refresh your current knowledge, providing you with new and exciting ways to incorporate Figurenotes into your setting.

Our training day will also include networking activities and a help desk where you can speak to an experienced member of the Drake Music Scotland team. You can seek advice on all things Figurenotes, technology, progression and general teaching advice.

And if that is not enough to entice you to book your place on our next Music Teachers Toolbox, maybe this will;

*Special Offer* – Purchase Our Upcoming Music Teachers Toolbox Training Day and Receive Our First Figurenotes Pack for only £10.00!!!

Visit the Figurenotes Shop for more details.

Programme

Here is a brief rundown of the proposed programme for the day.

9:30am Coffee & a Chat – Come in and meet the rest of the Music Teachers Toolbox participants over coffee/tea and biscuits provided.

10am Welcome and Warm up – Join us in getting to know each other and warm up with some fun activities.

10:45am What is Figurenotes? – Anyone can use Figurenotes and get instant results! Find out what Figurenotes is all about and where it came from or refresh your memory if you are returning.

11:00am BBC Ten Pieces – An interactive session looking at some pieces from our collaboration with BBC Ten Pieces.

11:30am Break 

11:50am Creative Session – A series of exciting activities based around our SPACE theme! Fun for you and the classroom.

12:50pm Lunch, Networking and Help Desk – We will break for lunch and you will have a chance to stretch your legs, get to know each other some more and take advantage of our help desk where we will offer advice and aim to find solutions to any issues.

2:00pm First Figurenotes – A little look at some activities you can do using the First Figurenotes Packs and more.

2:45pm Play Together – An opportunity to try out what you have learned and get everyone playing.

3:45pm Q&A – A chance to ask any questions and tell us how you have felt about the day.

4:00pm Finish

If you have any questions, wish to enquire further or have anything you would like to see covered in the next Music Teachers Toolbox, you can contact Rebecca on 01316594766 or email at rebeccadirollo@drakemusicscotland.org

Hope to see you there!

Rebecca

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 also a percussionist, freelance community musician, sound artist and Youth Music Initiative Coordinator. Prior to joining the DMS team, Rebecca has worked in schools, special needs and early years provisions where she experienced the unequivocal social and mental development of people who participate in the arts.

Rebecca is passionate about all things Figurenotes and is looking forward to shaking things up a bit and bringing a new perspective to the role.

Here’s a little statement from Rebecca.

I am absolutely thrilled to join a leading organisation like Drake Music Scotland. I have followed the work of DMS throughout my entire musical career and I couldn’t be happier to be joining such a welcoming team of hardworking and skilled individuals.

I have used Figurenotes in the past and I believe it to be a transformative tool for so many people, making music so much more accessible. I cannot wait to get started and continue the already stellar work of supporting and promoting this invaluable resource. 

Rebecca

For all Figurenotes enquiries contact Rebecca at rebeccadirollo@drakemusicscotland.org or figurenotes@drakemusicscotland.org

Want to be first to hear all the Figurenotes news? Why not sign up to our mailing list.

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 get your parcels in time for Christmas or the new school term, you must get your UK orders to us by Monday 17th December, 2018. It isn’t too late to grab your Festive Figurenotes pack, or magnets as a stocking filler. We use Royal Mail to post orders, so we cannot guarantee delivery by Christmas, but this is in line with their recommendations.

Our office will be closed over the Christmas break, from Friday 21st December to Monday 7th January. No orders will be processed during this time. However, Software and Resource Base subscriptions ordered through the online shop will be sent by email, so you’ll get immediate access when you pay online.

As you may have seen when we advertised the role, a new face will be starting at Figurenotes HQ after Christmas. Please use the email address figurenotes@drakemusicscotland.org for all queries and contact.

Have a lovely Christmas and a very happy New Year, from all of us at Figurenotes HQ and Drake Music Scotland

“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 learned a lot and had a good time. Keep it up!”

You can see why we love running our Figurenotes training days. We consistently get this feedback and it is brilliant to see people ending the day brimming with enthusiasm and inspiration.

Our next Music Teacher’s Toolbox will be announced after Christmas, when our new Figurenotes Officer starts their role. Make sure you sign up to the mailing list for updates. In the meantime, join our Facebook group, ‘Figurenotes – Let’s Make Music’, to network with other teachers and musicians. Let us know what you’d like to see at the next training day by posting within the group.

The group of trainees were brilliantly enthusiastic and got stuck in with all the activities. We worked on building pulse, rhythm, matching skills (inspired by UNO!), and ensemble skills. With Thumbjam solos on the iPad within our Figurenotes band, everyone got stuck into some Blondie at the end of the day.

Thank you to everyone that came for such a fun-filled day. We can’t wait for the next one!

Sign up to the mailing list here to be the first to know about the next Music Teacher’s Toolbox.

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 learn more about our fantastic disabled musicians on the Drake Music Scotland website.

• Do you have an excellent knowledge of music education?
• Are you passionate about accessibility in all aspects of music-making?
• Are you comfortable in a varied role that includes marketing and customer support?
• Are you an accomplished musician with a good knowledge of music notation and theory?

Find out more at: https://drakemusicscotland.org/get-involved/vacancies/

If you are keen to learn more about Figurenotes, book a place on our Figurenotes training day. Our Music Teacher’s Toolbox event takes place on Saturday 24th November, which is 2 days before the closing date of Monday 26th November.

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 learning, from initial ideas of pulse, through to building an ensemble. All the topics covered are transferable to any musical setting and we always approach our music making in an accessible way, so you can tailor it to your pupils’ needs.

Figurenotes Fundamentals

Focus: Pulse and Rhythm

Focus: Introducing Pitch

Focus: Instrumentation, Chords, and Ensembles

New Figurenotes Helpdesk

New Networking Session

After a lot of brilliant feedback from people attending our training days, we know how valuable these days are for networking and discussion. This is especially true of our Music Teacher’s Toolbox days, as we attract so many freelancers and teachers who feel alone in their schools. We would love to help you connect more, so we are incorporating a networking session into the extended lunch period. We will also be running a dedicated Figurenotes Helpdesk, where you can ask any specific questions you don’t feel are relevant in the group settings, or you’d rather ask one on one.

Take a look at the programme at www.figurenotes.org/currenttraining and let us know what you think.

As always, members of the Resource Base get 10% off the cost of their place. Just use the code RB2018 at the checkout.

Don’t want to pay online? Get your school/organisation to send a purchase order and we can invoice you instead. Make sure to complete your booking form, so we know where to send all the details for the day.

Places are extremely limited, due to the available space, so book early to avoid disappointment. Places are already getting snapped up!

“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 are interested in booking a bespoke training session or workshop, you can find more details and contact information on our website. 

Last week, we packed up our kit bags and headed off to the University of Aberdeen to train students and recent graduates. The group was wonderfully enthusiastic and full of questions, which we love! We did tonnes of rhythm games, from body percussion to vocal work. Some really interesting pieces were created from modern artworks, all with audience participation! There were brilliant improvisations using the technology, but the sound effect switches were a particular hit. Squealing pigs, anyone?

Working with people who are totally new to Figurenotes is particularly rewarding, especially current students and new teachers. The enthusiasm and imagination that the group brought to the sessions gives a lot of hope for the future of music education.

If you’d like to receive some training in Figurenotes, you can either book a training day for your organisation, or come to one of our Music Teacher’s Toolbox days. The next Music Teacher’s Toolbox takes place on Saturday 24th November, 2018. As usual, it will take place at our space in Edinburgh.

Linking Figurenotes and iPads in a band

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 all the hardworking teachers that order Figurenotes resources get a well-deserved rest.

In light of this, any orders made mid-July to mid-August may take a little longer to process and be sent out. If you are desperate to get your hands on your parcel and need it urgently, please contact Drake Music Scotland. You can call during office hours (Mon-Fri, 9-5) on 0131 659 4766, or email info@drakemusicscotland.org.

Resource Base subscriptions and Figurenotes Software orders will not be affected, as long as they are bought through the online shop, rather than via purchase order. These are automated and sent out via email. Please check your junk folders if you haven’t received your download emails.

From everyone here at Figurenotes HQ, we wish you a brilliant summer break and can’t wait to get back to music-making next month.

If you spend the summer making headspace for further professional development, take a look at November’s Music Teacher’s Toolbox (24.11.18). We would love to have you with us. See our training page for more details.

Happy holidays 🙂

“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 musicians. Thank you to everyone that came along and shared the day with us. We always love how much you throw yourself into the band sessions, in particular! There were some excellent renditions of Valerie and many other tunes. Well done for embracing the challenge of playing instruments you haven’t played before.

As part of our focus on BBC Ten Pieces, we created an iPad orchestra using Thumbjam and Figurenotes. Read about how to create Figurenotes overlays for Thumbjam here. Our orchestra played the Figurenotes score for the Lark Ascending (available via BBC Ten Pieces) and our soloists improvised their parts using the pentatonic scale. It sounded beautiful. Hats off to everyone that was using Thumbjam for the first time and sight-reading their part.

We then heard some wonderful compositions from each of our small groups. Each composition was based on a different piece from the BBC Ten Pieces lists. We were treated to a jazz interpretation of Firebird; an exciting rendition of Hall of the Mountain King using iPads, chime bars, and ingenious use of a Wowee speaker and ocean drum; as well as Mussorgsky with a Latin twist.

Resources from this training day are now on the Resource Base. Not a member? Join for just £23.99 a year. You’ll get discounts on future Music Teacher’s Toolbox events too.

Our next instalment of Music Teacher’s Toolbox will be on Saturday 24th November, 2018. Pop the date in your diaries now.