Having got a bit of national profile for SoundSpace, Music Maker’s new building, I was asked to join a  working party looking at music aspects of the Government’s initiative to replace and renew the numerous badly designed, worn out and tatty secondary schools in England.  As a freelancer it is always difficult to find the time to get involved in things like this, but I was very keen to contribute my experience in creating SoundSpace in Cinderford and for the freelance and local voice to be heard.  SoundSense, the national community music organisation have contributed travel costs and GMF are allowing me to use some of my paid time. I attended a meeting in London a couple of weeks ago, looking at the guidance that will be given to local authorities. I have since checked out what is happening locally. 

The initiative is called BSF – Building Schools for the Future and is just kicking off in Gloucestershire. The rebuilding of whole schools is a fairly long term thing, some Counties started a few years ago and Gloucestershire is expected to be in the next main wave of projects.  They have submitted a “readiness to deliver” document and will hear whether they can start in a few months time. The top priority four schools are:

Pittville in Cheltenham

Heywood in Cinderford, Forest of Dean

Maidenhill

Shrubberies in Stonehouse, Stroud

Over time, it is proposed that nearly all the secondary schools will have some substantial work.  The County Council have a very informative section in their web site. www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/BSF

There seems to be real interest at National and County level for developing the kinds of partnerships between third sector/community organisations and schools that led to SoundSpace. There is recognition of the potential for joint use of rehearsal, recording and performance facilities and for partnerships to support out of hours use of facilities.  There are obviously opportunities in this for people interested in music work with young people.  There are various ways of getting involved locally.   A direct approach to specific schools is probably the simplest, there is a County Cultural and Sport Strategy Group led by Dave Growcot and there will be community consultation in November.  

It is the kind of thing that needs a long term approach, some of the documents are ridiculously complex and full of excessive acronyms, it could all get hit by cuts, you are likely to need some kind of track record to get taken seriously BUT there is potential for some exciting new ways of working that are built into the structures and the finances of the schools. I spoke with Geoff Black who leads the County team and both he and the people at national level seem very open to new ideas and new partnerships. 

Email me at markbick@enterprise.net if you want to know more. I also have copies available of an article I wrote about the partnership between Music Makers and Heywood school for the National Association of Music Educators.

Combined French and English band playing a funk groove with French anarchist rapping!

Music Makers exchange project. French band at the final gig.  The Foresters in Cinderford were very friendly and helpful, but terrible acoustics! 

Most of August was taken up with me leading a visit by 11 young French musicians to Music Makers, residential for 8 days with 10 local young musicians, creating music together at SoundSpace in the day. Ages 15 to 23. Very hard work and a lot of responsibility, but also very interesting with some great moments including an excellent acoustic gig with all the young people playing. A highlight of this gig was an english band of 19yr olds playing what I think may be a new genre: Acoustic Comedy Death Metal!  I got to play my double bass, busking in the centre of Cinderford, and the jamming round a camp fire in the evening was magical - everything from Nirvana to Miles Davies. The theme of the exchange was ”Our music - places to rehearse, record and perform - our place in society” (you have to have a grand sounding theme to get European Funding! I talked a bit about GMF.  Some interesting things came out of our discussions about gigging opportunties for young people including that they have loads of band competitions in France and parents come as well up to ages 18+ (which seems to put a limit on heavy drinking). There also seem to be far more specialist live music venues accessible to young bands, with PA, lights etc. already in place, but it is is difficult to tell as we are comparing the suburbs of Bordeaux with rural Gloucestershire.  They were very impressed with the facilities at SoundSpace - they only have one room for music without any acoustic treatment or sound proofing.  It seems they get much more Government help with revenue costs but very little access to capital funds - the opposite of here. 

I had a meeting with two of the main music staff at Royal Forest of Dean College on 13th July.  Kevin Grey who leads the Music Technology and music courses and James Camp who teaches on the courses (and plays keyboards with Peppermint Hunting Lodge).  

They are keen to be members of GMF as soon as the web site is up and running and to be fully associated with GMF.  
 
They are also very interested in some kind of regular gig in the Forest with PA and stage staffed by RFDC students with staff supervision (at their expense).  I asked if the College might be willing to provide long term insurance and maintenance of any equipment that was purchased for these gigs and they reckoned it would be possible.  All very provisional ideas at the moment.  My objective is to find a way that such gigs could be run reasonably professionally and have a regional chance of being sustained long term.
 
They have agreed for me to go back in Sept and meet with students to consult on their perspectives and ideas.
 

Hewyood School fun day 20th June 2009

The SoundSpace team from Music Makers organised an acoustic stage with some of the Acoustic Night Live people. Mostly teenagers playing, including Richard Knapman a great young singer/songwriter from Gloucester who had been referred by the Pupil Referral Unit to record with Music Makers. Final set from Derry Brownson of EMF with his brother Lee who manages SoundSpace rehearsal sessions with Dan James, Music Makers apprentice, on drums. All previous Heywood school students.  Hoping this will happen again next year.

I never, ever want to move house again in my whole life (my lovely and patient wife frequently reminds me that I am prone to exageration!). Moved out of old house on 15th July, did not get into new until 21st July, house still full of builders. At that stage we still did not have a working cooker, a bath or shower or an inside loo BUT the double bass was safe and snug in its purpose built cupboard.  Then down to Cornwall to do music for my brother in laws wedding. We were meant to stay away on holiday for the rest of last week, but came back early to continue un-packing boxes, fixing things in the hosue and to try to catch up on some work.

New address is:

Worcester House, 20 North Road, Broadwell, Coleford, Glos. GL16 7DR.  New home office landline is 01594 826418

Met with leaders of the Music Makers visiting French exchange group in the middle of all this. Great discussions about many things including managing ages 15 to 21 gigging togther and alcohol issues.  We came to the conclusion that in both countries, most young musicians only manage to learn that trying to play music when totally pissed is not a good idea by experiencing it first hand!!  

Had a great discussion with Trevor Davies who runs Lydney Music School tel. 01594 843365.  I had some contact with him when they first set up a few years back, having moved here from London.  He does a lot of guitar teaching in school over quite a wide area as well has getting other teachers in to work at their base, the old police station in Lydney. They are organising some workshops, performance and recording in late July early August. We discussed the difficulties for the young bands in getting local gigs. He is very up for collaborative working with other individuals and organisations but struggles with the time to initiate anything. This is confirming the challenge for my year as networker, to get a collaborative approach to gigs working in a way that can be sustained.  They have students who would be very up for doing gigs in other areas of Gloucestershire.  I asked about particular equipment needs which might be part of a joint GMF funding bid. The only thing they were short of was bass bins for thier performance so I sorted him out with loan of the Music Makers ones.  There is clearly a need for the networking role!

zacfroud:

After meeting with head of Music Jason Andrews last week, Redknock School have found themselves in a great position of growth within the music and arts departments… With major developments in progress and building coming to a finish Redknock’s music department is flourishing.

The introduction of Music technology into the schools curriculum has seen a great increase in the interest for the subject. With this Jason and i discussed making Redknock a central Music hub for the area introducing extracurricular courses and lots more activity within the school. I may host some music technology workshops at the school and focus on some of the great techniques i have learnt whilst working as an Studio Engineer! Also working alongside some of the great music staff within the school we have discussed composition projects to make use of the facility over the weekend periods.

More to come regarding Redknock School!!!