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ARTS CAN HELP RECOVERY FROM ILLNESS AND KEEP PEOPLE WELL, REPORT SAYS
All-party inquiry demonstrates benefits to health and wellbeing of the arts, leading to fall in hospital admissions. Article by Mark Brown, Arts correspondent, The Guardian. Excerpt reproduced courtesy of Guardian News & Media Ltd (open licence). David Shrigley’s ‘The arts’ teapot filling up a ‘lost soul’ cup. Illustration: David Shrigley GPs prescribing arts activities to some…
Read MoreSoundfly – a new kind of music school for today’s musician
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-fubeloWxE] In a co-working space in Brooklyn, New York, Ian Temple and his team – including remote working colleagues in LA, Montreal, Georgia and North Carolina – have been developing a platform designed to help today’s musician develop their skills and their business. Soundfly offers a range of cross-genre and cross-skills-set courses, many free,…
Read MoreIs music good for my child?
We all know, instinctively, that music is good for us, and for our children. And despite the continuing cuts in funding, those responsible for our education systems across the world still tend to prioritise music above other arts. References are often made to music’s ‘instrumental’ benefits – improving academic achievement, personal development, and life skills.…
Read MoreUsing music as an emotional tool
Kent State Online Master of Music in Music Education
Read MoreHow parents and grandparents can support and champion music education
We’re all aware that music is good for children and music can keep people happy, healthy and mentally fit throughout their lives – and there’s evidence to back it up. But with threats to arts and music education funding in many countries, what can families of young musicians do to make sure the current generation of young…
Read MoreBe healthy, happy, and mentally fit – make music!
We take it as read that playing a musical instrument or singing is good for the brain, the body and the emotions. Great minds such as Plato, William Shakespeare, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Hans Christian Andersen have said as much, not to mention notable musicians as Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Ludwig van Beethoven and (ahem) John…
Read MoreHow to change the world, through the way you present your stories
A fantastic free multi-media book by the world’s top presentation designer, Nancy Duarte. This book will show you how to tell your story, make powerful yet human connections with people through your presentations, and shares some fascinating stories, facts and research too.
Read MoreWorking together to reach more people – can we extend audience development support to music hubs?
As arts/cultural/creative organisations steel themselves for further cuts this winter, they’ll be pulling out all the stops to communicate their worth. There’s a strong network of arts marketing professionals who are more than up for that challenge: but few of them are in music education. Perhaps now’s the time to make better links, locally and…
Read MoreCould schools teach more of the important things in life?
A little off my usual subject matter, but very much related, because I think learning music gives us access to feelings, understandings and skills that are powerful beyond measure. Following is an excerpt from ‘Eden’, by Tim Smit, the extraordinary story of the Eden project. Tim is a musician, and also the founder of the…
Read MoreWhat hubs are for – guest blog from Bristol
Siggy Patchitt, Education Manager, Bristol Plays Music, gave an impassioned speech to those who attended a Music Education Council music education seminar in Bristol this month, including representatives from Make Music Gloucestershire. He posted the full speech last week on the Youth Music Network – here’s an edited version written as a guest blog , with…
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