10/11/2010
Excerpt 1
The benefits of singing are well documented, but let’s start by briefly listing some of them. The release of endorphins which happens during singing makes us more receptive to new knowledge and experiences. The sense of togetherness and ‘team-building’ which is fostered by singing has been linked to the creation of a harmonious classroom. Listening skills are improved by singing, as are general language skills and vocabulary. The singer’s emotional well-being is enhanced - thought provoking lyrics help promote the discussion of emotive subjects, where more direct approaches fail. As most of us now accept, the benefits of singing are multifarious. We could look in-depth at the technical details of the physical and psychological advantages of singing. However, while at a recent meeting of music educationalists, I found myself agreeing with a colleague who felt that there was one word which summed up what the experts are trying to say about singing. To my knowledge, it is not a current government buzzword in 2010, and its inclusion in a funding bid is unlikely to guarantee success. However, in my colleague’s opinion the over-riding benefit that singing has to offer is that it is fun! The existence of all the other positive affects of singing that have been listed by experts from all over the world can be explained by the fact that we enjoy it, and that this makes us happy.
Excerpt 2
The barriers to singing which are faced by many students include the following; physical barriers, communication barriers and external barriers. Students who face physical barriers to singing include those who cannot or do not make sounds with their voice, and therefore do not use their voice to speak or sing. Many people who face this type of barrier to singing may use a Voice Output Communication Aid or VOCA. If you’re not sure what a VOCA is, think of the device Professor Stephen Hawking uses to communicate. Communication barriers include sensory impairments and non-physical barriers to communication. Makaton signing is a common tool used here, in order to reinforce spoken language. External barriers to singing are outside the realm of the individual singer. These include a lack of accessible resources, low confidence amongst staff with regard to delivering music sessions, or technological problems that obstruct the student’s access to the music lesson.
Excerpt 3
The approaches we use in our accessible singing sessions aim to break down these barriers, in order that all students can participate meaningfully on a level playing field, and enjoy making music together. In our training sessions, we aim to equip staff with the skills and resources to enable them to break down any external barriers to singing faced by them and their students. Central to our approach is the use of Assistive Music Technology (AMT). AMT is a broad term for technology that provides access to music making. Examples of AMT include a computer running Clicker 5, a switch (a large accessible button that can be connected to a computer) or an angle arm that enables an instrument to be mounted onto a wheelchair within easy reach of the student. Clicker 5 is a hi-tech piece of AMT. It is an accessible program which has uses in the delivery of all kinds of subjects, including music. It is widely used in mainstream and special schools across the UK. You can design setups (known as ‘Grids’) to be (amongst other things) a quiz, a book, or an interactive singing tool. Clicker has the capacity to play audio files (WAVs, MP3s etc), and link pages together a bit like a website. What makes it an especially valuable tool for accessible singing is the fact that it has an excellent ‘User Access’ menu which enables the user to customise how they access the interactive Grids. For example, one student may prefer the software to scan through the options while they use a single switch to make a choice. Another individual may well like to scan manually using one switch and make their choice using a second switch. All of this is easy to set up in Clicker 5.
NAME