Last November, the DM Collective team travelled to London for a few days packed with planning, learning and ideas!
Our first stop was a relaxed lunchtime concert and venue tour at LSO St Lukes, the venue for our upcoming artist showcase. We had a great chat with Meg and Sabina, who are helping to coordinate the showcase, and shared ideas for how they can make their venue and processes more accessible for artists.
Next, we had an introduction to creating music through movement using the Mi.Mu Gloves (as used by Imogen Heap!) at Drake Music’s office in Shoreditch. Our Resident Artists, Daisy Higman and Ysabelle Wombwell, explored the capabilities of the gloves with Drake Music’s head of Research and Innovation Tim Yates. This was followed the next day by workshops delving into the use of AI and 3D modelling for designing accessible instruments as part of Drake Music’s DM Lab project.
Of course, plenty has been going on behind the scenes as well, so we caught up with our Resident Artists, Daisy and Ysabelle, to find out what they’ve been up to the past few months…
Daisy Higman
With her creative project now in full swing, Daisy has been sharing the practice of Collaborative Vocal Improvisation (CVI) with her collaborators, Helen Bovey and Bee Jarvis. Using these forms and techniques, developed by the likes of Bobby McFerrin and Rhiannon, they explored the idea of utopia from a Disabled perspective.
Daisy told us about the mixed emotions of envisioning utopia in a world that’s been designed without Disabled people. “We sang about our frustration, our anger, our grief, our isolation. We sang back-to-back, feeling vibrations of song resonating through our bodies, collectively holding space for each other. It felt powerful, radical and rejuvenating.”
The resulting material the group has developed ranges from a bouncy serenade for Bee’s assistant dog, Sparrow, to music that travels through mirror worlds, rest shops and tiny planetariums. Some of the songs they have developed will be shared in January’s Drake Music Artist Showcase.
Reflecting on the month, Daisy emphasises her continuous learning of new facilitation skills, especially focusing on joy, play, and permission. And whilst still “getting to grips” with the Mi.Mu Gloves and CAD software, Daisy says she’s grateful for the wealth of collective music tech knowledge at Drake Music.
Ysabelle Wombwell
This month Yssi continues to work on her creative project, whilst putting the final touches on a film she is making as part of her role as Access Champion. Yssi told us, “This month, I’ve been working with Jordan, the filmographer, on editing a film featuring interviews with artists on access and live performance. I’ve also been working with the musicians preparing for the Drake Music Artist Showcase next month.“
In her creative work, Yssi has been inspired by her introduction to the Mi.Mu gloves. “I’m working with Sarah Adedeji to create a piece using the Mi.Mu gloves. I’ll also be filming the on-screen BSL signer for the film.”. We’re pleased to be collaborating with the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) who are kindly providing space for Yssi’s R&D.
Yssi’s highlight of the month has been seeing her film come together, although there have also been challenges in bringing together so many different collaborators in her various projects!
Here at Drake Music, we’ve been really excited to see the results of Yssi and Daisy’s hard work during their residencies. We’re looking forward to celebrating their success and that of our Emergent Musicians, at our upcoming showcase on Wednesday 31st January.
Find out more and book your free ticket to watch the livestreamed concert here.
