This film documents a project that brings together a number of elements that make the work of Drake Music so powerful.
The use of Assistive Music Technology (AMT) is a common element in much of Drake Music’s work; using music- and sound-making equipment to enable all participants to play an equal part in the creation and performance of work, and to play a role that matches their interests and skills.
The participant-led approach is vital in instilling a sense of ownership and pride in the young people.
They choose the theme of the project, the sounds they want to create, the instruments they will use to create these sounds, and the structure of the final work.
The project and final performance very much belong to the participants, with the staff there to support, help to facilitate these ideas, and to offer options and suggestions along the way.
Peer to Peer Learning Outcomes
Finally, the element that makes this project different from many others is the concept of the AMT Ambassadors.
AMT Ambassadors are children in Years 5&6 who are trained up in using music tech and then lead sessions for younger children in their school.
This is peer-to-peer teaching that demonstrably presents a number of powerful outcomes:
- Pride, confidence, maturity and self-esteem in the Ambassadors from their new skills and the position of responsibility
- An understanding of self-reflection and evaluation to inform future work
- Excellent role-modelling presented to the younger children, and inspiration for when they are higher up the school
- Confidence in the learning and application of new technology by the young people
- Demonstration to school staff that AMT is accessible and can be integrated easily into lessons
- Contribution to a culture of skill-sharing and peer-to-peer learning within the school
- A legacy which can continued beyond this project, and with future Ambassadors
