Introducing Soundpots to a non Soundpots world

Telford Soundpots

Soundpots is a Youth Music funded early years music project that originated in Stoke-on-Trent (Soundpots takes its name from the famous pot banks, which was the collective name given to the clusters of bottle ovens that made up each pottery), but has recently spread to Shropshire after Telford & Wrekin Music Service heard good things about it and wanted to know more. Our repertoire is especially chosen to bring on children with speech and language delay, and has plenty of action songs, songs that support early phonics work and provides opportunities for children that bring them on socially in all sorts of ways.

Telford & Wrekin Music Service had not offered anything like Soundpots and wanted to plug the gap. So, with the help of Youth Music, the music service and Make Some Noise we set up Soundpots in Telford. Unlike Stoke’s Soundpots, we began with just one music leader (myself), running pilots in eight PVIs and pre-schools. From the beginning it was clear that managers and their staff were hungry for input and new ideas. I was warmly embraced, and it was fulfilling watching both the practitioners’ and children’s confidence grow over the weeks.

As so often in early years, it’s the simplest things that work. Nursery rhymes, every day props. Sophisticated materials are not needed, though of course there is no knowing where one can ‘go’ with them or how sophisticated your delivery can become when you have your music leader’s eye and ear on the ‘child-led’.  Our tunes and words were often adapted by both the children and staff to everyday situations within the life of a nursery, such as issuing instructions, and there were some sessions where creative ideas using instruments and props really took off.  At one setting, a local childminder came to observe twice and went away to make a scrunchy. It’s a simple accessory, but opens up a whole new way of singing with your children. 

For me, Soundpots in Telford has really developed me as an early years music leader. I have been practising for 17 years but there is always more to learn and practitioners and I did much sharing of ideas and repertoire. When I ran a training session for one of the hubs, some said it was the best training they had ever received!  This for me was a highlight. This effusive response says much about the gap that Youth Music, Telford & Wrekin Music Service and Make Some Noise have been helping to fill.