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Music4U's Music for Life Conference Programme Now Confirmed!

Music4U is pleased to announce the full programme for our upcoming conference, 'Music for Life - The Impact of Music on the Wellbeing of Deaf Young People', which will take place at the National Centre for Early Music on Friday, 27 February 2015, from 09:30-16:30.

Music4U is delighted to announce that the conference programmme for our Music for Life conference is now confirmed. We have an exciting line-up of speakers who will talk to us about how music can improve mental and emotional wellbeing in deaf young people. Here is a list of our presenters:

  • Conductor Charles Hazlewood, who founded the British Paraorchestra - the world's first ever orchestra for virtuoso musicians with disabilities which closed the London 2012 Paralympics, will be our keynote speaker. 
  • Barry Wright, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Hull York Medical School, will talk about the wellbeing issues deaf young people face.
  • Mary Bell and Teresa Gale from Drake Music Scotland will focus on the practicalities of teaching instrumental music using the Figurenotes system.
  • Ali Harmer and Ceilidh-Jo Rowe from The Music Works (formerly Gloucester Music Makers) will present their Youth Music-funded project, 'Playing Around Sound', which aims to establish a music repertoire for children with cochlear implants. 
  • Jonathan Heale, from Advanced Communication Solutions, will talk about the 'Play Safe Now - Hear Tomorrow' campaign which raises awareness about exposure to loud sound levels in music education.
  • Dr Chris Barlow, from Southampton Solent University, will discuss the risks and opportunities of using mobile devices for listening to music.

This year, we will be hosting break-out sessions with three deaf role models - musicians Sean Chandler (@2hearingaids), James Holt and Ruth Montgomery. These sessions will provide delegates with the opportunity to chat with our role models about their music and experiences in small group settings.

We are also delighted to be welcoming two groups of young people who will be performing for us: York's new Singing and Signing Choir and pupils from the Sirius Academy in Hull, both supported by Music and the Deaf.

And finally we will be hosting marketplace stalls which will feature information about local and national services and resources for deaf young people.

The conference will be held on Friday, 27 February 2015, from 9.30am to 4.30pm at the National Centre for Early Music. Registration costs £40 unless you take advantage of our early bird offer of £35 by Monday, 12 January 2015. Full programme and booking details are available at www.ncem.co.uk/hearing2015.