Connect Resound
Research project Connect Resound brings inclusive, effective music education to excluded and remote areas around the UK.
In modern society, many people’s goals and aspirations can be heavily limited by something as simple as their location. For some this may limit their social interaction, for others it may disallow them to get the job they are very much striving to secure. But in more rural and secluded living environments, simply learning new skills can often be an issue.
Connect: Resound is an action research project, which aims to bring musical education and enrichment to children in rural and isolated areas, while giving a higher standard of music education in line with the teachers in these areas. The project has taken off around the country after a successful trial period in North Yorkshire, spanning Music Hubs in East Riding, County Durham, Darlington Cumbria and Cornwall.
With the use of several video cameras, the necessary instruments, and a Roland 3EX mixer, the teacher’s playing can be broadcasted to the learner’s equipment and vice versa, allowing for accurate and effective tuition. The teacher and learners are able to see one another through a Skype call with use of the cameras, allowing the teacher to demonstrate technique and fine movements more effectively. This level of interaction and depth would not be achievable in in any other way that is so cost effective.
Giles Woolley, the Connect: Resound teacher for Cornwall, who is delivering to the Isles of Scilly has had a fantastic response nurturing young students as an ensemble; after an introductory course, 50% of the students from the Isles of Scilly class continued with the Connect: Resound project to perform and learn music together. Giles said “I used to spend so much time in my car driving around Cornwall to students. It’s really great that I can now teach just as effectively from my base without having to drive anywhere. We are really pleased with the progress of our pilot and also delighted to have been invited to present our project as a case study at the Connect:Resound conference in York in June. I believe we are the only Connect:Resound partner to use the technology to support band development rather than individual or small group tuition on one instrument.”
For more information about Connect:Resound go to http://www.nymaz.org.uk/connectresound
For more information about Cymaz Music go to http://cymazmusic.org.uk/