Example of workshop

An example of the structure of JamTent workshops run by Keith Redfern at the following venues - Sandgate Special School Kendal, Mill Lane Day Centre Barrow, George Hastwell School

Sessions were run at these venues with groups of participants with varying levels of speech and mobility. We typically began with an ice breaking rhythm session using the many different percussion instruments that we had brought. We then developed this by choosing a song that we knew and playing along to it. This gave an opportunity for us to get contributions from the group and a 'way in' musically. We then introduced some of the music technology equipment that we had brought – including kaoscillator, thumb jam, smart guitar and keyboard connected to the ipad. This resulted in 'conducted' jam sessions featuring each participant playing together and then being invited to play a solo in turn. There was a good level of participation throughout and many examples of individuals responding to the music and being empowered by the opportunity of making a contribution. In one session a teenage boy, who has an ASD became very attached to the keyboard and seemed to really settle to the task. At the end of the session we were told by a staff member that this was the most settled they had seen him in a classroom. At the same session another participant who was in a wheelchair and had no speech was assisted by a T/A using a smart phone playing a bass line in thumb jam. In that session we developed the jam into a song with a theme of nature sound from the Lake district to tie in with a project that the class had been working on recently and featured various animal sounds. The song came together quickly and all the members engaged. Where it was appropriate we would invite members of the group to lead and conduct sessions themselves which many did , and found this to be an empowering experience.