Free Time music making in a Pupil Referral Unit - By Ann Jones (music leader for mac makes music)

As musicians we are used to the freedom that allows us to choose when to play and what to play: the freedom to practise and develop our skills, alone, or with friends and colleagues. Many of us will have been well supported in our youth, being allowed the time and space to play and develop as musicians.

I am currently working in a primary pupil referral unit (PRU) with mac makes music trialing a session of free time music making for the children. This is run during “social time”; the thirty minutes of the lunch break where students can choose what they do.

Initial Reactions

PRU staff were initially sceptical, doubtful that any child would choose to come back to do more music having participated in a group session earlier in the day. I was also unsure. I had never tried this before in a PRU and was prepared that, if it didn’t work, we would use the time differently. Our worries were unfounded.

The spaces in the ‘Free Time’ session are so oversubscribed that we have had to introduce a rota system to allow all the children who want to participate the chance to.

What happens?

In the Free Time session;

• Young people are given the freedom to work independently on a variety of   musical instruments.            
• The music leader is on hand to give guidance and support if and when requested.
• There is an optional performance opportunity at end of session, for individuals, to share what they have been working on and receive constructive comments from other members of the group.

First results

Young people are asking for;

• New Drumming patterns 
• Ways to structure composition
• Scalic and chromatic patterns
• Guitar chords
• Overcoming technical difficulties
• Playing together as a duo or group
• 85% of the group want to perform

Best Practice

 In common with other community musicians, my work is participant led. When facilitating I am always looking at ways to empower and challenge young people, whilst retaining a sense of fun, and creating a safe environment.  My work with young musicians has traditionally been done within group contexts.

Giving the young people the opportunity to work independently is a freedom this particular group have rarely encountered. Within a PRU there is the staff anxiety that as vulnerable and sometimes volatile young people, the freedom to explore may be counterproductive.

What I am seeing in our sessions is creative and focused music work: young people ignited and also calmed by the opportunity to develop individually or to form a band and rock out with their friends. Behaviour within the free session is good, and I am sure this is due to the self directed nature of the work. The freedom to work independently and the element of trust that is displayed in allowing the participants the chance to devise, develop and experiment as musicians, is raising self-esteem, boosting confidence, but also, enabling these young musicians to find their own musical voice, and express themselves.

Why it this working and how to prolong effect in the face of challenges?

I am not a fan of purely didactic teaching. The author Harold Pinter said;

“Meaning that is parcelled, labelled and ready for export is dull, impertinent and meaningless.”

Translating this to my role as music facilitator, I feel a responsibility to create a freedom and space to enable creative music making, not only within my sessions, but to empower young people to follow this independently.

I have seen children bursting with enthusiasm at the end of the free sessions running to tell parents and carers what they have been doing, only to see their musical bubble burst with “You are not having a violin, a guitar, drums.” delivered in an unequivocal, sometimes resentful manner. I have heard several stories from young people of previous musical endeavours curtailed through lack of support at home and at previous schools.

A staggering 9 out of 10 of the children I am working with have told me they were regularly excluded from music sessions in their mainstream school because of behaviour issues. Ironically, for many of these children, music is a way back into education. It is a means of expressing or overcoming emotions and finding a peace and calm that exist far too infrequently elsewhere in their lives.

One very gifted boy told me “This is the best thing I have done in my life.”

Another child commented  "I liked playing together. I forgot about being me, and just felt calm."

How we might develop?

My question is how this desire to learn music independently can be sustained both within the setting, and in the wider context of these young people’s lives. I am encouraging staff to facilitate more musical ‘Free Time’ when I am not present. They may need support though; perhaps the SOLE concept could help? I think that in part, what is occurring within this ‘Free Time’ space connects with the notion of self organised learning put forward by Sugata Mitra:                   

http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education?language=en

In his research children can embark on intellectual adventures by engaging and connecting with information and mentoring online. The result in learning is deeply embedded. Could the next step in the pursuit of ‘Free Time’ be the introduction of a SOLE style session?  Could the young people in this PRU, in small groups, using a shared PC, explore, discuss and practically respond to online musical information and activity? Mitra suggests it is the discussion that leads to the retention and deep learning that occurs. Could children develop musical skills and knowledge through their own debate, combining online information and knowledge with creative, practical music making?

However this is ultimately developed within this Primary PRU, I know that it is a concept I am keen to introduce into other projects. For the children on this project, I hope that the passion for music currently being engendered can be nurtured, and supported, whether by other adults, or through independent work. As musicians, we know both are vital.