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"Innovate...or..DIE!"

Innovation should be a cornerstone of our work. It helps us to stand out in an increasingly competitive market place and can provide the sector as a whole with inspiration as to how it can move forward in the mission; changing the lives of young people through music. Even if we're not natural risk takers we can still be innovators by adapting existing methodologies and approaches to advance our practice. We're all unique and creative, and creativity is surely at the root of innovation.

Let me say firstly that I'm no expert on this. Having recently finished some excellent Music Leader business training I've heard this buzz word innovation flying around a lot recently and have worked hard to incorporate it into my business thinking, not just into my music.  I'd like to share some of my own reflections and mistakes and hopefully spark some thought and discussion on this topic.

Innovation vs Invention

So what is innovation then? Innovation is about finding new ways to meet the agenda of your settings and clients. These could be Children's Centre's and little ones or PRU's and young adults.  According to the great Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innovation)  innovation differs from invention in that it is concerned with the adaptation of an existing format rather than the invention of a new one.  The wheel is an invention but is the source of a planet's worth of innovation.

A simple example of innovation in our sector might be a violin teacher looking to improve a pupil's understanding of the note positions on the neck by replacing those tired small white stickers with colour coded ones that correspond to the musical alphabet. An invention here might be using an electric violin rigged up to a laptop that then projects tone colours across the room. In fact, I need to try that...

As professional Music Leaders who are committed to reflective practice we innovate naturally without realising it; “OK that worked but this didn't. How can I improve this for next time?”. This is an innovation because it hones your existing methodologies by making them more successful, engaging and efficient.  If we don't reflect then we won't innovate and if we don't innovate then our career will suffer.

Speaking of which...

Like many of us recently I've had to be brutally honest with myself about my life goals and whether or not I can achieve them through a career in the creative arts, including work in arts education and community music. I also turned 30 last month which, along with making me rather pensive has actually been an unexpectedly positive boot in the backside.

I entered community music after finishing an Ancient History degree in 2006. It was just as the glory days of funding were fading but thankfully I found it easy to get work. Music Leader West Midlands were a great help to me in this, providing me with six years of professional training and opportunities. I said “yes” to everything that came my way and the last six years have seen me working in contexts as diverse as orphanages in  post earthquake Haiti, secure mental health units for young offenders, as an artist in residence at several Children's Centres and as a band development leader for children with learning disabilities.

However,

As funding streams tightened and shifted I began to lose gigs and contacts. This was mainly because I became bored with much of my work and subsequently lazy. Not endearing traits in a competitive marketplace. I didn't keep abreast of developments as I hadn't invested my creative mind into my work. I just didn't see an angle  for my love of risk taking and innovation so I did a lot of gigging, travelling, and some relevant work abroad but I came home after a year with a neglected professional network, a low profile and an unknown reputation. Thankfully, I've now found the solution and I'm happier and much busier.

Fusing passion with practice

It's impossible to get creative and innovate if we're not all that interested in what we're doing. Recent research of the British workforce has shown that nearly 40% of us see our job solely as a source of income with no added value with a similar percentage not caring being unhappy in their work. 1 I'd like to think that this figure is much lower in our sector as we're making music and helping people after all. However, we might not all be doing exactly the kind of thing we want to. Perhaps we're having to diversify to survive? Maybe you're having to teach recorder workshops when you really want to run a free jazz flute ensemble, or as I was, leading traditional song writing workshops in primary schools when I wanted to be doing something much more...well, me!

Fusing our passion with our practice might be easier than we think. We just need to keep two key elements in mind;

1.)What really inspires me musically? 2.)How can I integrate more of this into my work?

Below is an self-concocted example of how this might work;

Your passion – Close vocal harmony, Celtic folk songs, a'capella singing Your toolkit – Making people feel relaxed and confident, getting the best out of people's natural voices. Your setting's / client's or funding agenda – Getting young women engaged in a positive group experience and building their communication and social skills. Your participant's agenda – RnB, dance and beat boxing.

Now if you're a folk singer you might think that you're not right for this kind of thing, “It's too far removed from my specialism. I run folk singing workshops, not my gig”. Maybe. But think again. You're perfect because you're passionate about close harmony and a’capella singing and you love the folk tradition; all core elements of RnB music. Just because you normally teach that amazing a'capella version of After the Goldrush (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TBUH-9I_xA) doesn't mean you can't do this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VlmBy6DPMM).

If only we all had access to a voice that big!

If we Innovate and use our core musical passions as the fuel for that innovation then we'll be doing something unique, and unique is good!   I try to ask myself, how can I engage these people with my skill set? What are the universal elements here? Where are the roots? I then bend my practice accordingly but always, always remain honest with myself and my participants.

Am I in tune?

If you feel that you already reflect and innovate then you may be thinking that this doesn't apply to you. Perhaps it doesn't, but as freelancers or organisations it's important that we keep our ears to the sound-hole. The market place is changing, funding streams are shifting and potential employers are looking for people that can respond to this new landscape in creative ways. Innovation adds value and if we can show that we are passionate and innovative as well as skilled and experienced then we're sure to be admiring this vista from towers and hills rather than the valley floor.

Good luck!