Michael Davidson

I rebelled against piano lessons as a child and learnt guitar and songwriting  informally from family and friends, performing in youth clubs at folk clubs in the halcyon days of punk.

I studied English at Edinburgh University, but got most from a course there on Oral Literature and Popular culture run at the School of Scottish studies, which had been set up by the late great Hamish Henderson, previously been instrumental in setting up the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The course featured archive recordings of songs and stories from traveller and island communities across Scotland, captured partly to demonstrate that local 'community' arts  have as much value as the 'high', and that this also connected the local to the  international. Each term concluded with a ceilidh of performances from students, staff and source singers/storytellers. Almost everything  I've done since as a musician and educator has been informed by this model, albeit with slight variations on a theme!

I'm interested in how music can bring about change by freeing and connecting people, but also think inclusion is a major driver in quality. Creativity, (particularly improvisation and composition), can help support emotional learning. but  the valuing of difference over conformity supports both social inclusion and talent development; too many record companies are looking for clones! Music can benefit social inclusion, but inclusion also drives original and high quality music...its not just about 'b*ms on seats!'.

I project managed the Youth Music funded inclusion projects Vocalise (2007-8) and  Hertfordshire Songwriter 2012, (2010-2012) and  currently (2012-2014) leading the development of the Youth Music Funded Musical Inclusion network Musicnet-East. This project aims to build a network of organisations (Hubs, venues, schools, independent providers and non-music based commisioning teams) and musicians ( peripatetic tutors,  informal workshop tutors, classroom practitioners and professional performers), to develop use of music to support inclusion. We are hoping to identify and share effective practice, develop innovative projects, build capacity in organisations, run projects in geographical cold spots, and develop  local and regional informal music progression networks. Along the way we hope to raise awarenees of musical leadership as carreer route.

We are covering the East of England in partnership with the Garage Trust, Norwich, who are supporting Norfolk, Suffolk, Peterborough and North Cambs, whilst we are supporting Luton, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Southend, Thurrock and South Cambs,.

From 1985-2003 I worked mainly as an instrumental tutor of guitar, and am particularly interested in the broadening the role of the instrumental tutor to support music mentoring ,  bridging school and community music and linking to the wider curriculum.

Selected Informal Musical Inclusion Projects

The Event, (1992-2008) Freman College, Buntingford, an annual informal music concert festival, with a high degree of young people’s musical leadership and bi-learning.

'Sing til we're winning', (2002)  A community songwriting CD consisting of song written by former, current and previous pupils and staff of Freman College, developed in support of the specialist college bid.

Hertfordshire Family Music Project, (2003-present ) An annual, SFA funded, county-wide informal music project that supports parenting and social cohesion. Offers accessible provision in Rock music ( Family Jams),  acoustic, guitar, World music including Djembes, Taiko,  Gospel  and Bollywood Singing. Open to all, but targeted at  adult learners with below level 2 qualifications and schools with high proportion of FSM, with an additional target of BME and Male learners. Links to Wider Opps whole class instrumental tuition. Originally strategically commissioned to engage hard to reach male learners.

The Rock Project 2003-present) a network of rockschools that offer progression to performances in  authentic venues.

Vocalise, (2007-8) An urban music project running in ESC’s and for targeted vulnerable groups in mainstream schools, using lyric writing in rap to support literacy and emotional learning. Funded by youth Music's Open Programme, with match funding from District and Borough councils.

Hertfordshire Songlines, an intergenerational song-writing model where young people write songs based on the reminiscences of elders. (Hertford Community Songwriter 2007, funded by Hertford Extended Schools, Music for a Generation 2013, funded by HCC Well-Being team)

Hertfordshire Songwriter, a biennial song-writing competition to nurture song-writing and develop talent. Gives young people a chance to collaborate with peers, workshop leaders and professionals to write songs, and receive feedback from professionals and industry. The project more a production company based on nurturing models such as Witchseason than a competition and are developing it as a young person led project. Judges have included Boo Hewerdine, Feargal Sharkey, Goldie, Annie Nightingale. Songwriter also functions as an informal progression network connecting young people to showcases at venues and festivals. (Songwriter 2012 was a Youth music funded Spotlight Project, with match funding from HCC teams CLA, Youth Connexions and Bme Achievement Team ). Songwriter also functions as an informal progression network connecting young people to showcases at venues and festivals, and we are keen to develop this regionally.

Music and Mental Health, funded 2011-12 by LSIS to develop CPD on use of music to support mental health. SFA (via the Hertfordshire Adult Family Learning Service, funded Herts Music and Mental Health project run in partnership with Guideposts Trust, Mind In Mid Herts, Viewpoint and Turning Point to offer drumming courses to service users.

All projects look to source and train local informal workshop leaders, including some from vulnerable groups.