Live Music Now promotes inclusivity of melody-making at NI Science Festival

Teachers, musicians, and teaching students from across Northern Ireland heard about the importance of music for every child regardless of ability, at a ‘Musical Inclusion’ event presented by music charity Live Music Now in partnership with NI Science Festival last week.

Participants at Stranmillis University College heard from leading researcher Professor Adam Ockelford who presented on the ‘Sounds of Intent’, an inclusive framework of musical engagement which helps music teachers, therapists, musicians, carers, relatives, and friends understand how children engage with music in different ways and support their progress.

The ‘Sounds of Intent’ free resource has been made available to schools and families in Northern Ireland by Live Music Now musicians who are trained on how to maximise its value and use with young people. This year alone, Live Music Now musicians have worked with 3,400 young people in 19 special schools, across Northern Ireland.

Speaking at the event, Professor Ockelford said: “Every child is musical, regardless of ability, and every child should have equal access to discovering and fulfilling their musical potential. It’s very exciting to hear that Live Music Now is working with so many special schools here, and to learn more from teachers and families about the excellent work being done. The ‘Sounds of Intent’ charity is working in partnership with Trinity College London to offer a suite of fully inclusive qualifications for schools and Live Music Now aims to support local schools to pilot it here.”

Alongside Professor Ockelford, Live Music Now mentor and trainer Gary Day, from Garden of Music, presented on the use of accessible technology to facilitate music-making, which highlighted the ability of tech to enable music to be made by those with varying abilities.

Teachers who attended the presentations reflected on how much they had learned and welcomed the chance to talk with peers and share ideas.

Caroline Harris,a teacher from Beechlawn school, Hillsborough who presented alongside Professor Ockelford advised student teachers; “Other teachers say to me that if their pupils had music every day the difference would be transformative.”