Download Early Ears tech guidance notes

EARLY EARS TECH GUIDANCE NOTES
‘Early Ears’ was a National Foundation for Youth Music funded project delivered by Future
Projects in Norwich, in partnership with University Campus Suffolk and Laboratory Media
Education. The project aimed to explore music making technology and techniques and to
evaluate their impact on the musical and wider development of young children in challenging
circumstances in Norfolk.
The project brought together music technology, free play, and music therapy approaches
within Nursery/Early Years settings and led to a number of key learning points. The purpose
of these Guidance Notes is to share our learning with Early Years practitioners in order that
they can deliver high quality music using the technology and techniques we explored.
Enabling Environments
Where to deliver: Creating a suitable learning environment is crucial to engaging young
children in music making. Early Years settings which promote free play and flexible delivery
are better suited to maximising the impact of Music Tech delivery. Settings which follow
more rigid, structured approaches to timetabling and activities are often not able to
accommodate the successful approaches developed.
Safe Spaces: Creating a safe space slightly away from hustle and bustle provides
opportunities for children to engage on their own terms. Children that often shy away from
collaboration or noisy environments can be better engaged by placing Music Tech
equipment in different areas and by setting up devices for independent use – without the
need for practitioner input. This enables some children to explore devices and music making
in a way which suits them, and often leads to greater interaction later on. Our research
showed that quieter children displayed twice the number of ‘engagement events’ in Music
Tech sessions compared to Non-Tech.
Holding Music: Playing background or holding music in sessions can encourage them to
make music as part of something which already sounds good. This often breaks down
barriers to engagement and provides children with a pleasing sound of which they are
actively contributing. It means that the sounds they make are not exposed so clearly in front
of others.
Be aware that loud and/or aggressive music can quickly excite children, which can be good
but can also lead to an escalation of negative behaviour.
Headphones: Headphones create new, safe environments that are particularly effective in
engaging children who might not feel comfortable participating in a group activity. In a noisy
environment, headphones often promote longer periods of engagement. Headphones can
be used to support children with confidence issues as they can engage in musical
exploration independently until confident enough to share with others.
Wireless headphones are a good idea as when distracted; children can wander off dragging
the equipment with them. Care must be taken to limit the volume of headphones as hearing
damage is irreparable.
Work on the floor: Using expensive Music Tech with small children might suggest that using
a table is prudent. However we have found that tables and chairs restrict access to the
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instrument and encourage selfish behaviour. They also restrict the child’s ability to use the
instruments flexibly, as part of their wider play, whereas an instrument on the floor can be
accessed from many sides and leads to greater sharing and turn taking.
Techniques
Less is more: Although children often engage with anything new and different, we have
found that there is a deeper musical experience to be had by developing the use of one
instrument/device repeatedly over time. Repeated use enables children build their
knowledge of Music Tech instruments and to explore more advanced musical concepts.
Introducing too many new instruments/devices often leads to shorter engagement and
restricts the depth of the musical experience.
Relationships: Music Tech can be used to encourage the development of relationships
amongst children. Using multi-user applications, or by setting out fewer devices than children
(so there is not one device/instrument per child) enables children to engage in sharing and
turn taking, creating musical conversations. These outcomes can also be used to promote
greater verbal and non-verbal communication amongst children – particularly those that
present very little by way of verbal interaction.
Quality of sounds: Digital instruments often produce very high quality sounds in pre-set
scales. High quality sounds often require skills that take years of practice to perfect with
analogue instruments. This gives a unique opportunity to explore advanced musical
concepts such as phrasing in solos or improvisation and recording compositions. With
immediate access to quality sounds, and regular access (see ‘Less is more’ above) children
are able to develop advanced music making skills more quickly.
Multi-Modal/Multi-sensory: Music Tech provides unique opportunities for children to learn
through visual, auditory and tactile experiences. Young children often do not separate these
senses, and touchscreen devices in particular bring all three together. Apps which present
both audio and visual output as a result of a child’s input, for example; ‘BLOOM’ are
particularly engaging. This is particularly useful for quieter children, who, in our experience,
displayed twice as increased engagement events when using Music Tech in comparison
with non-Music Tech.
Problem Solving: Music Tech can offer opportunities for wider problem solving activities, for
example; some apps involve music-based games. In some instances children have shown
the ability to navigate complex menus to adjust volume or output of devices. These activities
should be recognised as unique to Music Tech and therefore encouraged. However, care
must be taken to restrict children from resetting volume controls to unsafe levels.
Play: Children often do not differentiate between a musical instrument and a toy.
Practitioners therefore should consider this when delivering music sessions. Encouraging
children to bring play into music and vice versa often encourages greater engagement and
further exploration of the possibilities of Music Tech devices. Practitioners can bring music
into existing play in order to engage children that do not elect to engage freely.
Monitoring
Added value for Early Years Settings: We found that monitoring children’s use of Music Tech
using therapeutic tools enabled us to better identify progression against the Early Years
Foundation Stage Profiles. This was particularly useful in Early Years settings as it provided
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a new avenue for Early Years staff to recognise developments and therefore reinforced the
value and impact of Music Tech provision.
Other opportunities
Access to technology in the home: Our survey results showed that more children had access
to digital devices in the home than musical instruments (toy or real). This presents an
exciting opportunity which our project was built upon; turning an everyday item into a music
learning platform. Practitioners should seek to engage with parents to identify apps and
techniques which can build upon work in their settings, providing children with access to
music making tools in the home.
Music Tech devices:
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Apple iPads – Touchscreen tablet computers for which a range of Applications can
be downloaded. Be sure to purchase hardwearing cases such as the ‘Griffin Survivor’
to protect from accidental damage.
Leap motion sensors and/or Theremin – enable touch free manipulation of sound.
Particularly useful for introducing abstract concepts to music making.
Alphasphere – ball of tactile audio visual pads. Useful for initial engagement and
introducing and combining visual and auditory modalities.
Applications on Apple iPad:
It is important to understand that it is not just the technology that supports children's
development but the approaches and techniques used (as mentioned above) that leads to a
deeper and more profound learning experience. These were the 3 main apps we used on
Appple iPads during the training sessions that we delivered.
1. Bloom
The gentle colourful bubbles that play soft music.
Cost: £2.99
Description: Developed by ambient pioneer Brian Eno and musician / software designer
Peter Chilvers, Bloom explores uncharted territory in the realm of applications.. Part
instrument, part composition and part artwork, Bloom's innovative controls allow anyone to
create elaborate patterns and unique melodies by simply tapping the screen. A generative
music player takes over when Bloom is left idle, creating an infinite selection of compositions
and their accompanying visualisations.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/bloom/id292792586?mt=8
2. Thumbjam
The blue striped notes that play a scale with any instrument.
Cost: £6.99
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Descritpion: ThumbJam is a powerful musical performance experience. You get over 40
high-quality real instruments multi-sampled exclusively for this app. Hundreds of included
scales allow you to effortlessly play in any style from rock to classical, whether you are a
musical novice or a seasoned professional.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/thumbjam/id338977566?mt=8b
3. Vio
Cost: Free
Description: The app that you sing into whilst wearing a headphones that transform your
voice.Vio pushes vocal processing on the iPad to new levels. From futuristic to fuzzy, 8-bit to
outer space, Vio’s presets are all waiting to be explored.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/vio/id595726666?mt=8
Contact Details
Address:
Future Projects
168b Motum Road
Norwich,
NR5 8EG
Tel: 01603 250505
E: info@futureprojects.org.uk
Web: www.futureprojects.org.uk
Early Ears Music Technology Practitioner Guidance Notes v2
31 May 2016