YOUNG TUTORS KEEP THE BEAT GOING

the Reeltime Music newsletter - December 2009

A group of young music tutors descended on the state of the art “Platform” Arts Centre in Easterhouse on 19th April to mark the end of Reeltime Music’s year long Tutor Training Programme. The participants celebrated their achievements in style by participating celebrated their achievements in style by participating in African Drumming and Bag Piping workshops as well as reviewing their achievements over the year and finding out more about the community music sector in Scotland.

The Tutor Training Programme, funded by the BrannockBrannock Area Fair Share Panel, was an initiative which aimed to address a number of needs identified by Reeltime Music in recent years. In the main these included the need to pass on the wealth of experience and skills picked up by Reeltime tutors experience and skills picked up by Reeltime tutors over the past 12 years, a need for further develop of links with local community organisations and a demand for more skilled tutors to help the organisation cope with an increasing workload.

The training sessions consisted of three sessions at Reeltime Music which delivered insights on preparation, working with people, procedures and preparation, working with people, procedures and musical ability in an informal and involving format.

Each trainee then completed a six hour placement Each trainee then completed a six hour placement teaching groups of young people on programmes de-livered in partnership with local agencies. Many of these agencies had not worked closely with us before and many would not have had access to funding to do so.

Eight workshop projects were completed and the training sessions were so popular that it was run a further twice over the year. In total 20 young people completed the full training course (twice the target number) and over 100 hours of volunteering were accumulated. Partner agencies involved in the programme included: Fairplay For Families, Congolese Music Group, Bellshill & Mossend Congolese Music Group, Bellshill & Mossend YMCA, Taylor and Brannock High School, and Community Learning & Development.

Overall, the project was an overwhelming success thanks to the dedication of the projects co-ordinators Scott Brazil and Martin Corcoran. Their hard work ensured that the young people involved in the project gained increased confidence involved in the project gained increased confidence and skills both musically and in the areas of working and tutoring local people. A number of the young people involved have gone on to secure Sessional jobs as music tutors and as a result have demonstrated creative thinking towards the world of work.

One of the most important outcomes of the project One of the most important outcomes of the project however, must be the increasingly positive perception of our local young people by the local community. Often given a bad press and seen as anti-social, our young people are a great example of how talent and self expression can be used to create positive role models in our local communities.communities.

UNEMPLOYED ADULTSMAKING TRACKS

North Lanarkshire adults have been making tracks back to employment, education and training recently on the STUDIO course at Reeltime Music.

Reeltime Music has been providing an informal training course to participants, who are unemployed and 16+ years old through the Specialist Job Brokerage Fund, as part of North Specialist Job Brokerage Fund, as part of North Lanarkshire’s Working.

Our programme, based around music and musical activities, was delivered in three separate six week courses (two days per week, four hours per session) over 35 weeks.

The programme also incorporated a number of The programme also incorporated a number of different “lessons” that our staff have learned through the delivery of previous programmes with similar client groups. The main strands to the informal learning programme were:

1. Individual Element (approx 8 hours)

* Practical experience and tuition in playing an instrument instrument* Practical experience in sound engineering and music production* Positive reinforcement, highlighting of positive skills

2. Group Element (approx 30 hours)

* Working together to create an end product (CD, DVD etc)* Promotion of basic group skills (communication, patience etc)* Increase in experience of positive group settings. settings.

3. Employability Element (approx 10 hours)

* Group visit to music industry related venue (theatre etc)* Basic information and advice on music industry careers* Liaison with Keyworker/info on further activities and opportunities activities and opportunities

The final course finished in October and since then a number of participants have gone on to higher education, employment & training, as well as many of the participants becoming Reeltime Music volunteers.

Between them the participants have achieved Between them the participants have achieved 3 music albums, 2 music videos, a podcast made at BBC Scotland, a visit to Kings Theatre, took part in a Reggae workshop, and a tour backstage at the SECC.

reelprojects

TINY TUNES FOR PARENTS AND TOTS

Access, in partnership with Reeltime Music and NYCOS (National Youth Choir of Scotland) ran a pilot programme involving Access clients who are vulnerable and at risk to homelessness and are young parents.The programme was aimed at encouraging The programme was aimed at encouraging a positive interaction with young parents and their children using music as a vehicle.

The programme ran for 5 weeks with NYCOS Choir Director Lucinda Geoghegan and Reeltime Music tutors facilitating the workshops.

The sessions lasted up to 50 minutes. In The sessions lasted up to 50 minutes. In these sessions the children and their par-ents were encouraged to interact with music making using their voices, bodies and a range of musical instruments and props.

This approach helped develop positive communication skills for both parent and child.

- Increased confidence and self esteem - Increase interaction between parent and child- Increase in skills development- Increased parent and child development- Promotion of a more positive image and future for young parents within the local future for young parents within the local authority - Increased engagement of young parents within the local authority - Positive communication skills- Group Work Skills

The programme was also aimed at training The programme was also aimed at training the Reeltime Music Tutors on working with young children, as they had always been used to working with older children and young adults.

The feedback from the tutors and staff was all positive. They found it a new and interesting challenge working with really interesting challenge working with really young children and would look forward to running similar programmes.

SPOTLIGHT ON SOUND MINDS

get involved

VOLUNTEERING

If you have an interest in music, and If you have an interest in music, and would like to help others have have some free time, why not become one of our volunteers? As well as helping others, you too could also benefit by enhancing your skills.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

WWe are always actively looking for more members to become part of the management team at Reeltime Music. All we ask is that you have a passion for music and helping others, a strong ocmmitment and dedicaton in helping further our organisation.

PROJECTSPROJECTS

Reeltime Music can deliver high quality outreach projects, especially to young people. If you or your organisation has an idea about a future project, please contact us and we will be more than happy to discuss this further.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our funders, partners, staff, tutors and volunteers for all of the support they have given us over this last year.

WWe really hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

THANK YOU

CONTACT DETAILS:

Reeltime MusicNeNewarthill Community CentreHigh StreetNewarthillMotherwellML1 5JU

(01698) 862860

E: info@reeltimemusic.net