Projects / Big and Small Music Makers

Big and Small Music Makers

Music for Change's Big and Small Music Makers project ran from January 2010 - January 2011. It was funded by Canterbury Coastal and City & Country Local Children's Services Partnerships (LCSPs). The positive effect of music making in the early years is well documented; music helps stimulate learning and development within young children. Big and Small Music Makers gave children in local pre-schools the opportunity to see and play instruments whilst partaking in live music sessions. The aim of the project was to engage children (aged 2-5) in informal music-making activities by using musicians to lead and interact with small groups of children.

 

LCSP

LCSP

The project was facilitated by five musicians who each spent 4 weeks in four different pre-schools, giving them a chance to build a rapport with the children. The pre-schools were City View in Canterbury, The Firs in Chartham, Sturry Pre-School and Blean Pre-School. The musicians were Tim Davy (tuba), Mike Wheeler (melodeon) and Ruth Cronk (concertina), Livia Sevier (vocals/guitar) and Katy Diamond-Jalloh (vocals/guitar/flute). The project was a great success with staff, children and musicians thoroughly enjoying the sessions. Monthly ‘open' sessions were held in local children's centres, giving parents the chance to attend and experience the sessions with their children.

Some positive outcomes that pre-school staff noted were;

  • children gaining in confidence
  • children learning and remembering new songs
  • children with English as a second language have been able to participate fully
  • exposure to unusual instruments
  • musical exercises that help co-ordination, confidence-building, sharing, listening, self-expression and concentration.

The children explored rhythm, tempo and pitch whilst thoroughly enjoying the participatory sessions which encouraged appreciation of music, song and dance.