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Centre: Drake Music Project
Charlotte completed her Bronze Award with Drake Music, a charity who works nationally with disabled musicians of all ages to explore, compose and perform music. Charlotte plays music by moving her head and her thumbs using assistive music technology. For her Arts Award, she performed a Bach Cello piece, learnt how to compose music and attended two classical music concerts.
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Taking part
Charlotte had music sessions with Drake Music and learned to play an abridged arrangement of the Prelude to Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major. Charlotte plays a MIDI motion sensor by moving her head from side to side to sound each individual cello note. This requires extremely precise control of very small head movements. She changes the configuration of notes available to be played on the MIDI motion sensor by clicking a switch with her left thumb. Charlotte’s right thumb controls another switch that turns the cello sound on and off. The video of her performance can be seen here; http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=sNBhIZCL54Q
Arts events
Charlotte went to a Vivaldi concert in a local church near Stroud and a concert of French Impressionist music at St. George’s in Bristol. She thought both concerts were unique but particularly enjoyed the harp and the violin at the St. George’s concert.
Arts hero
She chose John Lennon, as he’s renowned world wide. Charlotte found that John Lennon had many interesting aspects including his inability to express emotions off stage. She used the internet to do her research.
Arts apprenticeship
She learned how to use Sibelius software to compose music. Charlotte uses auditory and visual software and a hands free mouse that allows her to access a computer and to control Sibelius.
Learning
She enjoyed investigating famous musicians and learning about the wide varieties of avenues there are available to play music through. Her portfolio included videos of her performing a Bach Cello piece and demonstrating Sibelius, an illustrated, written project on John Lennon and a written reflection on the Vivaldi concert. She particularly enjoyed learning to compose music and in the future would perhaps like to do a music technology course or music GCSE.
"The Arts Award has given Charlotte the opportunity to develop her musical skills and gain accreditation in a way that no other course was able to provide. No other scheme is as accommodating of Assistive Music Technology as the Arts Award." Doug Bott, Regional Programme Manager for Drake Music South West
