I'm a musician and researcher working in fields of health, well being and disability. I run music projects and training initiatives in a paediatric hospital in the UK. I lead on Songbirds - an award winning project for long term hospitalised children. I write about my practice as a means to better understand processes of musical interaction. Supervisors: Dr. Rachel Harris, SOAS, London and Dr. Angela Impey, SOAS, London Address: Manchester United Kingdom
International Journal of Community Music, Feb 1, 2018
abstRaCt Music making in a paediatric hospital offers new pathways to communication. Children bec... more abstRaCt Music making in a paediatric hospital offers new pathways to communication. Children become the leaders of musical interaction, as musicians carefully observe moods, emotions and the smallest of responses in order to be able to 'listen' to and respond to a child. Opportunities for music-making are created by the bedside and on the way to treatment. Medical professionals and families engage with live music and musicians, as a natural part of hospital life. Musical vocabulary is developed between musician and child patient to include music made with breath, mouth sounds, vocalization, hands and fingertips. Sense of time and space expand and contract in moments of music creation. Trust between musicians, patients and staff is gained through carefully paced musical interaction, ensuring a gradual exposure to musicians, live music and shared music-making. Songbirds, a two-year musi-cians' residency in a children's rehabilitation ward enabled children experiencing long-term hospitalization and their families to participate in regular music making sessions with myself and a colleague as part of their process of recovery. Many of the children were non-verbal and music making became an important element in supporting cognitive and social development and in reducing anxiety. In this case study of my practice as a musician working in a hospital I reflect on how the experience of making music with children informs and inspires processes of interaction and creativity, and how observations made during music making influence a musician's reflection and consolidation of practice.
abstRaCt Music making in a paediatric hospital offers new pathways to communication. Children bec... more abstRaCt Music making in a paediatric hospital offers new pathways to communication. Children become the leaders of musical interaction, as musicians carefully observe moods, emotions and the smallest of responses in order to be able to 'listen' to and respond to a child. Opportunities for music-making are created by the bedside and on the way to treatment. Medical professionals and families engage with live music and musicians, as a natural part of hospital life. Musical vocabulary is developed between musician and child patient to include music made with breath, mouth sounds, vocalization, hands and fingertips. Sense of time and space expand and contract in moments of music creation. Trust between musicians, patients and staff is gained through carefully paced musical interaction, ensuring a gradual exposure to musicians, live music and shared music-making. Songbirds, a two-year musi-cians' residency in a children's rehabilitation ward enabled children experiencing long-term hospitalization and their families to participate in regular music making sessions with myself and a colleague as part of their process of recovery. Many of the children were non-verbal and music making became an important element in supporting cognitive and social development and in reducing anxiety. In this case study of my practice as a musician working in a hospital I reflect on how the experience of making music with children informs and inspires processes of interaction and creativity, and how observations made during music making influence a musician's reflection and consolidation of practice.
Musicology Research Journal Issue 6 pp 103 -34, 2019
Learning alongside professional musicians as they work on
hospital wards offers medical and music... more Learning alongside professional musicians as they work on hospital wards offers medical and music students opportunities to explore new approaches to communication where music making is central to learning and reflection. It is not uncommon for these students to experience performance anxiety pressure during study, as emphasis on technical competence becomes heightened. Musicking during visits to wards encourages a reconnection with self, as focus shifts away from perceived pressures of institutionalized training towards a musically responsive and personalized approach to interaction and communication, embedded in acts of sound creation and shared listening. Through experiencing music making in hospital wards, music students make discoveries about musicianship, as they learn to find new ways of sound making on their instruments, and use body, voice, and percussion to improvise and interact with patients and fellow musicians. Medical students, familiar to some extent with the clinical environment, discover new approaches to bedside communication, developing skills in nonverbal interaction with child patients, and building an awareness of the value of a holistic approach to patient care. In being exposed to patients, family, and staff through music, these students are not only learning techniques of music making specific to the hospital environment; music ‘in the moment’ becomes key to increasing confidence in performance and communication, supporting increased wellbeing and resilience. Using feedback we have gained during Lime Music for Health training programmes delivered in partnership with The University of Manchester Medical School and the Royal Northern College of Music we will examine the benefits of these experiences and discuss why such opportunities are an important component in supporting student wellbeing.
"FROM BINGO TO BARTOK" * Creative and Innovative Approaches to Involving Older People with Orchestras, 2018
At City of London Sinfonia (CLS), a recent move to a
new model of practice in dementia settings h... more At City of London Sinfonia (CLS), a recent move to a new model of practice in dementia settings has resulted in the creation of a programme that is responsive to the needs of partners and extends the boundaries of orchestral practice. CLS’s new model is a ‘collaboration of the concert experience’ between musicians, residents and families, aligning itself with a shared ambition of orchestra and care home to provide person-centred musical experiences for isolated elderly people.
Frequalise is a ground breaking project designed to enable deaf or hard of hearing children and y... more Frequalise is a ground breaking project designed to enable deaf or hard of hearing children and young people (DHHCYP) explore the potential that technology offers in creating, performing and sharing music. Technology has had a profound impact on how music is produced and how young people engage with music. There is, however, a stark lack of understanding and expertise among educators as to how deaf people can engage with music technology, and the opportunities and challenges that this technology presents to those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Frequalise is the first in-depth project of its kind in the UK to explore how music making technology can be used to the greatest effect, both in schools and homes, around the country and further afield. Music and the Deaf (MatD) have joined with the University of Huddersfield to work with young people from across West Yorkshire to rigorously test a range of the latest music making apps and other software. The participants have explored how effective these technologies are in allowing them to compose and perform their music, and access and develop their own musical voice.
The CBSO’s Music & Ability Project partnered with three Special Educational Needs schools within ... more The CBSO’s Music & Ability Project partnered with three Special Educational Needs schools within Birmingham, Solihull and Worcestershire over a five-term period between 2017-2018. Funded by Youth Music, with the support of an additional thirteen funders, the project aimed to develop positive relationships with these schools in supporting the musical development of their PMLD (profound and multiple learning difficulties) cohorts of pupils, whilst simultaneously increasing the workforce and delivery skills of CBSO musicians in working with children and young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities in special educational needs school settings.
Inspirational learning experiences inspire the careers of the future. For the young professional ... more Inspirational learning experiences inspire the careers of the future. For the young professional musician, training and employment within alternative settings like a hospital can inform other areas of professional practice. In order for musicians to engage meaningfully with people and communities in educational and therapeutic contexts, skills learned in training need to be relevant and transferable to a diverse range of settings. Musicians are required to be more reflective and versatile as the multidisciplinary career of performer, teacher, educator and facilitator becomes the norm; the need to be equipped with appropriate musical and communicative skills relevant to a 21st Century profession is essential.
Common Pulse was a year-long music project for disabled children and young people, run at the Sea... more Common Pulse was a year-long music project for disabled children and young people, run at the Seashell Trust, Stockport, in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). Funded by Youth Music, the aim was to make better use of Seashell Trust’s Javanese gamelan, developing it as a resource for students, staff, families but also the wider community. To achieve this, the project involved multiple strands, including family and holiday projects, staff training sessions, and an evaluation led by MMU. At the heart of the scheme was a series of weekly gamelan workshops for students with complex learning disabilities drawn from across Seashell Trust’s in-house school: Royal School Manchester
Music making in a paediatric hospital offers new pathways to communication. Children become the l... more Music making in a paediatric hospital offers new pathways to communication. Children become the leaders of musical interaction, as musicians carefully observe moods, emotions and the smallest of responses in order to be able to 'listen' to and respond to a child. Opportunities for music-making are created by the bedside and on the way to treatment. Medical professionals and families engage with live music and musicians, as a natural part of hospital life. Musical vocabulary is developed between musician and child patient to include music made with breath, mouth sounds, vocalization, hands and fingertips. Sense of time and space expand and contract in moments of music creation. Trust between musicians, patients and staff is gained through carefully paced musical interaction, ensuring a gradual exposure to musicians, live music and shared music-making. Songbirds, a two-year musi-cians' residency in a children's rehabilitation ward enabled children experiencing long-term hospitalization and their families to participate in regular music making sessions with myself and a colleague as part of their process of recovery. Many of the children were non-verbal and music making became an important element in supporting cognitive and social development and in reducing anxiety. In this case study of my practice as a musician working in a hospital I reflect on how the experience of making music with children informs and inspires processes of interaction and creativity, and how observations made during music making influence a musician's reflection and consolidation of practice.
International Journal of Community Music, Feb 1, 2018
abstRaCt Music making in a paediatric hospital offers new pathways to communication. Children bec... more abstRaCt Music making in a paediatric hospital offers new pathways to communication. Children become the leaders of musical interaction, as musicians carefully observe moods, emotions and the smallest of responses in order to be able to 'listen' to and respond to a child. Opportunities for music-making are created by the bedside and on the way to treatment. Medical professionals and families engage with live music and musicians, as a natural part of hospital life. Musical vocabulary is developed between musician and child patient to include music made with breath, mouth sounds, vocalization, hands and fingertips. Sense of time and space expand and contract in moments of music creation. Trust between musicians, patients and staff is gained through carefully paced musical interaction, ensuring a gradual exposure to musicians, live music and shared music-making. Songbirds, a two-year musi-cians' residency in a children's rehabilitation ward enabled children experiencing long-term hospitalization and their families to participate in regular music making sessions with myself and a colleague as part of their process of recovery. Many of the children were non-verbal and music making became an important element in supporting cognitive and social development and in reducing anxiety. In this case study of my practice as a musician working in a hospital I reflect on how the experience of making music with children informs and inspires processes of interaction and creativity, and how observations made during music making influence a musician's reflection and consolidation of practice.
abstRaCt Music making in a paediatric hospital offers new pathways to communication. Children bec... more abstRaCt Music making in a paediatric hospital offers new pathways to communication. Children become the leaders of musical interaction, as musicians carefully observe moods, emotions and the smallest of responses in order to be able to 'listen' to and respond to a child. Opportunities for music-making are created by the bedside and on the way to treatment. Medical professionals and families engage with live music and musicians, as a natural part of hospital life. Musical vocabulary is developed between musician and child patient to include music made with breath, mouth sounds, vocalization, hands and fingertips. Sense of time and space expand and contract in moments of music creation. Trust between musicians, patients and staff is gained through carefully paced musical interaction, ensuring a gradual exposure to musicians, live music and shared music-making. Songbirds, a two-year musi-cians' residency in a children's rehabilitation ward enabled children experiencing long-term hospitalization and their families to participate in regular music making sessions with myself and a colleague as part of their process of recovery. Many of the children were non-verbal and music making became an important element in supporting cognitive and social development and in reducing anxiety. In this case study of my practice as a musician working in a hospital I reflect on how the experience of making music with children informs and inspires processes of interaction and creativity, and how observations made during music making influence a musician's reflection and consolidation of practice.
Musicology Research Journal Issue 6 pp 103 -34, 2019
Learning alongside professional musicians as they work on
hospital wards offers medical and music... more Learning alongside professional musicians as they work on hospital wards offers medical and music students opportunities to explore new approaches to communication where music making is central to learning and reflection. It is not uncommon for these students to experience performance anxiety pressure during study, as emphasis on technical competence becomes heightened. Musicking during visits to wards encourages a reconnection with self, as focus shifts away from perceived pressures of institutionalized training towards a musically responsive and personalized approach to interaction and communication, embedded in acts of sound creation and shared listening. Through experiencing music making in hospital wards, music students make discoveries about musicianship, as they learn to find new ways of sound making on their instruments, and use body, voice, and percussion to improvise and interact with patients and fellow musicians. Medical students, familiar to some extent with the clinical environment, discover new approaches to bedside communication, developing skills in nonverbal interaction with child patients, and building an awareness of the value of a holistic approach to patient care. In being exposed to patients, family, and staff through music, these students are not only learning techniques of music making specific to the hospital environment; music ‘in the moment’ becomes key to increasing confidence in performance and communication, supporting increased wellbeing and resilience. Using feedback we have gained during Lime Music for Health training programmes delivered in partnership with The University of Manchester Medical School and the Royal Northern College of Music we will examine the benefits of these experiences and discuss why such opportunities are an important component in supporting student wellbeing.
"FROM BINGO TO BARTOK" * Creative and Innovative Approaches to Involving Older People with Orchestras, 2018
At City of London Sinfonia (CLS), a recent move to a
new model of practice in dementia settings h... more At City of London Sinfonia (CLS), a recent move to a new model of practice in dementia settings has resulted in the creation of a programme that is responsive to the needs of partners and extends the boundaries of orchestral practice. CLS’s new model is a ‘collaboration of the concert experience’ between musicians, residents and families, aligning itself with a shared ambition of orchestra and care home to provide person-centred musical experiences for isolated elderly people.
Frequalise is a ground breaking project designed to enable deaf or hard of hearing children and y... more Frequalise is a ground breaking project designed to enable deaf or hard of hearing children and young people (DHHCYP) explore the potential that technology offers in creating, performing and sharing music. Technology has had a profound impact on how music is produced and how young people engage with music. There is, however, a stark lack of understanding and expertise among educators as to how deaf people can engage with music technology, and the opportunities and challenges that this technology presents to those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Frequalise is the first in-depth project of its kind in the UK to explore how music making technology can be used to the greatest effect, both in schools and homes, around the country and further afield. Music and the Deaf (MatD) have joined with the University of Huddersfield to work with young people from across West Yorkshire to rigorously test a range of the latest music making apps and other software. The participants have explored how effective these technologies are in allowing them to compose and perform their music, and access and develop their own musical voice.
The CBSO’s Music & Ability Project partnered with three Special Educational Needs schools within ... more The CBSO’s Music & Ability Project partnered with three Special Educational Needs schools within Birmingham, Solihull and Worcestershire over a five-term period between 2017-2018. Funded by Youth Music, with the support of an additional thirteen funders, the project aimed to develop positive relationships with these schools in supporting the musical development of their PMLD (profound and multiple learning difficulties) cohorts of pupils, whilst simultaneously increasing the workforce and delivery skills of CBSO musicians in working with children and young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities in special educational needs school settings.
Inspirational learning experiences inspire the careers of the future. For the young professional ... more Inspirational learning experiences inspire the careers of the future. For the young professional musician, training and employment within alternative settings like a hospital can inform other areas of professional practice. In order for musicians to engage meaningfully with people and communities in educational and therapeutic contexts, skills learned in training need to be relevant and transferable to a diverse range of settings. Musicians are required to be more reflective and versatile as the multidisciplinary career of performer, teacher, educator and facilitator becomes the norm; the need to be equipped with appropriate musical and communicative skills relevant to a 21st Century profession is essential.
Common Pulse was a year-long music project for disabled children and young people, run at the Sea... more Common Pulse was a year-long music project for disabled children and young people, run at the Seashell Trust, Stockport, in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). Funded by Youth Music, the aim was to make better use of Seashell Trust’s Javanese gamelan, developing it as a resource for students, staff, families but also the wider community. To achieve this, the project involved multiple strands, including family and holiday projects, staff training sessions, and an evaluation led by MMU. At the heart of the scheme was a series of weekly gamelan workshops for students with complex learning disabilities drawn from across Seashell Trust’s in-house school: Royal School Manchester
Music making in a paediatric hospital offers new pathways to communication. Children become the l... more Music making in a paediatric hospital offers new pathways to communication. Children become the leaders of musical interaction, as musicians carefully observe moods, emotions and the smallest of responses in order to be able to 'listen' to and respond to a child. Opportunities for music-making are created by the bedside and on the way to treatment. Medical professionals and families engage with live music and musicians, as a natural part of hospital life. Musical vocabulary is developed between musician and child patient to include music made with breath, mouth sounds, vocalization, hands and fingertips. Sense of time and space expand and contract in moments of music creation. Trust between musicians, patients and staff is gained through carefully paced musical interaction, ensuring a gradual exposure to musicians, live music and shared music-making. Songbirds, a two-year musi-cians' residency in a children's rehabilitation ward enabled children experiencing long-term hospitalization and their families to participate in regular music making sessions with myself and a colleague as part of their process of recovery. Many of the children were non-verbal and music making became an important element in supporting cognitive and social development and in reducing anxiety. In this case study of my practice as a musician working in a hospital I reflect on how the experience of making music with children informs and inspires processes of interaction and creativity, and how observations made during music making influence a musician's reflection and consolidation of practice.
Uploads
Papers by Ros Hawley
hospital wards offers medical and music students opportunities to
explore new approaches to communication where music making
is central to learning and reflection. It is not uncommon for these
students to experience performance anxiety pressure during
study, as emphasis on technical competence becomes heightened.
Musicking during visits to wards encourages a reconnection with
self, as focus shifts away from perceived pressures of
institutionalized training towards a musically responsive and
personalized approach to interaction and communication,
embedded in acts of sound creation and shared listening. Through
experiencing music making in hospital wards, music students
make discoveries about musicianship, as they learn to find new
ways of sound making on their instruments, and use body, voice,
and percussion to improvise and interact with patients and fellow
musicians. Medical students, familiar to some extent with the
clinical environment, discover new approaches to bedside
communication, developing skills in nonverbal interaction with
child patients, and building an awareness of the value of a holistic
approach to patient care. In being exposed to patients, family, and
staff through music, these students are not only learning
techniques of music making specific to the hospital environment;
music ‘in the moment’ becomes key to increasing confidence in
performance and communication, supporting increased wellbeing
and resilience. Using feedback we have gained during Lime Music
for Health training programmes delivered in partnership with The
University of Manchester Medical School and the Royal Northern
College of Music we will examine the benefits of these experiences
and discuss why such opportunities are an important component
in supporting student wellbeing.
new model of practice in dementia settings has resulted
in the creation of a programme that is responsive to
the needs of partners and extends the boundaries of
orchestral practice. CLS’s new model is a ‘collaboration
of the concert experience’ between musicians, residents
and families, aligning itself with a shared ambition of
orchestra and care home to provide person-centred
musical experiences for isolated elderly people.
Technology has had a profound impact on how music is produced and how young people engage with music. There is, however, a stark lack of understanding and expertise among educators as to how deaf people can engage with music technology, and the opportunities and challenges that this technology presents to those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Frequalise is the first in-depth project of its kind in the UK to explore how
music making technology can be used to the greatest effect,
both in schools and homes, around the country and further
afield.
Music and the Deaf (MatD) have joined with the University of
Huddersfield to work with young people from across West
Yorkshire to rigorously test a range of the latest music making
apps and other software. The participants have explored how
effective these technologies are in allowing them to compose
and perform their music, and access and develop their own
musical voice.
In order for musicians to engage meaningfully with people and communities in educational and therapeutic contexts, skills learned in training need to be relevant and transferable to a diverse range of settings. Musicians are required to be more reflective and versatile as the multidisciplinary career of performer, teacher, educator and facilitator becomes the norm; the need to be equipped with appropriate musical and communicative skills relevant to a 21st Century profession is essential.
hospital wards offers medical and music students opportunities to
explore new approaches to communication where music making
is central to learning and reflection. It is not uncommon for these
students to experience performance anxiety pressure during
study, as emphasis on technical competence becomes heightened.
Musicking during visits to wards encourages a reconnection with
self, as focus shifts away from perceived pressures of
institutionalized training towards a musically responsive and
personalized approach to interaction and communication,
embedded in acts of sound creation and shared listening. Through
experiencing music making in hospital wards, music students
make discoveries about musicianship, as they learn to find new
ways of sound making on their instruments, and use body, voice,
and percussion to improvise and interact with patients and fellow
musicians. Medical students, familiar to some extent with the
clinical environment, discover new approaches to bedside
communication, developing skills in nonverbal interaction with
child patients, and building an awareness of the value of a holistic
approach to patient care. In being exposed to patients, family, and
staff through music, these students are not only learning
techniques of music making specific to the hospital environment;
music ‘in the moment’ becomes key to increasing confidence in
performance and communication, supporting increased wellbeing
and resilience. Using feedback we have gained during Lime Music
for Health training programmes delivered in partnership with The
University of Manchester Medical School and the Royal Northern
College of Music we will examine the benefits of these experiences
and discuss why such opportunities are an important component
in supporting student wellbeing.
new model of practice in dementia settings has resulted
in the creation of a programme that is responsive to
the needs of partners and extends the boundaries of
orchestral practice. CLS’s new model is a ‘collaboration
of the concert experience’ between musicians, residents
and families, aligning itself with a shared ambition of
orchestra and care home to provide person-centred
musical experiences for isolated elderly people.
Technology has had a profound impact on how music is produced and how young people engage with music. There is, however, a stark lack of understanding and expertise among educators as to how deaf people can engage with music technology, and the opportunities and challenges that this technology presents to those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Frequalise is the first in-depth project of its kind in the UK to explore how
music making technology can be used to the greatest effect,
both in schools and homes, around the country and further
afield.
Music and the Deaf (MatD) have joined with the University of
Huddersfield to work with young people from across West
Yorkshire to rigorously test a range of the latest music making
apps and other software. The participants have explored how
effective these technologies are in allowing them to compose
and perform their music, and access and develop their own
musical voice.
In order for musicians to engage meaningfully with people and communities in educational and therapeutic contexts, skills learned in training need to be relevant and transferable to a diverse range of settings. Musicians are required to be more reflective and versatile as the multidisciplinary career of performer, teacher, educator and facilitator becomes the norm; the need to be equipped with appropriate musical and communicative skills relevant to a 21st Century profession is essential.