Discovering eBility: using iPad controllers and jam2jam in music therapy. A workshop demonstration session presented at Apple University (AUC) CreateWorld showing how digital technologies with agency can be used in Music Therapy. This session shows how Down Syndrome Association of Queensland electronic ensemble and choir Together Red expand their creative interaction using generative technologies.
eBILITY: The Promise & Possibilities of Arts Digital Media & Wellbeing
Applying meaningful engagement theory to music making and wellbeing.
Presentation given at the Power of Music Conference in Perth, Australia. The presentation outlines the software development and development of the meaningful engagement theory and examines the possibilities for measuring and observing the effects on well being and learning.
Applying meaningful engagement theory to music making and wellbeing.
In this paper we present the notion of meaningful engagement as a conceptual tool that can be applied to categorise and examine creative practices such as music improvisation, composition and performance.
We suggest that creative acts can be considered in two complimentary dimensions;
1) Types of actions and the extent of engagement with them, and
2) Contexts for action and the opportunities for meaning they provide.
DIScoveringEbilities
Together Red are a choir led by Music Therapist Kate Fletcher with the Down Syndrome Association of Queensland (DSAQ). The choir has been participating in a research project called DIScoveringEBILITIES funded by the AuDa Foundation.
Together Red have been working with Kate to compose their own songs and will have a CD launch on Saturday the 19th of November at Queensland University of Technology Concert Studio at Kelvin Grove.
Pop Percussion An overnight Success
Celebrating 25 years of music education resource production: Exploding Art Music Productions
Around 1986 Andrew Brown and Steve Dillon completed their first music education resource. Called Pop Percussion it involved large A1 sized cardboard charts with musicological histories on one side of the car in full colour, coloured music notation for play along Orff percussion a booklet with melodic notation and a double cassette with backings. It was the early days of music technology but we programmed most of the backings but added live guitar played by the amazing Con Sahinis and recorded it at Frank Tayla (Sablotny) studio in Northcote in Melbourne. The tunes were infectious and humorous and engaging and the package sold extremely well. Even tho we were on the worlds smallest publishing deal at the time we did maintain the rights to the work and now own the rights and master recordings. The cool thing is this package is probably in every primary school in Australia. We constantly hear from music education students who have seen it on Practicum or music teachers who ask us where they can get the charts from. Thee value of making music that children engage with is profound and this story is far from overnight success, however what joy knowing that music we wrote 25 years ago is still appreciated now. Maybe its time we released the digital version! Exploding Art Music Productions









