TRAINING & CONSULTANCY
Sound Society offer bespoke training for music, education, care and other professionals.
We train how to use music effectively with groups, how to use music as a tool for personal growth and social development and how to optimize behaviour in groups through the effective use of creative music-making.
Our courses are designed to cater both for absolute beginners through to music education professionals. We have worked with many schools, music services, pupil referral units, hospitals and other care staff, youth workers, foster parents and others to enable them to successfully incorporate music making into their work.
The application of accessible music technology (AMT), for people who require access to assistive technologies to fully participate in lessons and sessions.
The use of the ‘Sounds of Intent’ framework, as an assessment, planning and recording tool to support musical development.
Inclusion in the mainstream classroom; how to prepare and deliver lessons in a more inclusive way, working towards developing a more inclusive classroom atmosphere
Disability equality in music education, exploring access and inclusion and the social model of disability, to inform planning and delivery.
CREATIVE INCLUSIVE MUSIC EDUCATION
CHALLENGING VOICES
The Challenging Voices programmes support music leaders and teachers making music with children and young people with social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMHD)
Dr Phil Mullen as Sound Society CIC provide training, reflective mentoring and other CPD support to music leaders and teachers across England and internationally that are making music with young people with social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMHD).
Challenging Voices Team
Dr Phil Mullen
Project Lead & Director, Sound Society CIC
Ann Jones
Associate Music Leader
Liz Segal
Music Leader, Production/Communications/Finance & Director, Sound Society CIC
Gary Day
Music Technology, Director, Sound Society CIC
"It’s great that you are training more musicians – we need more people like you, who
understand our children"
Head of Centre, Pupil Referral Unit
Combining Phil’s work as a trainer with trainer Ann Jones, Challenging Voices will
continue to build on the successful SEMHD training programme. Phil has run this programme with MAC in the Birmingham area over the last three years and will expand this offer to Music Education Hubs across the country.
What will the programme cover?
This is an intensive music training programme that focuses on working inclusively with children and young people in challenging circumstances.
The programme specialises in working with children and young people with Social, Emotional and
Mental Health Difficulties, notably those excluded from school or at risk of exclusion.
The programme will have a strong emphasis on practical musical skills effectively, including rhythm, voice work, improvisation, and song-writing.
Participants will also be given opportunities to develop their skills in leadership, facilitation, group work, behaviour management, and reflective practice.
Inclusion in the mainstream classroom
In this session Phil Mullen will explain the underlying theory informing inclusive practice and will give ideas on how to work towards a more inclusive classroom atmosphere.
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What you can do before the session to prepare
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How to lead the session in a more inclusive way
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How to structure reflection after the session
The session will include presentation, Q+A and some music making.
Using Assistive Music Technology and Sounds of Intent to Support Access to Participation and Musical Development
In this interactive session, Gary Day will give examples of how some accessible music technology instruments can be used to make music lessons and sessions more accessible and inclusive for pupils.
The workshop will also focus on how using the ‘Sounds of Intent’ framework can support teachers in identifying the different stages of musical development, that pupils are working at.
INTERNATIONAL TRAINING
With the support of Agrigento we have run a music education research project with Magali Kleber in
Brazil, Graham Sattler in Australia, Don Devito in the USA and UK. This has lead onto the further
development of Phil’s Mullens 'Challenging Voices' programme of training and mentoring.
Since 2015 Phil Mullen has run training programmes in non-formal music education. Brazil, Japan, Norway, Holland, West Bank Palestine
In addition he has presented our work at conferences in Bethlehem, Toronto, Tokyo and Auckland
RELECTIVE MENTORING
We mentor musicians to become more reflective in their practice as we see reflection as an essential part of inclusive music education.
Projects and people we have worked with:
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Garden of Sound, to develop a strategy for working with people with disabilities through Northern Ireland and the Republic.
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Small World, Big Drums, in the Middlesborough area who run drumming projects with disabled people.
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Naomi Cooper: Naomi is a choir leader who we mentored to develop inclusive choirs in deprived areas of Western Sydney.
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Dr Graham Sattler (Australia/ New Zealand) – Deepening practice working creatively with indigenous young people
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Brazilian reflective practice network – Developing a national network for reflective practice in social music projects in Brazil.
In addition we have helped musicians from the following hubs to become reflective practitioners through our Agrigento/ Mac Makes Music reflective mentoring programme ;
North Lincolnshire Music Hub
Swindon Music Services
Berkshire Maestros, Reading
Dorset Music Hub
Milton Keynes Music Hub
Cornwall Music Services / ASONE
