SOUND=SPACE Workshops for Special Needs Groups: Since 1987 I have been operating workshops for special needs groups employing the resources of SOUND=SPACE, my computer controlled interactive musical environment in which persons can make music simply by moving about in an empty space. The earliest workshops were single sessions generally lasting approximately one hour, with participants from various special schools or day centres, usually in groups of 8-12 persons. Depending upon the abilities and communication skills of the participants, various techniques - usually demonstration, sometimes explanation - were employed briefly to introduce them to the SPACE. After this, the remainder of the workshop was dedicated to the free exploration of the creative possibilities, the participants acting either individually or simultaneously in small groups. The primary aims of these workshops were to focus upon the empowering nature of the musical creative experience made available by the SPACE, the enjoyment of this experience and the interaction among the participants arising as a result. Due to the brevity of the sessions, very little didactic work - either musical or movement - was attempted. However, after several years of numerous single sessions of this type, it became clear to me that a series of structured workshops would be much more enjoyable and rewarding to the participants (and to me), as they would be able to develop a profounder, working relationship to the SPACE, allowing them to treat it simply as a resource available to them. The creative opportunities offered by SOUND=SPACE are so wide-ranging, that a single exposure to them accomplishes little more than whetting the appetite. Furthermore, in a series of workshops, an examination of the interaction between music and movement could be pursued, members of the workshop could participate in choosing the kinds of sounds they were going to play with and decide as well how to articulate and organise their playing. In short, all the elements that can go to make up a comprehensive creative act in the SOUND=SPACE could be addressed: playing sounds, choosing the sounds to be played, choosing movements and activities, composing sequences and textures of sounds and choreographing the movements in order to achieve those sound sequences. Organisation of the workshops My own experience over a period of 8 years and research by others, in particular that of P.Bragman and L.Oladapo indicate that the ideal workshop organisation provides for a series of 5-6 weekly sessions, each approximately one hour in duration, for a group of 6-8 participants. It is these types of workshops that I have carried out in the recent past and am presently carrying out as a part of the Musicworks SOUND=SPACE Centre programme. The present series consists of 4 different sessions meeting once a week at Musicworks in Langley Lane for 1 1/2 hours over a period of 6 weeks; it has worked well, although a number of groups could not meet all the workshops due to transport and other organisational problems. There has been sufficient time for simple play and experimentation as well as for homing in on a specific project under my guidance which reflects the individual creative interests of most of the participants. Structure and Aims of the Workshops It is very difficult to generalise about the structure and process of the workshops primarily because every group of participants has special skills as well as special needs. The workshop, if it is truly to reflect and develop the creativity of the participants, must always try to employ as many of the former and meet as many of the latter as possible. This requires a great deal of flexibility and ad hoc adjustment to the situation. Whenever verbal communication is impaired, demonstration and imitation become the primary avenues of communication. Both short-term and long-term goals may have to be shifted, reformulated or abandoned, as the participants' interest or concentration shifts or wanes. I will therefore outline the general plan and attitude with which I approach any given situation. There is a fundamental principle, a fundamental attitude and a fundamental aim that govern all my workshops. The principle: in the SPACE, one can do nothing wrong, only better. The attitude: never try to get the participants to do what you want them to do, always try help them discover something they want to do. The aim: not only to encourage the participants' creative expression and involvement in the group, but actually to promote and stimulate them. Beyond these fundamentals, there are many other aims: to open up new avenues of communication between the participants, to empower the participants to express themselves through sound, to increase their awareness of sound, to explore new opportunities of making music, to call upon and reinforce existing skills, to find a role for all participants, one suited to their abilities but also one which tries to develop new ones, to name only a few. However there is also a practical aim for the workshops, an end-product: to create a group "performance", a mixture of sound (words included) and movement composed and designed by the group, performed by and for the group during the last session. Whenever possible, a video recording is made of this last "performance" and given to the group. Content of the workshops The following will be a description of an ideal workshop series of 5 sessions. I will always attempt to indicate how one kind of activity, suitable for a particular group, but not for another, might be adapted. The sessions are about 1 1/2 hour long, of which 15-20 minutes in the middle is usually reserved for rest periods, as this type of focussed activity is quite new and very demanding for some. I generally begin the first session with a brief demonstration of the SPACE using one of the very lively versions of the KEYBOARDS programme, for example, mixed percussion and short pitched sounds, by performing a little solo "dance", sometimes interjecting short explanatory remarks. Then the participants are invited, usually one by one, to try it out for themselves. This can be a moment of considerable indecision, as groups are often quite inhibited. Usually, however, one member will volunteer to be first. If this does not happen, then I ask the carer to have a go. After that - and generally a lot of laughter from the "audience" - things go smoothly. However, I have worked with many groups that very quickly get the hang of it and become quite wild, to the alarm of the carers. I am very much in favour of letting them go as wild as is safe; it is a normal reaction, particularly with children. The SPACE gives many of them the first opportunity of feeling really powerful, able to make big wild things happen without dire consequences. This experience can be can be overwhelming, but the feelings it arouses are a very important aspect of the creative act. There has never been any problem, other than the occasional small bump or scratch and I am always able to reassure the carers that they will settle down by themselves, and, if they don't, I will be able to calm them.10 In many groups there are, nevertheless, persons who are very reluctant to participate. Generally, I encourage them (or ask the carer to encourage them), but only up to a point, as I have learned that sitting and watching others enjoying themselves in the SPACE is the best type of encouragement. Throughout this sequence of first explorations, I occasionally change the version of the same programme, introducing other types of sounds and mixtures, alternating between chunky, percussive sounds and gentler, sustained ones. After everyone has had at least one solo chance, I invite all of them to try playing one of the versions together, just moving about at will. There are several versions that are particularly suited to this, resulting in a lively, rich melodic and rhythmic tapestry of sound. This part of the session usually lasts about 30 minutes; it is a very important part for me, as it allows me to make a quick, superficial assessment of the skills, needs and interests of the participants and to develop a feeling for the already existing group dynamics. The next step is to change the programme to one which reacts to the amount and speed of movement in the SPACE, a version of VARIATIONS. Again, I usually perform a little demonstration. However, if the group dynamics are strong and inhibitions have disappeared sufficiently, then I prefer to surprise them with the difference between this type of programme and the previous; I simply ask everyone to try it out, suggesting they move slowly, quickly, stand still, and so on. This change in programme always elicits a strong response and a lot of excitement: most versions of VARIATIONS generate a stylistically recognisable melodic music with a clear beat and rhythmic articulation which sensitively responds to their movement - the greater the amount of movement, the livelier the melodies and rhythms. This correspondence between physical activity and musical activity is very animating and generally leads to a lot of physical expression, running, dancing, hopping, gesticulating, in short, very exhausted "players"! After a short rest, I continue with another versions of KEYBOARDS again, presenting a different palette of sounds, also asking if there are any preferences or requests for particular types of sounds - percussive, mechanical, gently sustained, abstract, concrete, etc. After a while of relaxed, somewhat aimless playing, I change direction again, to go through one or two quick, choreographed exercises in which I direct the movement of the participants along predetermined paths, without too much explanation. The reasons for these exercises are several: to demonstrate various aspects of how the SPACE works, to show, after so much seemingly unorganised complex sound, that the SPACE can be "played" consciously, almost like a conventional instrument, to show how the different versions of a programme are organised, to make clear what influence particular kinds of movements have in some versions and to focus the participants' ear on listening, heightening their awareness of the pitches, colours and durations of the sounds they are triggering. The structure of these exercises is such that they gradually loosen up, falling apart into a brief period of free improvisation, everyone together, varying the kinds of movements involved in them: very small steps, one at a time, backwards and forwards, rocking back and forth on one spot, standing still and stretching the arms out as far as they will reach, etc. This period of structured "improvisation" marks the end of the first session. The first half of the second session is generally devoted to recalling some of the activities and sounds of the first session. Then, after a short rest, we proceed to explore the very wide palette of different sounds available, suggesting as well different ways of playing the SPACE: moving in small repetitive patterns, moving very quickly into and out of the SPACE, making only one sound, imitating what another has done, sitting down and triggering the sounds by raising a hand, lying down and triggering the sounds with the legs raised, trying to move around the SPACE triggering no sounds, etc. The kinds of activities in this section depends greatly on the specific abilities and age of the participants; the most important goal is to get everyone involved and - wherever possible - gradually to focus upon group interaction. During this section I frequently change the colour of the sounds being triggered, primarily to find out from the group what preferences there are, if any, for what kinds of sounds, but also to let the groups become accustomed to a wide variety of sounds. There are some versions of KEYBOARDS which employ a number of complex, modulating abstract sounds tucked away among other more normal, quasi-instrumental ones. These sounds tend to be very popular with children, probably because they are similar to sound-effects from sci-fi or horror movies on TV. We play a game of finding them and naming them. These types of only superficially organised activities, during which I sit back and watch as much as possible, taking notes, have a double purpose: they generate an atmosphere of happy, carefree co-operative creativity, a sense of freedom and power to invent in an increasingly familiar environment, and they allow me to assess more clearly the individual preferences for sounds, articulations and movements of the participants, as well as the general group dynamics. It is upon the profile of the group sketched during this period that I am able to plan the course of action towards the more organised goal that will be aimed for during the remaining workshops. The options that present themselves here, due to the wide variety in the ages, skills and needs of the groups with which I generally work, are many and need to be outlined briefly. For example, if I am working with a group of children and, taken as whole, they are mobile, then I will want to exploit that mobility and aim for a "choreography" consisting of as many different types of combined individual and mass movement forms as can be accommodated - including current popular dance movements, movements from children's playground games, hula hoops, skipping, etc. If, on the other hand, they are not very mobile, then I will want to concentrate on movement forms that are more stationary, which involve more the movement of the arms or legs, either sitting down or lying on the floor. If the participants, children or adult, are verbally expressive, then I will want to incorporate their voices - words, phrases - in the sounds by sampling them. If the participants are in wheelchairs, I will want to use the chair in special ways. If the participants need to be assisted in wheelchairs, then I will want to incorporate the assistant, to think about ways of structuring activities that create a "duo" out of the two. The third session is more structured than the previous two, and generally consists of trying out small movement forms that I have designed as a result of my observations during the second session, with sounds chosen by the group. These movements are then gradually ordered into an interesting sequence, always in consultation with the participants. Sometimes sequences need to be cued, so "conductors" are chosen. An attempt is made in this session quickly to put together something quite defined, so that it can be "rehearsed". We look for an effective way to notate the project, so that it can be repeated and changes can be easily incorporated. We look for ways to balance the project - a balance in sound types and expressive content, a balance in the variety of movement forms and size of the performing groups, ensuring, where desirable, that there is sufficient alternation between solo and group movements, etc. The aim at this early stage is not to create a finished product, the one that will serve as the final project, but rather quickly to create a first product, which can then serve as an experimental model for the next. The process is never a pressured one, mistakes are not really possible because the project itself is in a state of flux; still, I have found that if a sense of urgency is maintained, then group concentration remains high. The work is strenuous for some and progress is slow, requiring a great deal of encouragement, patience and frequent "time-outs". It is a bit like already driving a car while you are still designing it, only safer. Occasionally it is a good idea to interrupt this process, to do something completely different, going to a different set of sounds or a different programme altogether. This relaxes, refreshes the ear and sometimes even opens up new perspectives. The end of the session is generally devoted to examining the result of the dayÕs work, discussing ways to improve it or deciding to design a new project and what it might be like. The fourth session either carries on the work of the third, developing and polishing ideas that were found good and worthwhile, or starts with the development of a new project. Generally, ideas from the first are carried over. Due to familiarity, many participants have many more suggestions of the kinds of things they want to do; often the suggestions home in on playing an imaginary game, during which certain types of sounds should be available. The rules are quickly designed and agreed upon; while this takes place, often with the participation of the carer, I concentrate on preparing a version of whatever programme is best suited to the project. Then it is tried out. Usually the results are very good, as seen from a number of perspectives: Overall co-operation and attention is very high; group dynamics are strong, with interaction at a high level. Although attention to the sound results and detail is sometimes lower, the sound is nevertheless a strong animating factor. There is strong feedback between sound and movement form, primarily due to the fact that the players feel more committed and have a goal in mind. Frequently this has served as the starting design for the final project . The participants enjoy what they have invented and begin to elaborate it. We keep a record of what works well, prepare a sequence of events - a kind of score - and begin to repeat sections and, wherever useful, discuss ways to improve and develop what we have decided upon so far. The fifth and last session is devoted to polishing the results of the fourth session; this process involves me as much as the participants because I will have spent a considerable time between sessions in programming the versions required and setting up the sounds for them in the sampler. It is also during this session that we sample any spoken words that are to be a part of the sound material. Furthermore, during this session I need to balance sounds and functions, and the participants need to recall their plans of action. Depending on the length of the "piece" we have composed - usually it has a duration of 10-15 minutes -, we rehearse for about 40 minutes. Then we generally change direction completely for a while, going to an entirely new programme or version, or to one we have not tried for a long while. This heightens the interest in our return to our final project, which we "perform" during the last section of the workshop. This last performance I usually record on video and give to the group as a souvenir. For information an how you could organise an installation of SOUND=SPACE: click here!
Some general remarks on their organisation, structure, aims and content