Young people are resourceful at being able to enjoy and make music almost anywhere.
The lack of proper spaces for music making, exploring new ideas, styles, genres and instruments, and accessing the emerging technologies in music, can seriously inhibit their interest, progress and creativity in a 'real-life' context.
The following is abridged from an article in the Sound Sense magazine, Sounding Board, published in the Summer 2007. It is supported by various studies conducted in to how many young people wish to learn to play a musical instrument with others in a space dedicated to informal learning.
For a start young people and music is an instinctive match. Many look to music lyrics as a source of reassurance and inspiration, and joining a band is a classic teen pastime. However, the lack of an affordable, well-equipped rehearsal space may mean a talented young musician may not even get off the starting block for want of access to a practice room. Youth empowerment means access to heavier and more expensive equipment.
A report looking in to opportunities for young people commissioned by the UK Government in 2007 found: "Participating in art, music, drama and dance can build confidence, self-esteem and self-discipline and help develop social and team-working skills. It can also help young people to be more open-minded, better able to make friends and to deal with difficult experiences, and be more creative in their thinking". It recommended public investment should be focused on music rehearsal spaces (p.21 & 49, Aiming High for Young People, 2007).
Enjoying music
Many children lose interest in learning music when they reach their teenage years. Research suggests classroom music has been an inappropriate vehicle for music education at this time. A more effective music education environment may well be found within the mixed economy of out-of-school music provision (Sloboda, 2001, p.22). Teenagers more readily engage with music in informal settings committing considerable time listening to music, experimenting with software and exploring a range of music sources. The age at which members form a band is roughly between 12 and 15 years old.
The social environments in which musical learning takes place such as in garages, youth clubs or places without adult supervision marks the prevalence amongst young people of learning to play an instrument outside school (Rosevear, 2008, p.89). In the UK, the Music Manifesto Report No. 1 identified Informal music as that which happens when young people organise and lead themselves without adult supervision. (DfES, 2005, p. 7).
Academic Lucy Green (2002) has investigated the informal learning practices of popular musicians. She found within popular music traditions individuals: “largely teach themselves or ‘pick up’ skills and knowledge, usually with the help or encouragement of their family or peers, by watching and imitating musicians around them and by making reference to recordings or performances or other live events involving their chosen music” (Green, 2002a, p. 5).
There are five main characteristics of informal music learning practices, identified by Professor Green (2006) based on her observations on how popular musicians learn:
Learning based on personal choice, enjoyment, identification and familiarity with the music, as distinct from being introduced to new and often unfamiliar music
Recorded music as the principal, aural means of musical transmission and skill acquisition, as distinct from notated or other written or verbal instructions and exercises
Self-teaching and peer-directed learning, as distinct from learning with adult supervision and guidance, curricula, syllabi or external assessment
Assimilating skills and knowledge in haphazard ways according to musical preferences, rather than following a progression from simple to complex
Integration of listening, performing, improvising and composing throughout the learning process, as distinct from their increasing differentiation (Green, 2005, p. 28)
Professor Green suggests since the 1960s even though popular music has become common in music classrooms, that however the learning practices of popular musicians "bears no resemblance to how popular musicians actually learn to produce the music themselves” (Green, 2006, p. 106). Thus many informal learning practices by which these teaching musicians acquired their own skills and knowledge, may be overlooked by much popular music tuition in schools. (Green, 2002a, p. 180).
"Being in a band, being a DJ, vocalist or creating your own tracks on a computer is a great motivator for young people," says community musician Mark Bick. "The first barrier to engage in these activities is the confidence to start."
Peer example is the best way of overcoming this barrier. Mark continued: "When young people see someone they know, close to their age, creating music they gain far more conviction they can do it themselves than can be gained from any 'expert'. The next stage depends on the young person. Some learn best from videos, listening and watching, others benefit greatly from a bit of teaching and encouragement, from peers or from an 'expert'. But in all cases, the common need is access to equipment and suitable space."
Transferable skills
A culture of unpaid work experience dominates the creative and cultural industries. For employers, someone with relevant on-the-job experience is more valuable than an untested graduate. Gaining experience in a well run music space will prepare a young person for work in the creative and cultural industries.
Nestle survey
Young people need somewhere they can go to independently and which their parents would see as safe. They want it open for long hours and affordable. A report written by Kids’ Clubs Network based on the MORI and BMRB research findings found one in four young people hang around with nothing to do when they are not in school - a time which they are found to be most likely to get into trouble (Nestle Family Monitor, 2002, p.5).
"There is a fairly long history of creating space for young bands to practice without supervision in schools and youth arts centres, but they have tended to fall in to two extremes," asserts Mark. "Either badly equipped, badly maintained and not very soundproof. Or highly expensive recording studios, with expensive equipment that only trained staff can use."
"Architects seem to be incapable of accurately assessing costs at the beginning of a project," said Mark, "which makes fundraising very difficult as it is not generally possible to ask for more than the architect's estimates."
Youth Matters
There is strong evidence to suggest young people themselves demand an informal space where they can participate in music-making on their terms. The UK government's Youth Matters document stated: “Our first challenge is to put young people themselves in control of the things to do and places to go in their area. We don't want government agencies second guessing them. So we propose to put buying power directly in the hands of young people themselves" (DfES, 2005, p.5).
"Making space sustainable means either being in a building where there is other general supervision already funded by someone else, or multiple rooms so that it is more cost effective to provide staff supervision," said Mark. "Probably the largest amount of spaces are in schools, but I do not know how music teachers cope with the aural abuse of listening to young bands practice for hours in badly soundproofed rooms. From what I can make out, many don't cope and retreat to the staff room, don't allow it to happen or give up school teaching."
Musical Futures
Musical Futures began as an action research project in 2003 when the Paul Hamlyn Foundation instigated an initiative to find new and imaginative ways of engaging young people, aged 11-18, in meaningful music activities. It's teaching styles attempt to place informal learning methods outlined by Professor Green in to formal school settings. Its aim was to try to understand the factors affecting the disengagement of young people with sustained music-making activities, at a time in their lives when music is not only a passion for many young people, but plays a big part in shaping their social identity.
It believes music learning is most effective when young people are making music together and their existing passion for music is reflected and built upon. It wants music-making to be relevant and engaging, imaginative and authentic and to keep music alive in our schools in order to nurture the creative talent of tomorrow. The experience of its three pilot projects was that schools can make their music provision more vital, and closer to their students external experience of music, by recognising the social importance which students place upon the activity, and designating accommodation accordingly.
It found access to adult 'authentic' venues, equipment and instruments, where young musicians can meet other musicians, make their music available to others and find ways into the music industry as critical motivation boosters. Many young people want to find out where they can rehearse, how to get their demo listened to and put on their own events. This desire to access the resources which adults take for granted grows from a philosophy that wherever possible music-making is placed in a 'real-life' context.
Its publication Musical Futures: An approach to teaching and learning revealed many school music teachers are working in inadequate facilities, and lack of space was one of the major obstacles to take on Musical Futures (Paul Hamlyn Foundation, 2010, p.194). Having the right sort of space available is a major consideration when implementing Musical Futures and ensuring the atmosphere within the music department is one in which students are able to be creative.
Based upon feedback from schools the ideal set-up for Musical Futures work would be:
Separate breakout spaces equipped with piano/keyboard, sound system and computer
Up to four instrumental teaching spaces with piano, sound system and computer in each
Technology in every practice space
Recording studio
Full sound proofing
Musical Futures became a not-for-profit organisation in 2005. Dedicated to supporting music teachers it is based on a pedagogy driven by the musical culture of the participants. It offers training and consultancy predominantly in the UK and Europe, but has links with institutions and schools in other countries.
UK Music Rehearsal Space Project
Access to a rehearsal space is an integral part of the career development of young musicians and music ensembles. However, little investment has been specifically directed at the building infrastructure for music rehearsal spaces. The capital investment to convert a music space can be a big outlay representing a significant challenge to public and private operators. Funding from the UK Government enabled UK Music, working in partnership with Sound Connections, to support a two-year pilot Rehearsal Spaces project.
In 2009 the project invested £430,000 to establish 14 pilot music rehearsal spaces in community settings across England for young people aged between 8–25 years. The funds paid for instruments, equipment and necessary capital works, such as soundproofing. The UK Government tasked Fearful Sharkey formerly of The Undertones to set up a network of rehearsal studios for budding musicians throughout the country.
Feargal Sharkey at the time said: “It’s incredibly difficult to break into the music industry. To get a recording contract means everything to every young artist and being able to play well live is a vital ingredient of that. So it’s obvious that young musicians need somewhere decent to practice. Without new musicians and performers there is no £6 billion music industry. Without them the UK wouldn’t have such a fantastic reputation for groundbreaking music."
“But this isn’t just about what we can do for the music industry. It’s about ensuring young people have all the opportunity and support that we can possibly provide to get them into the creative industries. It’s about giving them the confidence to play in front of an audience to discover themselves and discover their music. And it’s simply about giving them somewhere to be creative.”
An evaluation of the project ending in December 2012 found it raised the quality of provision and that a music space is defined by its purpose and the availability of equipment and instruments and falls in to one of the following descriptions:
music practice room
recording studio
music technology suite
performance space
The evaluation found music practice rooms were the most commonly used. The entire project supported music activity in 64 separate rooms. In rural areas access to expertise and equipment over sound-proofing spaces was preferred. The art and science of recording music was not a feature of this scheme. It found MC/DJ activity, dominated by urban genres is likely to offer greater value for money with a comparably modest capital outlay. It is also associated with youth empowerment and social cohesion work with potential for swift and significant outcomes.
Typically, participants came from within a five miles radius of a space during weekday opening times, term time and out of school hours. Session length and opening times were flexible for 19-25 year olds characterised by acting as volunteers, running sessions themselves and using the space independently. There were approximately 33,000 visits to the spaces, three quarters of the young people were aged between 11-18 years and the gender balance was 68% male. The entire project gave paid work to 65 people, including music specialists, youth workers and project managers.
Many spaces assisted young talent to make headway in the fickle music industry. One space formed a partnership with Field Music, a band nominated for the UK's 2012 Mercury Music Prize. And while rioting took hold of many cities in the UK in the summer of 2011, another space working with its young people, took over an empty high street shop to record young people’s music.
Musicians from The Enemy and The Specials saw the importance of space acting as ambassadors to the project. Each space was reliant on local partnerships and grants complementing the Government investment.
UK Music now supports a number of rehearsal spaces in urban and rural areas across the UK. Each space provides instruments and equipment for young people to use and play with for free or for minimal cost. The rehearsal spaces come in various shapes and sizes and are sited in places as diverse as youth work settings, community spaces, art centres, a secondary school and even a travelling mobile unit.
MAS Records
A non-profit music development programme was founded in 2001 in the UK by Kevyn Gammond (ex-Band of Joy). Set up as a record label, its aim is to support emerging artists aged 16-18 years old with a bridge into the wider industry, combining expert music industry experience with conventional education. Its patrons include Ricky Wilson (Kaiser Chiefs/The Voice), Robert Plant (ex-Led Zeppelin) and Karl Hyde (Underworld).
The young artists do not pay for the services but instead the programme is funded from public sources working in partnership with 16 rehearsal spaces.
Through the MAS scheme artists are provided free practice time in music rehearsal spaces and recording time in studios. Spaces involved in the national programme include:
Whitewood Studios, Liverpool
SAFO Music Group & Rooz Studios, London
Songlab, Birmingham
Factory Studios, Bristol
RML Studios, Wolverhampton
Stage 2 Studios, Bath
Old Chapel Music, Leeds
River Studios, Southampton
Oxfordshire Music Rooms, Oxford
44 Music, Cheltenham
Redial Studios, Bury
Viaduct Studios, Stockport
Base Studios, Stourbridge
The Smash Rooms, Telford
Venombase Studios, Stoke
Kidderminster College, Kidderminster
Case Study: Vic Studios, Wrexham
The Welsh Music Foundation, Live Music Forum and Musical Industries Association set up a rehearsal space in Wrexham in January 2006. The studio was part of the UK government's Live Music Forum’s project to encourage public bodies to provide rehearsal spaces in their unused buildings.
The space was free to bands whose members were under 18 and in education. There was a small charge for all other bands, which went towards paying for repairs and equipment maintenance. The equipment was supplied by the UK's Music Industries Association's members. The Professional Lighting and Sound Association paid for work towards fitting out the space. The Welsh Development Agency paid for one full-time member of staff. Wrexham Council provided the space rent free, money towards the construction costs and sound recording equipment.
Project Manager for the Welsh Music Foundation, Andy Williams, said: “This is a very exciting development, which will assist the area's music scene, as rehearsal rooms have consistently been shown to be effective in stimulating music production in areas where they exist. The space will not only have a rehearsal room but will also have recording facilities, a small performance area and a cafe, and will not only be an excellent space for bands to rehearse, but also a creative meeting place for local musicians."
A representative from the UK charity Youth Music visited the facility in North Wales in 2007. He reported the practice room is informal and for experiment and jamming. The worker is on hand to supervise the use of the room and provides artistic and technical advice to bands and individuals if they ask for it. Housed in the Victoria Youth Centre in the centre of town it attracts a large number of local young people through its creative activities.
The local government authority supports the studio because it sees the value of music-making to young people to independently develop their own work who would not otherwise access music in school.
The facility has been able to access resources without threatening the delicate economy of the music scene in the town. People from England and Wales have visited the studio with a plan to reproduce the model elsewhere.
Feargal Sharkey, Chairman of the UK Government’s Live Music Forum, said at the time: “We have a £5 billion music industry that starts with unknown groups and artists performing in the back room of pubs. Without them there would be no multi billion pound industry. So let’s give new and local artists a hand by providing them with somewhere proper to rehearse.”
Andrew Davies, Minister for Economic Development in Wales, said: “These rehearsal rooms represent the beginnings of a Music Hub; not only providing a place for musicians to interact and exchange creative ideas, but generating considerable benefit for the local music scene and the local economy."
Music rehearsal spaces play an important part in the talent pipeline providing a valuable breadcrumb trail for young musicians.
References
Green, L. (2002). How popular musicians learn. Hants, England: Ashgate.
Green, L. (2005). The music curriculum as lived experience: children’s “natural” music- learning processes. Music Educators Journal, 91(4), 27-32.
Green, L. (2006). Popular music education in and for itself, and for ‘other’ music: current research in the classroom. International Journal of Music Education, 24(2), 101-118.
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