NUMU, a safe social networking website with a national chart which showcases 'new music' created by 10-18 year olds, is just one example of how young people and teachers are using new technologies and approaches to transform music learning.
NUMU's approach developed out of the Musical Futures and dbass projects. There are thousands of students creating music on NUMU in schools across England. Some are focusing on developing their musical talent whilst others are using music as a vehicle to develop their skills in creative media, enterprise, ICT, communication, and leadership.
In the run up to the State of Play music learning conference, we will be following the progress of three sets of students and teachers using NUMU for learning. Come and hear more about young people and how they use technology in the Creator's Bedroom at State of Play in January.
Meet DJ B
Up until last year DJ B had never been interested in the mainstream curriculum and had no interest in carrying on his education after school. After engaging in NUMU he never missed a single music lesson. Over the past year he has developed his music and ICT skills and discovered a talent for mentoring others. He is planing to start a course at Leeds College of Music. How did this transformation take place?
DJ B first encountered NUMU through a Musical Futures event in Leeds.
"It seemed interesting, something for the people who make the music, somewhere to put it up for other people to listen to and give them feedback, maybe on why they liked it and any improvements that they could do, or for people to collaborate with other artists, maybe do a joint project. So I thought I'll sign up."
Having his own place to showcase his music meant he had an incentive to create new tracks and to learn new skills.
"I thought that, while I can, I'll just go into the room with the Apple Macs and have a go. I think I made about three tracks within an hour or two and got them uploaded... I thought Garage Band [Apple's music recording software] was pretty good and pretty simple to use, it has countless loops and sounds. It was pretty cool."
One of the key factors in DJ B’s progression has been being able to receive feedback from his peers and comment back. This has helped develop his critical listening skills whilst also providing a safe and welcoming community of other musicians.
"I came into school to see how [my tracks] were doing and saw that they were being played a few times and that made me quite happy, I was number 2 [in the NUMU chart]. I didn’t have any feedback [from other students] at the minute so I was a bit daunted. I left some comments for other artists and started to get some feedback which has been mainly positive, people saying which their favourite tracks were. There's a guy who’s just started up so I’ve just uploaded some new samples for him to use.
"If you go on to another site you’re with people you don’t know and you don't know where they are, you don’t know what sort of environment you're in, whereas on NUMU you know you're in a friendly environment. No one is going to say anything bad about you and you know by the fact that you are in a good area, nothing can get to you. You’ve got a safe place for uploading your tracks and that, a safe place to talk to people."
DJ B has also been able to take his new skills back into the classroom and provide mentoring for other students.
"I'm going to be teaching a whole class, that's about twenty-seven people, how to use Fruityloops [a popular music making programme]. I'm nervous because I've never shown that many people how to do something."
Over the past year DJ B has re-engaged with music in a way that is meaningful to him to such an extent that he is now planning to continue into further education.
"A lot of people don’t really seem to like dance music. They says its repetitive rubbish, it's all computer music, you know, not played with instruments and that. They say that because it's all been made on the computer it can’t be classed as music but I disagree with them, it’s the same."
Views from the Head of Music
A key to the success has been the recognition by teachers of the value in this approach.
"Putting the music on the website is a bit like having your work in print, getting feedback and positive responses back, raises self confidence in a non-threatening way."
In DJ B's case teachers have been able to see another side to his skills and been able to effectively support him in reaching his goals.
"Without this style of music and without the series of events that led him to getting to where he is we would never have known what he was capable of."
NUMU believe that music could and should be positioned at the centre of learning, not on the fringes. NUMU is funded through the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, for more information visit www.numu.org.uk.
Photos from Artforms Musical Futures Day below. All photos by Paul Kaiserman.