Natural Creators Early Years Listening / Composing / Improvising Program

Natural Creators Program created by Karen Power https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdDDALk5wUU - click here to see/hear a sample 
Natural Creators is an exploratory program and new approach to creative learning and play. which has been designed by Karen specifically for working within Early Years. The program structure is designed to be hugely flexible, so as to be applicable to any number of settings: from standalone 1 1/2 hour workshops to a six week project featuring a weekly workshop with Karen in an early year setting. ‘Natural Creators is as much an aesthetic or approach to music making with children as it is a program. It is my hope that over time this approach will become acknowledged as a necessary alternative to the more formal music education programs and integrated into our education system. Already a number of artists and musicians have been trained in this open and considered approach. It is my aim to continue to build on this.’ Karen Power Using found sounds from the natural environment, the workshops encouraged children’s natural openness and curiosity through a series of composing, improving, listening and play workshops. Writing about the philosophy of the programme Karen highlights the significance of understanding and exploring with children’s natural instinct and the role of early years music education to harness that natural curiosity and facilitate a space for children to develop the ability to listen and respond intuitively to music, Karen writes: Sound is everywhere, in everything and we are all capable of making sound. Natural Creators is all about harnessing natural exploration and creativity in a safe, open, and creative environment.These workshops place emphasis on music making without financial or training restrictions by beginning with every day, found and homemade sound sources as musical instruments. Natural Creators, put very simply, stems from the fact that young children are often more interested in the box that a gift comes in than the toy itself. The Natural Creators workshops are built on slowly integrating sound into children’s everyday lives through a series of listening to sounds, observing sounds, repeating and extending. Karen’s series of workshops are designed in an open and improvised manner facilitating every child to engage in the process with their own unique approach to creating sound. Karen emphasizes the importance of her role to support children in a way that is mindful to how children create naturally. As an artist and educator I see plenty of music programs attending to children’s musical skills in a directed manner. I wish to use my skills as a creator to work with our youngest ears on creating music that has no right or wrong approach, but celebrates how each of us receives, processes, responds and communicates with sound differently. Recent samples of Natural Creators Program in different contexts from stand alone to complete 6 week program: June 2018 - Cruinniú na nÓg (Creative Ireland) day for Children + The Arts: Karen presents 4 workshops reaching 80 inner Dublin children between 5 - 8 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdDDALk5wUU Natural Creators is presented as part of a curated Our Tunes program @ The Contemporary Music Centre, Dublin. April 2018 - Music Town (Dublin City Council) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=17&v=PEnMuUdTtYw Oct. 2015 - Music Generation Cork City - 6 week Early Years Trial Program: https://vimeo.com/123606656 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdDDALk5wUUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdDDALk5wUUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=17&v=PEnMuUdTtYwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=17&v=PEnMuUdTtYwhttps://vimeo.com/123606656https://vimeo.com/123606656shapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1shapeimage_3_link_2shapeimage_3_link_3shapeimage_3_link_4shapeimage_3_link_5