Natural Creators Early Years Listening / Composing / Improvising Program
NEWS:
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Online NC Workshops @ The Glucksman Gallery
Photo by Arran Bradstock
NC Soundboard + Play
Photo by Arran Bradstock
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Natural Creators Early Years Music/Sound Program - ABOUT
created by Karen Power 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 90 min 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. |
Natural Creators Example of early Sound Board using only found objects.
Natural Creators example of Sound Board combining found sounds and chime bars.
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