Aimed at teachers, musicians, arts workers, youth leaders, childcare staff, childminders, health practitioners, carers supporting those with additional needs, Music Trains 2006 will take place on Monday 27th to Thursday 30th March at Inverness and Dingwall.

Leaders/ Workshops Information:

Doug Goodkin is a world expert in the Orff Schulwerk approach to music education. He is an international practitioner, giving Orff courses worldwide. He has written numerous articles on Orff in contemporary culture and several excellent practical music books for teachers. He received the distinguished Pro Merito Award for his contributions to Orff Schulwerk in 2000. Orff Schulwerk asks for minimal expertise in a wide variety of disciplines – music, dance, movement, poetry and rhyme. Carl Orff’s genius lies in his synthesis of art forms: ‘Elemental music, never alone but always connected with movement, rhythm and speech’. Orff believed that music is born of the natural rhythm of speech. Speech is a natural way to music and rhymes; and poems build a foundation for rhythm, phrase and form. The Orff approach to music uses modal music from the start, a natural development from speech sound (Leonard Bernstein) and in keeping with the roots of all indigenous music. Variations in form and improvisation on a theme are main features of every song, rhyme and melody. Doug will give workshops both at Beginners and Intermediate level.

Gamelan Naga Mas (Golden Dragon Gamelan) is a community combined arts group, specializing in workshops and performance. The group was formed in 1991 and is owned by Glasgow City Council. Members of the group include community and professional musicians, composers and university lecturers in the performing arts. A Gamelan is an ensemble of traditional Indonesian instruments made primarily of bronze or iron. Many of the instruments are tuned gongs and metallophones and there are various hand drums, flutes and small string instruments as well. Gamelan is regularly used as a community facility for education and therapy.

Dr Raymond MacDonald is Reader in Psychology at Glasgow Caledonian University. He is an associate editor of the International Journal - Psychology of Music and conference secretary for The Society for Education Music and Psychology Research (SEMPRE). He has extensive experience of research relating to the psychology of music and has presented and published his work widely. He has co-edited two text books Musical and Identities and Musical Communication, both published by Oxford University Press. He has also been Artistic Director for a music production company, Sounds of Progress, working with individuals who have special needs. He is an experienced saxophonist/composer, who performs internationally and has recorded numerous CDs. Recent collaborations include work with David Byrne, Evan Parker and Lol Coxhill. In 2002 he was awarded Scottish Jazz Musician of the year by the Sunday Herald and he is currently director of the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra. He will lead workshops in improvisation and music psychology.

Chrissie Stewart will lead workshops in Scottish Lullabies and Traditional Gaelic Song. She is an expert in this field.

Performances: Local special groups.

Forms available mid January

Contacts:
Alpha Munro, Co-ordinator Artlink Highland, 01349 830366.
Email: alphamunro@aol.com

Jelica Gavrilovic, Artsplay Highland Co-ordinator, 01463 450264. Email: jelica@artsplayhighland.org.uk  

Funded partially by Awards For All.