Musical conversations

Much of music is made of imitation and contrast so the structure of a musical conversation, using instruments rather than words, is a very useful one. It can be teacher/pupil or pupil/pupil or the idea can be adapted to form a group exercise. You just chat away using an instrument rather than words. The keys are:

• The idea of turn taking in conversation is familiar to almost everyone.
• Control can be minimal so that imitation and contrast happen at will.
• It is wonderful to do this activity with no verbal queues whatsoever.
• You need very little equipment. Simply share an instrument such as a tambourine or a drum.
• Use the physical offering of the instrument as the signal to play.
• Conversations provide great way of getting to know people's musical abilities.

Conducting

There is a natural relationship between movement and sound.

• Given a simple instrument, most people will play exactly the same sounds for a tickling gesture or for a finger pointed short and sharp.
• This means that people with very limited musical technique, or indeed very restricted physical movements, can manipulate the musical skills of a partner.
• One person makes a gesture. A partner plays or sings their interpretation of that gesture.
• Gestures can be made with hands but also with eyes, noses, feet or just about anything.
• This is the single most useful way of generating music that I know and can be tremendously liberating.
• Conducting is fun to start off with and yet the possibilities for development are without limit.
• How you develop the idea with pupils will needless to say depend on each individual and group.
• Pupils often find it easiest   to mess around with about 3 fixed gestures, mixing and matching as they wish, and then feel free to let their imaginations take over.

Supporting

This is a wonderful way of playing music together and forms a part of much detailed work in music therapy. As with musical conversations, supporting involves adult and child both playing. The key characteristics are:

• The child has a fixed role: to play whatever they like.
• The adult has a fixed role: to support the child in whatever they want to do.
• Both roles should be non-verbal and instinctive.
• The supporting role may include giving a pulse while the child improvises.
• The supporting role may include copying what the child does and maybe developing it.
• The supporting role may include making new musical suggestions, so long as these don't dominate the child's ideas.
• Both adult and child will want access to 3 or 4 instruments to have a range of sound available.
• Even with all these instruments, silence is fine.
• A session may last anything from a couple of minutes to a couple of hours.
• Making a video of sessions can be very helpful as the work tends to move too fast to remember everything that happened.

Breathing

The three techniques already mentioned all involve active participation from a pupil to some degree. Where a child is not able to give a clear response, working from the natural pulse and rhythm of their breath can give rise to the most beautiful work imaginable. The breath becomes part of the music and the music becomes part of the breath. Just play or sing along and you have a very strong sense of unity between music and child.