Workshops in Schools

I wanted to thank you for your contribution to our youngster's progress this year. You will know better than me the difference it has made to many individuals here. I look forward to more collaboration and joint adventure.
Paul Jenkins, Headteacher, Mayfield School

Heather's work in schools has never failed to live up to our expectations and to inspire pupils and teachers alike.
Neil Rathmell, Creative Arts Adviser, Shropshire County Council

I enjoyed Heather being here because she experimented with things we have never tried before. It was a lovely experience and I will miss her. She is someone we will never forget.
Daniel Harley, Dresden CE Primary School

Heather Wastie is a multi-skilled artist with considerable experience of education work, as well as of professional performing. Her range of interests and harnessing of varied communicative and learning styles formed a significant factor in the way that, throughout the project, children remained absorbed and ‘on task’. Heather’s own musical leadership during the project comprised effortless and expressive singing; recorder-playing; and keyboard performance. Above all, she combined mastery of the often complex and innovative employment of Soundbeam thrown up by the evolution of her and the children’s ideas with the ability to find a way of illustrating their most effective use without the pupils becoming daunted by a level of technology they were unlikely to understand.
Heather’s capacity to generate musical responses from a wide variety of means without relying on prescriptive definitions also proved essential to the way the project evolved… During the workshop sessions, pupils engaged with ideas which embraced: poetic forms; drawing; costumes and found objects; vocal and instrumental improvisation responding to a range of different stimuli; counting and experiencing shape and proportion; patterns of physical movement; emotions and their experience and communication; stories, and so on. Heather’s methods, whether planned in advance or evolving organically out of the pupils’ ideas, harnessed these activities in ways which yielded both rich identification with the material resulting as a component of the eventual work, and involved the whole ability range (and both genders) with the minimum risk of exclusion through specialisation. One such technique was to break away from music-making and experience related ideas, either within the session or through homework, through other media: story-writing, poetry, drawing. These activities were not so much an end in themselves as a means of generating responses which could then form the basis of re-integration into material which could be conveyed musically. Another key element of Heather’s pedagogy was a form of “Chinese Whispers” which was observed to operate in a variety of ways, and represented a means of teaching respect for the work of others as well as quality of listening. This represented not only an aspect of teaching style, even at the level of class management, but also a traceable principle for the way the composition evolved, evident even to the first-time auditor of the final product. On several occasions, work suggested by one pupil or small group would be replicated by another, or a task would be carried through in which everyone would ‘have a go’ at a particular activity. It was evident that, for the most part, the consequences of such practices did not represent the spirit of competitive comparison one might anticipate, but rather a guided understanding of the variety of personal interpretations which can enliven the presentation of musical material. It was vital to the pupils’ continued motivation over the long timescale of this project that a sense of shared responsibility, of ownership, was elicited in this way.
The unique achievement … has its roots in the cross-disciplinary interactions by which Heather not only solicited ideas and emotional identification, but also appealed to the varied learning styles of the members of 4S.
Extracts from “Soundbeam in Walsall. A Report on the Elektrodome Composition Project at Leighswood School, Aldridge, Sept-Nov 2002” by Dr Nicholas Bannan, International Centre for Research in Music Education, The University of Reading

All of the pupils were interested in the project and gained both musical and social skills from their involvement. There is no doubt that the project met its aim to provide the pupils with an enjoyable experience. It was noticeable that some of the pupils who were the least enthusiastic in music lessons normally were among those who appeared to become the most interested and animated as the weeks went on. … The use of the Soundbeam equipment enabled all pupils to play an instrument regardless of their previous musical skills. This allowed them to concentrate upon the manipulation of the sound and gave them time to think musically when improvising. Pupils were encouraged to think musically throughout the project.
The pupils gained a valuable insight into the process of composing during the project…. The pupils were very excited when their ideas became part of the composition. … Although the project focussed on building musical skills, the process of writing poems for the piece led to the development of literacy skills. The main benefit was that the pupils had a very real purpose for writing poetry. This led to some excellent work from pupils who had previously shown little interest in writing poetry, most notably from boys in the class.
The enthusiasm developed for poetry and words during the Elektrodome Pilot Project is now impacting upon other aspects of school life. Leighswood School is currently participating in a Creative Partnerships project centred around improving the school grounds. … The pupils suggested that poetry could be used in the Creative Partnerships project. As a result of this, a poetry stone is to be created, and some of the words written by the class during the Soundbeam project are to be incorporated into the designs.
Extracts from a Primary Music Today article written by Helena Smith, class teacher, Leighswood School

It was magnificent and very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very fun!!!
Pupil, Class 4S, Leighswood School, Aldridge

I learned a lot about other people in the class.
I have learnt how to work as a team.
I learnt to be creative with music.
I have learnt a lot that you can make music for everything.
It was totally awesome, I want to do it again ... It was so cool! I really enjoyed it!
It was absolutely fantastic it was really fun!!!
It was amazing and interesting and totally WICKED!!!!
Year 5/6 Pupils, Hillfields School, Bristol (Seasons & Cycles 2006)

She encouraged the children to compose their own songs and music which were incorporated into the complete performance and which she translated into musical scores for them, adding a professional feel and raising their self esteem and sense of achievement. All children were included and made to feel valued and Heather's calm and sensitive approach enabled everyone's needs, including some children with severe learning difficulties and challenging behaviour to achieve well and feel proud.
Everyone had fun and learnt a lot in a cross-curricular and creative way. I would definitely look forward to working with Heather again and would recommend her to my colleagues.
Sarah Cox, Class Teacher (Yr 5/6)
Science and Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator
Hillfields School, Bristol

"It's the first time I've seen Soundbeam adapted to the young people, rather than they having to adapt to Soundbeam - it was impressive. .... I feel this project is so strong in what it achieves that it would be good to be able to advocate strongly for continuing such work in the future."
Jon Payne, Project Manager, Sound Futures
Junkbeam Project with young disabled children 2007, working with Heather Wastie & Sound Designer, Simon McCorry

Workshops with disabled adults

Thanks again for your contribution to the project. I knew that your work with Soundbeam was exactly what was needed to open up people's musical potential. Your sessions have provided a real boost to the service users and started some very interesting trains of thought amongst the staff about future possibilities.
Kate Buttolph, Director, Play On

Music for Walsall’s Day in the Dome 2000, commissioned by Walsall Community Arts

Music written as Lichfield Mysteries Composer-in-Residence

The Selfish Note, commissioned by The Soundbeam Project, 2001

"Massive Message" animated film project

Thank you for all your excellent work on the project ..... I think the music has worked out very well and was delighted with how the kids' stuff is clearly audible in there.
James Yarker, Stan's Cafe Theatre

Songs from the Invisible - Music by Heather Wastie
performed by Heather Wastie + guests

A delicious evening.
Tim Swingler, Soundbeam Project

Armed with the wonderful Soundbeam and Heather’s immense talents, we can stand as equals in any performance anywhere.
Keith Youngson, Fox Hollies Special School

What a triumph! I really appreciated the privilege of experiencing ‘Songs from the Invisible’. I found the music with Alchemy, the Oyster Catchers and Mario Net particularly moving.
Clare Smith, Sound It Out Community Music

Just to say how much we enjoyed your concert last night. I thought the Soundbeam concept was amazing … Liked the songs too especially the ones with witty lyrics.
Nigel Wood, Saxtet Publications

Heather's blend of music, poetry, performance and collaborations is wonderful to experience. She brings so many different themes and threads into her work it really is difficult to put it into any category except to say that it touches you in very meaningful ways. Her July Showcase performance at the CBSO Centre was a thrilling tour of musical forms and included impressive work using Soundbeam with partner performers who clearly gained a lot from the experience. Heather's own work is a joy to listen to and the Alchemy group make you realise that there is a much wider world of sounds than we are familiar with.
Don't miss any opportunity you get to see any of this work.
Tony Stanley, Creative Director, Trilby Multimedia

It was a really great concert - nice to be involved in something so imaginative and original. Great stuff.
Peter Churchill (accordion, piano)

“ … a splendidly varied and rewarding evening …the dance pieces were perhaps the best choreographed ones I’ve seen involving people with learning difficulties … moving and effective … the dancers obviously got a lot of pleasure from doing them.
… [the] songs and poems were a great pleasure - such an interesting and wide range of moods and emotions - and sung with great conviction in an appropriately varied number of different vocal styles. … an accomplished and persuasive performer, composer and poet.”
Edward Williams, The Soundbeam Project

“I enjoyed the show very much … your dramatic solo piece illustrating the potential of Soundbeam … The first [piece] was genuinely moving, and Chairman of the Bored contained some really impressively coordinated and very funny choreographic moments. … I also enjoyed Oyster Catchers a lot, where the movements … perfectly reflected the music themes and SFX you used.
… Emma and Peter’s delicate playing combined with your voice makes a lovely blend.”
Rob Strawson, The Music Pool, Hereford

Solo songs with keyboard

Thank you, Heather, for being brilliant on stage.
Geoff Stevens, Purple Patch Poetry Convention