These are the files linked to the Sing Up Training given at some Derbyshire Primary Schools. 1. Training notes - Word doc Download Derbyshire Schools Sing Up Training - Mark Purves Topics covered Using music to 'tune in' your class and 'tune out' distractions Call / Response lesson starters/warm-ups Using class ...

Some weeks back a creative genius died. Steve Jobs' life was a life of creativity unleashed. Whatever his faults, the impact of his vision and ideas have been fundamental in allowing me to write this blog, on this machine and communicate with (in my dreams!) a potential audience of millions. True creativity is an explosion of abundance. It isn't ...

Today was spent in a very sunny Walsall at an excellent event run by Musical Futures. It has been a very busy week travelling quite a bit so I very nearly didn't go but I am so glad I did. I had never heard of Musical Futures before but after listening to an excellent and thought-provoking keynote address from its founder, David Price, was left ...

I'm writing this post as a follow up to the previous post about Eric Whitacre's virtual choir. In that, I said that I have borrowed the concept behind all collective singing and am learning to apply it to language learning, that successful blending of many voices into one sound is incredibly powerful and emotionally rich. This is my first attempt ...

Here is the completed video of Eric Whitacre's virtual choir singing his composition 'Sleep'. Again I would just make the point that there is both power and beauty in people joing voices to sing as one. I teach this concept of 'one voice, many people' as a vital part of my language lessons' and it has had a big impact on what I do. I'll explain ...

I really liked this video posted at John William's site ''Screw Work, Let's Play'' In fact I would go a bit further and say that you know when you have a great idea because you don't feel like boasting about it. There's something humbling about this process. I have experienced it a ...

I came across this wonderful site last night http://www.stephyprod.com/ that is absolutely packed with free resources based around some well known and original compositions. Here is the link to the part of the site that lists all of the songs available With the songs there is a really well executed flash video animation to illustrate it. There ...

This, at the moment, has nothing to do with language teaching. I say, as yet, because in my heart I know one day it will. More on that some other time. For the moment I want you simply to enjoy this beautiful presentation from the TED site. You, I, all of us came into this world with a voice that has a unique quality, it is designed to sing. For ...

Just a quick heads up about an interesting site that was mentioned to me by a colleague jeannedelalune    There are handwritten copies of many poems by famous French poets that the blog author has illustrated with short cartoons. The site is at http://bdpoemefromars.canalblog.com/ Here is the link to the blog page I took the following from As ...

I thought that I would share some videos from the TED website that I have found profound and inspirational in my own thinking about creativity and learning. First, lessons from Itay Talgam, a conductor, about leadership Second, the remarkable story of Jose Antonio Abreu who is the ...