SoundLINCS hosts 321…..GO!

700 children take part in singing and song-writing project in Lincolnshire

700 children from 24 Lincolnshire primary schools have taken part in ‘321', a creative singing and song-writing project run by Lincolnshire Music Development Agency soundLINCS in collaboration with Lincolnshire Music Service. The project is a strand of Wider Opportunities which is a Government initiative to provide the opportunity for pupils at Key Stage 2 to learn a musical instrument or sing for free. During 2007-2008, 3000 pupils have accessed Wider Opportunities projects delivered by the Lincolnshire Music Service in partnership with schools and other providers. 

The first two phases of the ‘321' project resulted in the creation, performance and recording of 24 original songs, plus eight separate versions of ‘Superheroes', the theme song written specifically for the project by soundLINCS musician and composer Dan McCaughern.

‘The aim of the programme is to help children and their teachers to create their own school song,' explains soundLINCS project leader Allison Jackson. ‘All the schools taking part were given an audio CD, lyrics, guitar tabs and notated music for a common chorus, and then worked with specialist music facilitators from the soundLINCS team to create their own verse - or even several verses!'

Each phase of ‘321' comprised five practical workshop sessions lasting up to two hours per session, culminating in an informal performance. The first four workshops took place within individual schools and involved creative work with groups of up to 30 Key Stage 2 children and their teachers, with supplementary classroom activities encouraged between sessions. For the fifth session, three schools joined to merge elements of their individual songs into a single piece, whilst the final performance combined 12 schools: all performed the chorus together, with each three-school cluster then stepping into the spotlight to perform their own sections.

All the schools taking part were presented with a CD recording of their song after the final performance.

The ‘321' project has so far covered two phases: the first involved 12 schools from the Grantham, Spalding and Holbeach areas and the second featured schools from Lincoln, Market Rasen, Spilsby and Boston. Further phases for 2008/9 are currently being planned.

Details regarding Wider Opportunities initiatives are available from Lincolnshire Music Service on 01522 552841.

www.soundlincs.org