A unique music project for deaf and hearing impaired children is taking place in Sydney on July 27. As part of the Music for the Deaf Tour, the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) is hosting the seminar on teaching music to the deaf. Two music educators will be hosting the event.
Danny Lane is a profoundly deaf professional musician and creative director of the UK charity organisation Music and the Deaf. Karen Kyriakou is Melbourne-based music teacher working in both schools and arts organisations. They will present evidence of successful approaches in engaging children in music. Because sign language contains very few music signs, delegates will be shown examples of the signs that have been used successfully with deaf children. Participants will come away from the seminar with accessible hands-on activities for non-musicians that can be implemented in the home, clinic, classroom and community:
- Music games and songs for engagement, enjoyment and connecting
- Rhythm activities for memory and cognitive development
- Creative musical activities, self-expression, aesthetics, skill development
- Coordination development through movement and the use of instrument specific techniques
- Improvisation and competition activities that explore experimenting with sounds, developing and sharing ideas, taking pride in one’s work, problem solving, team work and communication
- Early years activities that present opportunities for the earliest possible start in music exposure, an introduction to pitch, rhythm, inventing sounds and using music through story telling
The seminar will be held at the Renwick Centre, North Rocks, Sydney, on July 27, 2015 from 8am to 5pm. For more information visit: www.ridbc.org.au/renwick/cpe-event/music-children-hearing-loss