Youth Music - BongoClub.org.uk

(Early Years advisor, Author of activities in the storybook panels and co-author of Getting Started parents booklet.)

Alison has worked internationally across a diverse range of locations including train stations, boats, deserts, children's centres, forests and libraries. She plays in many styles (including rock, improvisation and Turkish folk) and has much experience of working in film, theatre and dance. Making use of improvisation and world music, and integrating various pedagogic approaches, her community and education work focuses on developing creativity and communication through voice, movement, story and instrumental activities. Recent early years work includes Community in Music (First Steps project and CD), Romeo et Juliette training project with L'Orchestre National (France), music and storytelling workshops (nationwide) and devising and recording resources including Cherry Pie, 1,2,3, Sing and Move with Me!, and Pathways DVD.

What did Youth Music ask you to do for Music Start?
The main areas that Youth Music wanted me to look at in my role as Early Years Specialist, were devising the activities for the Music Start packs and writing the guidance notes. In terms of how that actually worked in practice, I needed to devise and plan the trials for the Music Start pack, and research the areas of the new Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum that came into place this year. I wanted to make sure that Music Start was really supporting the different areas of the curriculum. I advised the team on ways that Music Start could best support 2 - 5 year olds and their families in music making.

Was it quite a challenge ensuring that Music Start tied in with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)?
It was quite straightforward in the end because it's a very creative curriculum and very open. It leaves an awful lot open to practitioners - you can really play with it and inject your own personality into it. Music and stories can be used in so many different ways to support children's development. It was a real pleasure and really creative.

When it came to deciding which actions would be used in the book, how much involvement was there with other members of the team?
I brought to the project a lot of experience facilitating early years music and movement and storytelling sessions. I'd also created resources to support music making, so even before the story and the music had been completed, I had an idea that the activity panel [as featured in the book], should be very clear and should create choices for families. When it came to the actual activities I did liaise with Miriam (Moss) and Malcolm (Bruce), but we had already talked about the kinds of things that it would be great to support. In a way it was the music that needed the most interaction. Malcolm and I spent a lot of time looking at the music and trying to find the best way to support music making. So making sure, for instance, that the beat was really strong, and the rhythms were really clear. 

What did you enjoy most about the project?
There were so many wonderful things about it! I think one of the things was working with the creative team, because all the people on the team had very high expectations of their work and really high standards. We all also really wanted to challenge ourselves, and just seeing all of our contributions come together and make a cohesive package was really exciting! The other thing that I really, really loved was visiting the recording studio sessions and seeing the musicians in action with the material that Malcolm had written. Also seeing Chiff Chaff and Chickpea take shape and start wandering onto a page was great. It was wonderful to see it all come together. One of the things that has always been close to my heart is working inter-generationally and working on this pack was even more of a delight because I could bring that aspect of my work to it. It was great to really think about the whole family and how much pleasure it could be for everybody.

What was the biggest challenge of the project?
The timescale! We started work in September 2007, and I finished writing the 'Getting Started' book in February!

If you were Chickpea, where would you travel to next?!
Oh my goodness, I don't think I can say! I think it could be a sequel! I think it would be really exciting to say 'Okay - where's Chickpea going to fly now?!' I could think of five or six places straight away but maybe we're giving the game away!

For more information about Alison Blunt, visit http://www.alisonblunt.com