Community Music

Brantford, Ontario, Canada

Joan Minnery Enterprises

Music, Motivation & Movement

Community Music Classes

Notes and Beats - Musicking

Have you ever wanted to join a music or singing class and felt shy, intimidated or that you didn't have the talent to take part? Do you like music trivia, history and quirky facts about Rock and Roll, Jazz, Reggae, Calypso, Latin, Pop, Hip-Hop, Country and Broadway? Have you ever wanted to just sit in a room with like-minded people listening to music and singing just for the fun of it? Get together with friends to hit some sticks, blow on a kazoo, bang on a tambourine, clap your hands, stomp your feet, wiggle your hips, snap your fingers, and take part in MUSICKING???

I am launching my Notes and Beats - Community Music Classes starting this fall at a few locations around Brantford and Brant County. All inclusive, diversified, interactive and dynamic.

Come and enjoy a fun filled, laid back and smile enhancing hour of Rhythms, Songs, Trivia, Humming, Drumming, Swinging, Instruments, Harmony, Melodies, Tuning and Crooning -- Singing and Mingling!!!

Community Music is about the participation in music-making rather than the performance. Musicking welcomes everyone, regardless of talent, experience, or musical knowledge.

Our motto of our Community Music classes - EVERYone Is Important … EVERYone Is A Star!!!

Classes will be offered to Youth, Teens, Adults and Seniors ... stay tuned!!!

Community Music Roadshow

Everyone Is Important ... Everyone Is A Star

Dynamic and Interactive Facilitation

Diversified, All Inclusive Facilitation for Children, Teens, Adults.

Montessori, Daycare, Home Programs: Music Circles, Songs, Rhythm, Creative Movement, Finger Plays, Games.

Grade School & Private Schools: Group Lessons in Voice, Dance, Drama, Ukulele, Guitar, Rhythm, Song-writing.

Special Needs Individuals, Adults, Seniors: Group Lessons in Music Making, Community Music, the Art of Movement, Musical Theatre.

Grade School & Private Schools – Professional Development Workshops: Keynote Speaker -- Community Music, Leading Young Children Towards Music, the Hospitality of Music for Everyone, Motivation and Movement.

The Community Music Roadshow is a Dynamic and Interactive Facilitation program for Early Childhood Educators, School Teachers, Program Leaders, Recreational Leaders, Music Therapists, Activity Directors and Educational Professionals.

Now More Than Ever – Music Is Needed & Desired.

Instructor: Joan Minnery – Master of Arts – Community Music, E.C.E.

Early Childhood Music Specialist, Music Educator & Performer.

For more information, please contact Joan Minnery @ (519) 771-5687

Website: https://joanminnery.com Email: joan@joanminnery.com

The Hospitality of Music = Everyone Is Important … Everyone Is A Star

What IS Community Music?

The Hospitality of Music -- It's For EVERYone!!!

At the foundation of Community Music is the essence of musicians engaging with others to provide the means to actively enjoy and participate in music. It’s about working together in creating lasting and enjoyable experiences. This can take place at any time with anyone. Community isn’t about where you are on a map. It’s about a collection of people sharing commonalities. Every person can make and share music yet, people are often hesitant because they feel they aren’t skilled. Often, it’s due to the fact that they’ve never been given the opportunity. With Community Music, everyone’s view and input are respected.

Everyone Is included. Every Person Is Important. Every Person Is A Star!

Music has been part of communities for centuries yet, music instruction at the formal level of education such as College and University has concentrated on music theory, history, performance, and the talent of the musician. Learning is focused on the ability to read sheet music and show competitive talent in many areas of instrumentation, voice, musical theatre, and the performing arts. In comparison, even at the conservatory level, there has always existed an exclusionary and ego-centric atmosphere. Often, extremely talented musicians and practitioners have been lost academically simply because they didn’t know how to sight-read music or develop their skills learning orchestra music or had a lack of enthusiasm for the genre. E.g., Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, the Bee Gees, the Beatles, Eddie Van Halen, Taylor Swift and ELVIS.

“I would not have majored in music because when music becomes technical for me, I don’t like that part of it.” – Taylor Swift.

Community Music is open to all. It is cooperative, has a fluid flow, is non-judgmental, unselfish and is process and participant-centred. Community Music is multi-cultural and not genre-specific. It’s more about community engagement and music that creates a community experience. Any type of music that is creative. Community Music is not competitive or formal. It is not exclusionary or product-centred and it is not egocentric. It is not based on talent. It is participant-driven vs performance-driven. The philosophy is that Community Music is about The Process Not the Product.

When you hear the term: Community Music …

Think Pop music, Rock and Roll, Rap, Hip-Hop, Cultural Music, Country, Blues and of course Indie. Think more about the local busker on the street, or the band you’re seeing in the tavern or a community theatre performing in the park. Bring your thoughts to eclectic musical groups of diversified cultures, individuals with special needs, musicians of all ages, all genders, races, creeds, identifications. A Community.

Community Music signifies the interactive teamwork between the individuals who play, create, improvise, and perform music together. Community Music advocates for the individuals’ evolvement and community progression.

In a simple explanation, community music is the informal participatory music-making or ‘musicking’ of the performer, their audience and the relationship of hospitality and humanity between a teacher and their students.

Community Music strives to bring awareness that a group of students knocking sticks together or clapping is just as relevant and should be just as musically accepted as a full brass orchestra. A group leader plucking away on a banjo or singing A Cappella songs is just as viable as a concert pianist or 5-piece jazz quintet.

Community Music establishes to bridge the gap between the classical musician and the cover band, between the classically trained opera singer and the country singer at the local community event and assuredly between the orchestra conductor and the facilitator at the local residential centre or senior’s centre.

Community Music Facilitators

Leading Community Music

Music is about communication, learning, teaching, listening and the all-inclusive word of hospitality. Facilitators promote a blanket of hospitality. Hospitality is defined as the quality of treating people in a warm generous way. The friendly reception and treatment of guests and strangers. A music facilitator needs to be able to enable musical interactions. Those musical interactions are built on a framework of empathy while encouraging a fundamental process of participation and requirements. This is done through music and doing. Make it easy, make it happen. Facilitators think through music, and there is an action. However, it is more about doing and participating and doing and thinking.

They focus on the key attributes of an effective facilitator:

1. Flexible musicianship

2. Innovative practitioner

3. Inquisitive scholar

4. Community engager

5. Informal and non-informal learning

6. Student-centred learning. Learner centre approach

7. Hospitality

8. Empathy & Compassion

9. Sense of Fun and Play

10 Hospitality Hospitality Hospitality

Music can transcend generations, cultures and can lead to inspiration, excitement, and motivation through feelings and experiences. Community Music facilitators feel the impact of music quite profoundly. Through the musical lens, the narrative of a practitioner’s life has been enhanced and changed through music-making. These many experiences foster values in a facilitator to embrace an increased understanding of their community. Creativity is fostered and nurtured in individualistic scenarios and acceptance that every situation is unique.
Community Musicians help others to unleash their inner musician, find their voice and challenge themselves through music and movement. The skills you will develop range from singing, movement and playing various instruments to designing music and creative movement lesson plans, rehearsal plans developing your business plan.

Community Music allows you to explore versatile musical styles, genres, and music-making approaches across various instruments. You will then apply these practical skills in leading and collaborating with your peers on musical initiatives with a social impact. Community Music is an all-around resource that aligns music research, movement, motivation, creativity, music history, story-telling, singing, theory, and practice for the evolvement of versatile leadership skills in community music.

Community Music allows you to explore diverse musical styles, genres, and music-making approaches across various instruments. You will then apply these practical skills in leading and collaborating with your peers on musical initiatives with a social impact.

Community Music Course

Community Music Workshop & Certificate Program

The Community Music program is designed for community leaders who are or plan to be, engaged in creating or making music in many diverse situations such as: art centres, schools, sporting events, community functions, festivals, private parties, home living rooms, recreation programs, places of worship, private studios, seniors’ homes, community centres, residential treatment centres, or any place or venue where making music may occur. If you’re already a person with a music career -- this program will enhance your present musical skills and further develop your skills as a program leader. You will learn and develop the necessary attributes to specialize in leading and implementing recreational music programs.

The ability to play multiple instruments is not a requirement to be accepted into Community Music, but you will be introduced to a variety of many musical disciplines. This will enable you to be exposed and challenged in many curiosities and thoughts regarding career goals. The skills you will develop range from singing, movement and playing various instruments to designing music and creative movement lesson plans, rehearsal plans developing your business plan. Community Music allows you to explore versatile musical styles, genres, and music-making approaches across various instruments. You will then apply these practical skills in leading and collaborating with your peers on musical initiatives with a social impact.

Community Music is an all-around resourceful program that aligns music research, movement, motivation, creativity, music history, story-telling, singing, theory, and practice for the evolvement of versatile leadership skills in community music.

During this program, you will be required to complete a community music placement in a chosen research project. Students will receive experiential-learning off-camps as music facilitators and as performers.

As a student, you will receive training in …

Voice, drums, keyboard, guitar, rhythm making, song-writing, musical theatre, choir. (This is dependent on teacher availability).
The Art of Movement and combining music with movement and motivation.
Creative Arts will be a key component of the program as we combine drama and play along with games and musical theatre.
Facilitation in Leading Young Children To Music, facilitating music programs for Early Childhood.
Recreational music leadership with Individuals with Special Needs and Seniors.
Students will get to work in a variety of music genres and cultures and frequently work with guest artists and coaches. You will be performing, learning, and improving your musicianship. Small group instruction and performance experience in small ensembles will be available to all students.

The course will provide the skills to be successful in several careers, including:

Early Childhood Music Specialists
Music Facilitators/Practitioners
Private Music Teachers
Studio Musicians
Ensemble leaders and administrators
Classroom and studio teachers
Adult education teachers and support staff
Arts councils administrators
Administrators and managers of arts-based businesses, schools, and music camps
Music/leisure coordinators at seniors’ residences
Prison and probation support workers
Community youth leaders
Church/worship/faith-based leader
Library Programs
Residential Centres
Senior Homes
Treatment Centres
Community-Based Programs
Music Festival Adjudicators
Recreational Leaders/Activity Directors

Samples of Course Curriculum

Community Music Practices and Leadership
Leading Young Children To Music
Music and Meaning in Community Contexts
New Media, Business, Administration and Marketing
Interdisciplinary Arts Workshops
Qualitative Research Methods
Class Drumming
Foundations of Popular and Commercial Music
Introduction To Community Music
The Art of Movement – the 3 Ms – Motivation, Movement and Music
Musicking
Vocal Music
Basic Music Theory
Leadership and Facilitation in Community Music
Managing an Arts-Centered Career
Qualitative Research Methods
Your final course requirement will be a presentation of your learning and research in a community setting where your leadership will be demonstrated

Rationale: Community Music isn’t new but the addition of this program in any educational facility will be exciting and novel.

With the onset of Covid-19 and the world now coming out of their collective cocoons, there’s never been a more valuable time for people to engage in Community Music. People have been shut-in and sequestered, particularly the senior population and individuals with specific needs. The demand for community musicians will be paramount in dealing with the ramifications of mental health post-pandemic. At present, Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo is the only educational facility in all of Canada which offers Community Music as a course discipline. The BA program began in 2018, and the MA program was implemented in 2013. The addition of Community Music goes along with the mandate of health, wellness and community involvement. There are no College programs in Community Music in Canada. Any new workshops, courses/programs would be part of the grass roots growth in giving recognizable certification to quality musical leaders. The benefits of a college program include increased personalized academic attention, lower tuition costs, focus on undergraduate teaching and placement, faster turnout into the workplace, and a program specific to the chosen field. It’s a win/win situation. Facilities will be on the cutting edge of uniqueness.

Abstract: Through the art of musicking, social interactions increase when social relationships transcend into a common space through the same language, e.g., music. What type of relationships can we create through face-to-face performances in music? What is the connection between the participants and the composer when they all engage in a cumulative communication flow? When we do something simply for enjoyment and have fun with our friends, is there always a need for a deeper analysis, or can it purely be that the proposed outcome is to have fun?

Purpose: The purpose of music-making is to create something fun together with our groups, generating feelings of accomplishment and joy while interacting with one another in a nurturing environment while also learning and facilitating together.

Form: Through the process of combining and creating music, we are bringing separate parts together to create. Happiness will appear as we anticipate smiles. One person acts singularly while continually inviting others to take part where we ultimately join as one. As the music progresses, the melody will begin to take a visible shape rising and falling and moving slowly and fluidly. The musical arch will take form much like a ripple effect.

Method: Teach, Rehearse, Produce. I teach. Then we rehearse together as I offer any feedback needed. Then I stand back and watch us produce. This keeps it simple and allows everyone to stay on an even playing field. It also encourages them to do a task they already know how to do but still adopt an accelerated technique.

Structure: The wheel. Each of us becomes a part of something more like a wheel mosaic. We are all solo artists -- separately, we all pieces but together, we become the working moving parts. We become the wheel by putting the parts together -- the hub, the spokes, the rim, the tire.