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Old 09-20-2012, 03:07 PM   #1
Mudchild
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Default Fun music tech workshops for Downs Syndrome kids

Hi folks

For work, I am doing a little music tech workshop for a bunch of Downs Syndrome kids. This is something we have done before, as part of an activity day for these kids. We did quite well, and I learnt a lot! Activities included - recording the kids doing animal noises, recording them saying their names and what foods they liked etc (and looping this over a hip-hop beat to make it sound rhythmic) and general recording and music - a few of the kids fancy themselves as pop stars and just like recording themselves singing while plinking away on the keyboard and what not.

We have another workshop coming up, and I just wondered if anyone has any experience/ideas in working with DS kids for fun things to do when you have a laptop, some mics, a load of VSTi's and a couple of MIDI keys/drumpads. It's gone great so far but I just want to keep it fresh for the kids. Any new ideas would be appreciated.

Any thoughts?
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Old 09-20-2012, 05:59 PM   #2
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how about some huge delay busses to send to... and some extreme EQ used the same way.... or if you have something like kontakt, cut up bits of their recorded stuff and make an instrument out of it...

now personally I don't love hip hop beats... much prefer hippidy hop carrots... [ehhhhh, wattsup doc?]
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Old 09-20-2012, 08:00 PM   #3
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I just want to say that you rock Mudchild!
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Old 09-20-2012, 08:14 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by Mudchild View Post
Hi folks

For work, I am doing a little music tech workshop for a bunch of Downs Syndrome kids. This is something we have done before, as part of an activity day for these kids. We did quite well, and I learnt a lot! Activities included - recording the kids doing animal noises, recording them saying their names and what foods they liked etc (and looping this over a hip-hop beat to make it sound rhythmic) and general recording and music - a few of the kids fancy themselves as pop stars and just like recording themselves singing while plinking away on the keyboard and what not.

We have another workshop coming up, and I just wondered if anyone has any experience/ideas in working with DS kids for fun things to do when you have a laptop, some mics, a load of VSTi's and a couple of MIDI keys/drumpads. It's gone great so far but I just want to keep it fresh for the kids. Any new ideas would be appreciated.

Any thoughts?
Man I love this.

Are they coming as part of a group? Maybe they know songs they can sing/perform together as a chorus.

And if you have access to percussion toys that's always a kid-favorite. In fact you could integrate making percussive toys (shakers, blocks, sticks and the like) if you've got the budget for something like that. Can be done on the super cheap. And then work those into the production.
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Old 09-20-2012, 08:42 PM   #5
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There are also kid's color coded hand bells that are pretty inexpensive and easy to learn.

Kyle
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Old 09-20-2012, 11:33 PM   #6
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Big reverbs and delays, esp on a live mic, varied drum and percussion sounds on drum pads, in addition to real percussion to record. Bass and drum loops to hand to sling stuff together.

My three year old will run round the house with a mic finding new sounds to put through the reverb and delays (she has her own SM58 in her musical instrument crate...)




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Old 09-22-2012, 04:05 AM   #7
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I'm always touched by the Reaper community,there seems to me to be a lot of good people here,and I mean that in it's truest sense.

Nice one Mudchild....repect




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Old 09-22-2012, 05:53 AM   #8
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Big reverbs and delays, esp on a live mic, varied drum and percussion sounds on drum pads, in addition to real percussion to record. Bass and drum loops to hand to sling stuff together.

My three year old will run round the house with a mic finding new sounds to put through the reverb and delays (she has her own SM58 in her musical instrument crate...)




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This is the coolest thing I have come across his year!
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Old 09-22-2012, 08:47 AM   #9
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+10000000000 for the big verbs and percussion ideas. I have led some similar kids groups (for cerebral palsy and physically handicapped kids) and not only is it a ton of fun for kids and instructors, music is awesome for their souls and confidence. One of the things that I loved doing was setting up a wild loosely organized percussion jam, and then since we had a few different "audio stations" set up, we then split off into more solo stuff. The end result was the class all taking part in multiple mixes and "remixes" using loops, beats (sorry, no carrots!) and LOT'S of delays and verbs (Valhalla Room and Valhalla Shimmer to the rescue!). Have fun with this. And take notice of the kids that are REALLY into it; the last one I did was 2 years ago and there are 3 of the kids that have stayed in contact with me and are VERY into audio production to this date. That makes me happy.
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Old 09-22-2012, 12:56 PM   #10
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This is the coolest thing I have come across his year!
Well, when daddy's job is live sound and recording it was inevitable!

Kudos to MC and R43 for the workshops!


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Old 09-22-2012, 01:37 PM   #11
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Thanks for the support guys!

Well the session was today, and went really well. I didn't take the percussion route as one of the other trainers there was already doing a drumming workshop with them - although they did have a bash on Addictive Drums with my Padkontrol...

For anyone interested, I actually did some of what we did last time, but tweaked it a bit. Animal noises is a great way in. I assigned a load of real animal noises to pads on the padkontrol, and passed it round the kids letting them press the buttons (lions roaring, pigs oinking), triggering lots of fun and impressions. We went through all the animals trying to copy them vocally and having a laugh about it. Then I got them up in front of an X-Y pair of condensors and recorded them doing their animal impressions in groups - I will mix this all together for an mp3. Some of the kids were absurdly loud, and some were almost silent. Lots of autistic behaviour in the group. They enjoyed it though.

Then I put a funky beat on and just got them to say/sing whatever they wanted on a 58 - will cut that together too.

Then random keyboard playing, talking on the mics, bashing the pads and time was up - next group in.

They key is to have lots of stuff prepared, know how you're going to start, but then be very flexible and adaptable because with this kind of group, shit is gonna get RANDOM.

A great day.

I like the idea of the FX - think I will incorporate that next time...

M
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Old 09-22-2012, 01:38 PM   #12
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Also I should say - I knew the sesh would go well cos I was using REAPER!
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