Drake Music is the leading national organisation working in music, disability and technology. Our vision: Non-disabled people can make music in many ways. We want the same for Disabled people. We want equal opportunities for everyone to make music. Our vision is a world where Disabled people have the same range of opportunities, instruments and encouragement, where Disabled and non-disabled musicians work together as equals. What we do: We work with disabled musicians of all ages and abilities, from school children making music for the first time, to professional musicians developing their career and practice. We offer commission opportunities, deliver education projects and develop new accessible musical instruments. We have been pioneering the use of assistive music technology for over 20 years. We are specialists in using technology to break down disabling barriers to making music. Where we work: Our Head Office is located in London, but we are a national organisation working with schools, arts organisations, music hubs and musicians across England. We are an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation and we are a member of Youth Music's Alliance for a Musically Inclusive England.
External link for Drake Music
60 - 61 Old Nichol Street
London, London E2 7HP, GB
💥 Never mind Spotify, it's been a busy year here at Drake Music. From hackathons to inclusive ensembles, we've explored countless ways of accessible music-making. Thank you for being a part of it 💖 There's been lots to shout about, so enjoy this selection of highlights! Relive the action: https://lnkd.in/eHGbmP8k
What an incredible three days this was at Watershed with Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc, Paraorchestra and Pervasive Media Studio! 🎻
Here's what happened when music-makers and creative technologists from Paraorchestra, Drake Music, Pervasive Media Studio, Watershed, and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. came together for a three-day hackathon exploring new possibilities in assistive music technology. Working intensely in small teams across the course of 72 hours, teams of musicians and technologists sought to address barriers faced by D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent music creators, 'hacking' a range of cutting-edge assistive music technology from tactile instruments to wearable sensors. This project was a fantastic challenge, with a multitude of different musicians and partners working across time zones and language barriers to coordinate a concentrated, super-productive burst of activity across the three days. The hackathon epitomises the approach we want to take with our artist development programme Modulate – collaborative, innovative and with disabled music creators setting the agenda. Listen to an audio-described version of the film here: https://lnkd.in/eC8SAtjc Special thanks to all of the musicians and technologists who took part and all of the partners on the project: Drake Music, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., Watershed, Pervasive Media Studio and MyWorld. DOP: Jack Offord Editor: Jon Aitken Audio description: Willie Elliot Video description: This short film shows the musicians and composers of Paraorchestra and Drake Music working alongside creative technologists from Sony and Watershed to explore new technologies in music making. The musicians and partners speak to the camera in between footage of musicians and technologists working together in a warmly-lit room gathered around tables full of instruments, cables and laptops.
📯 Accessible Instrument Development Fund: Blog 3 📯 We asked our three 2023 grantees to document their year-long journey towards creating a brand-new accessible instrument. 📸 This week, we bring you our final creation of the series. Discover The _PhotoSYNTH 4D_, by DMLab legend zen olenski. A holographic musical instrument, The _PhotoSYNTH 4D_ observes and learns users' movements, enhancing them with radical new musical superpowers! zen has penned a blog on our website, which offers a detailed insight into how _PhotoSYNTH 4D_ was created. You can access it here: https://shorturl.at/uxfcr Thanks to the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder, City Bridge Trust, London Catalyst, and Arts Council England for making this project possible. 📸 Martin Delaney first picture
🎭 Accessible Instrument Development Fund: Blog 2! We asked our three 2023 grantees to document their year-long journey towards creating a brand-new accessible instrument. This week, we discover Buffer Live, created by Nicola Woodham. Nicola has penned a blog on our website, which offers a detailed insight into how the instrument was created! Read it here: https://shorturl.at/Du3kZ 🧶 A modular, wearable live audio sampler, Buffer Live can be coded to explore a variety of frequency preferences. It is played via soft fabric sensors that are responsive to pressure and contact. It is built using a Bela Mini and derived from the Live Sampler included in the embelashed audio tool kit. Thanks to the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder, City Bridge Trust, London Catalyst, and Arts Council England for making this project possible. 📸 Martin Delaney first picture
Join us at Rich Mix for DMLab London next week! With guest presentations from Lou Barnell, Chris Ball and Calina de la Mare. 📅 Monday 25 November ⏰ 6pm - 8.30pm 📌 Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA OR live stream 📎 FREE tickets/ more info: https://shorturl.at/toGvU Not familiar with DMLab? No problem. These bi-monthly sessions are a space for Disabled and Non-Disabled musicians, technologists, and makers to exchange practices and explore new accessible instruments. The venue, Rich Mix, is wheelchair accessible, via a permanent entrance ramp and lifts inside the building. The event will be held in The Studio, which is level throughout and is located on the 4th floor. There are accessible toilets (with RADAR locks) on the ground floor, 1st floor, 2nd floor and the 4th floor. There will be a quiet space available. We will have live captions and BSL interpreters at the session (these will also be available on the livestream). Please let us know of any specific access requirements when registering for the event. We can't wait for you to join us!
🎻 Accessible Instrument Development Fund. We asked our three 2023 grantees to document their year-long journey creating a brand-new accessible instrument. First up, we have Lee Holder and The Calliope. 🎮 Using RFID tags whilst exploring the gamification of music-making, The Calliope aims to engage young neurodiverse people through play. Lee has penned a blog on our website which offers a detailed insight into how the The Calliope was created. You can access it via this link: https://shorturl.at/rgYhw Thanks to the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder, City Bridge Trust, London Catalyst, and Arts Council England for making this project possible. 📸 Martin Delaney first picture
🌠 Exciting news! Our Future Leaders program, is now well underway! The project aims to support young Disabled musicians aged 18-25 to build skills and explore diverse roles in music, from project management to facilitation and teaching. Meet 2 of our Future Leaders: ✨ Vinícius Motta Vinícius is a Brazilian-English composer, arranger-orchestrator, and educator based in Birmingham. His diverse portfolio mainly explores performer’s independence within an ensemble, timbre, and aleatoricism, while also incorporating his Brazilian heritage through South American rhythms, Portuguese texts, and his lived experiences. His works have earned recognition through performances by esteemed ensembles such as the Orchestra of the Swan, Contemporary Music for All, and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Notable venues where his works have been performed include Symphony Hall (Birmingham), St John’s Smith Square (London), and the CBSO Centre (Birmingham). 💥 Georgina Spray Georgie is a 25 year-old neurodivergent French horn player from rural Lincolnshire. She studied music performance at the University of Huddersfield and is currently studying for a Master’s degree in occupational therapy with a special interest in autism assessment and diagnosis. Georgie has been a member of the National Open Youth Orchestra (NOYO) since its inception and is also Assistant Music Leader for the Birmingham NOYO Ensemble. Georgie is passionate about making music accessible to all. A big thanks to funders Youth Music & Arts Council England for making this possible! #FutureLeaders #AccessibleMusic #YouthMusic
Drake Music reposted this
Our season opening London Carnival project with LSO Create marked the start of an exciting new partnership with Drake Music, in collaboration with associate musician Dav Shiel and Drake Music's assistive music technology – the ensemble can't wait to see what else we might be able to achieve together throughout the year.
And that’s a wrap! The Sony Assistive Musical Instrument Hackathon has now finished. What an incredible 3 days we've had exploring new accessible music technology here in Bristol. We can’t wait to share full highlights of the event with you soon, but for now, enjoy these images that we captured today. A huge thank you to Sony for making the hackathon possible, to Watershed for being the BEST hosts, to the incredible musicians of Paraorchestra and the team and to Yuru Music and MyWorld - Bristol Bath for their support. We couldn’t have done it without your commitment and dedication in making music accessible for all! #SAMIH24 #AssistiveMusicTechnology #SonyAssitiveMusicalInstrumentHackathon
Yesterday we arrived at Watershed. We're delighted to declare that the Sony Assistive Musical Instrument Hackathon is now officially open! Kicking off the evening were some incredible performances from the Paraorchestra musicians and a fascinating presentation from Yuru Music. We can’t wait to see what the next 3 days have in store. Let the hacking begin! #SAMIH24 #AssistiveMusicTechnology #SonyAssitiveMusicalInstrumentHackathon