North Yorkshire Libraries and Ros Hawley - Musical Storytimes

In a totally new scheme, twenty libraries from across North Yorkshire are being given the opportunity to host three participatory live music sessions each for children aged between 3 and 4 years.

In addition to the delivery of 60 participatory sessions all the musicians involved in the project will take part in a training session on working with Early Years groups, and there arewill be seven full day training sessions for library staff, early years practitioners and parents on how they can use musical activities with children aged under five.

The training sessions are being delivered by Ros Hawley; an experienced trainer who has delivered early years work, and is a freelance professional musician.

Each artist or ensemble have selected a book from a list supplied by the North Yorkshire Library and Information Service, and used this text as the basis of their musical activities. At the initial training day, musicians explored the specific skills required to deliver an effective musical project for children under five, creating a 30 minute session influenced by their chosen book. The first sessions took place in November and December 2006 and further ones are now happening in January and February.

In addition to the training delivered for all the artists prior to the project taking place, we are also offering free training opportunities to staff from all the settings and libraries involved in the project. Staff have experienced first hand the effect that being involved in the musical activities has had on the children. These aren't necessarily musical skills, but the wider social, developmental and educational skills children are developing at this age which participation in musical activities can support and enhance.

Sessions are designed for non music specialists wishing to gain ideas for using music with early years groups and will be a practical 'hands on' exploration of simple musical ideas using voices, simple rhythm and percussion activities. Designed to help develop children's awareness of sound, music and listening skills, sessions will also explore links to literacy through music and look at how to develop musical activities that can link to children's stories and help to bring them to life.

So far children have experienced traditional British folk music, a whole range of dance music from rock ‘n' roll to tango, waltzes to cha-cha as well as contemporary improvised music. In addition to introducing children to a range of musical instruments and genres, the other key element of the project is participation. Children have created crocodiles, warthogs and elephants using percussion instruments, body percussion and their voices, as well as taking part with movements, dancing, conducting and trying instruments

The children are drawn from local Surestarts, Playgroups and other Early Years Settings, which have been selected by library staff in each area.

All the musicians taking part on this project are members of Live Music Now the UK's foremost music outreach scheme. Established in 1977 by the late Yehudi Menuhin, it fulfils his vision to involve hundreds of thousands of people in the pleasure and inspiration of high quality live music performance at the same time as providing vital encouragement and experience for talented young musicians at the start of their professional careers.

This project is being delivered by Pied Piper Projects in partnership with North Yorkshire County Council's Library Service and UK's leading music outreach charity Live Music Now as part of Tune In, North Yorkshire's Youth Music Action Zone