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Making Music with Neurodiverse Groups

Organised by the Traditional Music Forum, these online workshops are for tutors to develop skills in working with groups of neurodiverse musicians and learners.

As non-formal teaching organisations look to work with more diverse groups of learners, tutors will need to acquire new skills. One of those groups is the neurodiverse. The term neurodiversity covers a wide range of thought, perception, sociability, and mood: dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, attention deficit disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, Down Syndrome, autism. It has been estimated that 30% of people who work in the music industry have a neurodiverse condition. There is increasing recognition that neurodivergence can be an asset in creative situations where the insights offered by different ways of thinking can lead to innovative outcomes.

The sessions will be led by Linda Rankin. Linda is an Australian-Scottish fiddler, teacher and composer currently based in Scotland, with experience of working with neurodiverse groups in Australia. She is a qualified music and primary classroom teacher and is due to take up a post in Auchteradarer in August, as a primary classroom music specialist. Her insights and the tool-kit which she will share also apply in non-formal and participatory settings.

Linda is the founding Director of The Adelaide Scottish Fiddle Club, and is currently a member of Hjaltibonhoga, the Shetland fiddle group under the direction of Margaret Robertson, known for their performances at the Edinburgh Tattoo.

There is a choice of three workshop dates to choose from:

Wednesday 14th July, 2pm – 3.30pm
Wednesday 28th July, 2pm – 3.30pm
Wednesday 11th August, 2pm – 3.30pm

Participants will be sent a Zoom link by the Traditional Music Forum just before the session you book for.

Tickets from Eventbrite