Trefoil Award

An award of £6687 from Trefoil is helping 30 children with physical and learning disabilities aged between 8-15 to gain confidence, communication and coordination skills through music-making using the revolutionary notation system Figurenotes.

From April to June 2013, Drake Music Scotland will run three Figurenotes Clubs – Bucksburn and Hazlewood Schools in Aberdeen and Castlehill School club in Glasgow which will give 30 children with special needs the opportunity to learn to play music, compose and perform.

Figurenotes is an exciting notation system developed in Finland which has proven successful in enabling children and adults with learning disabilities to read music. It uses a simple system of coloured shapes instead of conventional musical notes which players match up with identical stickers placed on keyboards or guitar finger boards.

Trefoil Chief Executive David McArthur said “Music-making can be a tremendous source of well-being for children with disabilities and we are pleased to continue supporting this project for a second year”.

Artistic Director Pete Sparkes said “The Figurenotes Clubs are a key part of our work giving children with special needs the chance to make the music and play the instruments they want to play and we are extremely grateful to Trefoil for supporting these”.