1 Reply by crowanna

(12 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Lots of supportive remarks -- what a friendly welcome!

Completely agree with Ken about 3 x 1 hour but can't be done: education comes in 3-hour lumps, to allow the officers time to unlock and escort etc. Yes, I'll plan in some music theory and printing off stuff they can take back and read.

Jerry's / Ken's wooden fingerboard might work. I'll find out what classes they have in that department, and if the lads attend that or others then yes, maybe they could be supervised to practise a bit during the break -- good idea.

never tried kazoos but you've got me thinking, Russell, hooray.

it's going to be interesting when I feel settled enough to ask the chaps whether they'd be willing to learn some explicitly prison-based ditties. Stuff by Johnny Cash and other songwriters who know what it's like being inside has gone down well, e.g. Boy named Sue; haven't yet offered, or been asked for, more personal songs about grieving. Children's songs are popular in one prison where recordings can be made to send to families (Storybook Dads project), so your kids don't grow up not knowing what you sound like.

Thanks again.

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2 Topic by crowanna

(12 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Advice please for my teaching challenge. It's great to be starting to teach basic acoustic guitar in 2 UK prisons after 30 years' teaching elsewhere. (I play with ceilidh bands and folk groups of all kinds.) But how can the students practise when they're only allowed to handle instruments for the single weekly 3-hour session? The strings are a security risk so everything has to be locked up before the men are taken back to the cells. 

There will be some musical elements they can continue to practise, e.g. rhythm and improvised percussion, breathing and voice work, and of course sheets of their favourite lyrics for learning and working out accompaniments. However, they need to develop callused and flexible fingers. The gadget called Letechnique isn't permitted (yet! I'm working on it) but someone out there may suggest something. Meanwhile, I'll try with elastic bands and boxes.

Thanks in advance.

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