This is the blog of The Music Gym Ltd, a social enterprise run by interactive spaces designer Tom Smurthwaite.
What is the Music Gym?
Why Sound Therapy?
Tom’s in
novative ideas stem from his ability to take software or equipment designed for one group of people (e.g. dancers) and see its potential for another group, especially those with complex needs – for example autism or profound learning disabilities. He loves nothing more than to collaborate with developers to stretch their software to be used in new ways. Alongside this runs Tom’s passion for communicating with children or adults who lack verbal speech: he believes that everyone can achieve something new and his experiences have proven this time and again.
His work has included:
- Collaborating with software developer Frieder Weiss devising ways that his stage management system “Eyecon” could be used by people with profound disabilities. This led to Tom producing a beginners’ guide and a tutorial written by a special needs music teacher describing her experiences using the software. Frieder kindly allowed him to use the software under the name “Unlocking Music” and it’s available in a package including the two guides and training.
- Designing and developing the NHS award winning Decodamaze, an interactive inflatable fully accessible by wheelchair users. The idea arose from conversations with a teacher who explained the students she taught might have profound disabilities but were still teenagers who needed excitement. Tom acquired an inflatable labyrinth from a local supplier and set about making it interactive, initially with help from Portsmouth University’s Mediate project. In time the entire inflatable was redesigned to include things such as projection screens and wireless sensors with custom control software developed by Christopher Hipgrave. Tom also designed flight-cases to safely contain the control computer and act as mobile projector stands, as well as hold all the cameras, sensors, speakers and extension when not in use.
- The precursor of the Music Gym was a Youth Music project with children on the autistic spectrum called “The Magic Train”, an alternative classroom for autistic children, split into zones where sounds and images were triggered by switches and ultrasonic sensors. It encouraged children who had previously avoided music classes to gradually become involved. Tom was responsible for the technical side but also edited 30 hours of video from the project into a 25 minute DVD for the final evaluation. Issues identified during the project such as long cable runs were later overcome in the Music Gym by using active camera technology.
- Controlling projected images with switches and movement has became an important element in Tom’s work. For example using software to trigger images and effects via MIDI led to the development of a wireless switch table designed for people in wheelchairs. A recent development of this is the use of the cost effective wireless ‘Buzz! controllers’ from the Playstation3 games console to control not only images but most PC programs. These can be attached to wheelchair arm rests to give the user control of a PC, proving that cheap isn’t always nasty!
His favorite remains the Music Gym which he ran as part of Decoda for five successful years in Hastings.
What is the Music Gym?
The Music Gym is fun, it’s exhilarating, engergising and creative. It’s also soothing and relaxing, depending on what you choose, or are able, to do there.
It has developed through our work with people with profound disabilities and always being on the look-out for new ways to enable communication with people who are out of reach.
It involves music – either triggering it or composing it. If you go far enough onto the bouncy castle music will start playing. If you dance on a circle of boards you’ll trigger dance tracks – a different sound on each board. If you move by the Soundbeam – “a keyboard in the air” you’ll not only compose music you’ll also feel it through the vibro-accoustic seating.
It has energetic aspects of a gym with the bouncy castle, the large inflatable ball, the play parachute and the huge space. Recently we’ve added dance software. The possibilities can be seen in The Short White Pulse. One support worker has been using the shadow screen to create shapes using dance ribbons and pompoms for a member who is visually impaired. She is able to pick out the contrasting magnified shapes of black and white images on the wall.
The Music Gym in Hastings isn’t running now, but there’s a new one in Hereford and others will be opening shortly. We’re readily available to offer advice or consultation to any individual or organisation interested in starting a similar service in their own area.
If you’re interested in anything we do, either email us or phone Tom on 0845-2938354 or 01424-439192