Methodology!

'Ethnomusicology - A Short Introduction' by Timothy Rice
This is an excellent book, for anyone involved with music in any form, but especially if you're going to be doing a research study into Community Music...
On the subject of ethics and collating and recording music and song, where do we stand on ownership, permission to share and copyright? Timothy Rice sums it up very will at the end of the Chapter on 'Conducting Research', as follows;
'Successful fieldwork is impossible without the friendship and cooperation of those with whom ethnomusicologists study. At its best, field "work" can feel more like play. But it must eventually be turned into interpretive and practical work: writing books and articles that answer questions about the nature of music, teaching in university settings, and helping people and communities with the everyday problems they face.'
I think I know what I'm meant to be doing now!

Enabling and Empowerment

'To be interested involves both effort and attention, often leading to exploration and invention, a wish to expand the self by incorporating new experiences with the person or object that stimulated the interest. Clearly, again we see the relevance of musical activities, i.e., listening and improvising, to stimulate interest and curiosity. In fact, this may be the prime reason why music is so useful in many therapeutic setting.'

Even Ruud, Music Therapy - A Perspective from the Humanities

I visited QA hospital yesterday to meet with Vanessa, the Respiratory Nurse, to talk to her about the Breathe Easy singing groups I'm planning on setting up in Portsmouth in September. Having done the training with the Blf (British Lung Foundation) in April, I, along with other vocal practitioners all over the country, will be starting groups to help people with COPD and Asthma to get into the habit of better breathing. It was a great meeting, really inspiring and such a relief to be able to talk to someone who knew what you were talking about. The day I've found a venue, Drayton Institute, is a Monday morning and this fits well with the clinics they run on Tuesday and Thursdays. So, there ain't no stopping me now! Posters will be done and the word will be spread! The Blf fund the project for three months, then we'll have to find some money after that. I'm covering a group in Bitterne over the summer, that Sandra leads, so it will be good to see what they do.