The Improvise Approach

Carrie Lennard invited me to review this book because she knows that I have an extreme mobility and dexterity disability and that if I could use the Improvise Approach to make tuneful music then, almost literally, anyone can. After downloading the Thumb Jam app and following Carrie's crystal clear instructions laid out in this book I was making - if not beautiful music - then at least tuneful music within minutes. I have no innate musical ability but I found it easy and surprisingly satisfying to improvise along with the downloadable tracks provided. The set-up is easy but the actual music making is even easier. Touching anywhere on the screen produces a harmonious note. My 'dirty organ' riff on the Blue Car track would have made Rick Wakeman envious.

Coincidentally, whilst I was messing around with the app a friend, who happens to be a music teacher, arrived and was most taken with the book and the app. She could see immediately the teaching potential and knows the importance of students of whatever ability getting satisfaction and encouragement from producing tuneful, harmonised music. I lost track a bit when she started talking about Major Pentatonic and Chromatic scales but I checked later and it's all covered.

I must stress again that I am not musical but even I can use this app and when following Carrie's guide can make reasonably sounding music. I've tried other music making apps but lack the fine motor skills necessary to use them satisfactorily. Not a problem here. Oh, and by the way, I got good results using both my very un-dexterous fingers and a clumsily held stylus.

If you are the kind of teacher who strives to put creativity and exploration of groove at the heart of their ALN music lessons, then this book is for you. Thumbjam is an ideal app for pupils beginning to explore improvisation, and the backing tracks in the book provide the ideal platform to support it. You can tell that the author has been developing these resources in the classroom - excellent attention to detail and suitable for non-specialist music teachers. I am using it more and more.

I've known Carrie a number of years. We met whilst working at the same school, and I've witnessed Carrie's journey, and her passion and enthusiasm in creating and developing the Improvise Approach. I've observed first hand the approach being used with children with profound and multiple learning disabilities, who have very little movement but have found the motivation and strength to play along. I've watched their faces light up when they realised they were the ones making the harmonious sounds, it was pure delight!
The Improvise Approach is groundbreaking, it encourages and enables anyone to have a go and create music, regardless of their ability.