Special Music Centre Resonaari and Figurenotes

Special Music Centre Resonaari and Figurenotes

Mr Markku Kaikkonen
Director

Kulosaaren puistotie 26
00570 Helsinki
Finland

markku.kaikkonen(AT)luukku.com
mobile: +358-400-766712

http://www.resonaari.fi

RESONAARI AND THE FIGURENOTES CLUB

Resonaari is the music centre established in 1995 where the Figurenotes is being researched and developed. It also has a music school for special needs groups with over 150 pupils and is working on a holistic music education model incorporating the rehabilitative objectives for special needs groups. In addition, Resonaari arranges training and provides music therapy using the Figurenotes.

As the Figurenotes project has proceeded, a vast network of people and organisations interested in using the Figurenotes method has been established among people operating in the fields of caring, education, music, etc. The fact that it has been possible to share feedback and new ideas with people from very different backgrounds has been of considerable significance in developing the Figurenotes.

For professional (music educators, therapist, teachers etc) Resonaari has established a Figurenotes Club. The idea is to bring together anyone using Figurenotes in his/her work. Figurenotes Club arranges courses and workshops, gives information and note making services and organize the network internationally. At this moment in International Figurenotes has members from Italy, Estonia, Japan, Latvia, Bosnia&Herzegovina and Ireland.


FIGURENOTES©

Figurenotes© is a (therapy-oriented) method of teaching almost anyone to play melodies even if they cannot read a single note in conventional notation. All the player has to do is match two identical symbols. In the Figurenotes each note has a symbol, so even players who find it difficult or impossible to assimilate abstract sound representations will be able to proceed from Figurenotes to conventional notation and thus experience the fun of making music.

At its best, the Figurenotes can enrich and complement music therapy, the basic tuition in instruments, both in early musical education and in bands. Because Figurenotes gives the same musical information as conventional notation, it is easy to switch to conventional notation if and when the player is ready for it.


FIGURENOTES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

The Figurenotes R&D project was launched with financial support from the Slot Machine Association (RAY) at the Resonaari Special Music Centre in Helsinki in 1998 and is now ready for widespread application. It was initially designed for keyboard instruments only, but other instruments were soon introduced as well.

Figurenotes is an excellent tool for both normal instrument teaching and for special groups. It has been proved to have a positive effect in rehabilitation, and one of the objectives for the near future is therefore to develop it with a view more to rehabilitation and therapy. Teaching material and a number of research reports have been published in the course of the R&D project.


FIGURENOTES AS A MEANS OF TEACHING MUSIC

The Figurenotes R&D project has resulted in a new model for teaching music to the mentally disabled and a new rehabilitation method. It has also yielded a number of new research topics in both music education and music therapy, and in the study of learning. Interesting examples of new fields for study are the improvement of motor skills and the ability to process information using the Figurenotes, and further study may produce new rehabilitation methods.

One major result of the project has been the chance it has provided to create a model for music education for the mentally disabled and special needs groups from the elementary to the vocational level. In the case of the mentally disabled, Figurenotes gives them access to a new area of musical culture - playing from printed music. Thanks to the Figurenotes it is possible to combine a goal-oriented and systematic curriculum with rehabilitative objectives. In addition to the educational value, this prevents exclusion, is conducive to sustained work and personal development, and raises self-esteem. Music tuition for special groups, using an adapted curriculum, allows teachers to incorporate rehabilitative goals in their teaching.


THE REHABILITATIVE EFFECTS OF THE FIGURENOTES

Figurenotes can be used to further a number of rehabilitative objectives of different types. It can serve as an additional methodological tool in the overall therapy programme, or it can be used as a therapy in its own right.

The big advantage of Figurenotes is the ease with which it can be assimilated. Hence, it can be used by almost anyone. Because people can pick out a tune from Figurenotes almost straight away, a strong sense of motivation is immediately generated, and this naturally contributes to the therapy.

The following are some of the rehabilitative effects of the Figurenotes:

Factors that affect the quality of life:
• learning something new
• experience of success
• the joy of playing an instrument
• greater self-esteem

The ability to perceive and process information:
• understanding the correspondence between symbols
• understanding of cause and effect
• understanding of sequence and repetition
• the perception of entities

The improvement of motor and coordination skills:
• practising the control needed to play an instrument
• neurological rehabilitation

Study skills:
• better concentration
• commitment to working and practising
• practising social and team work skills

Using Figurenotes to work with images:
• memorising improvisations
• representing images (or stories) using Figurenotes


FIGURENOTES IN NEURO-COGNITIVE REHABILITATION AND IN DEVELOPING INFORMATION PROCESSING SKILLS

Figurenotes can promote neuro-cognitive rehabilitation, but in order to do so the players need to understand and be able to execute various sets of exercises. For rehabilitation clients to benefit from the Figurenotes, they must understand what is expected of them, execute a given (Figurenotes) exercise, and do the motor exercises prescribed. Similar exercises have long been used in various rehabilitative games and music therapy. Figurenotes contributes an additional element to the existing exercises, namely practice in listening to and following information.

Music itself often motivates clients to commit themselves to practising and rehabilitation, but Figurenotes helps to strengthen their commitment and encourages independent, unassisted practice. Once they have gained a degree of control over their instrument, or whatever is being practised, rehabilitation clients return to the exercises again and again in the course of the therapy, practising independently and using Figurenotes to help. Thanks to Figurenotes, clients also learn a new skill, and when the formal rehabilitation process is over, they can continue playing. Music becomes a hobby that gives their lives new meaning.

From the point of view of information processing, the cognitive process involved in playing an instrument from Figurenotes is very similar to that involved in reading. Figurenotes teaches the client to read from left to right, to identify consecutive sequences of different types and larger entities. Music proceeds in the same way as a written text, according to a certain rhythm, forming a 'chain' linking smaller elements together: a text and a melody.



Bibliografia

Some books and researches from Finland:

Kaikkonen Markku & Uusitalo Kaarlo. 1999. Kuvionuotit. (Figurenotes). Kehitysvammaliitto. Helsinki.

Kaikkonen Markku & Uusitalo Kaarlo. 2001. Kuvionuotit 2. (Figurenotes 2). Oppimateriaalikeskus Opike. Helsinki

Kaikkonen Markku & Uusitalo Kaarlo. 2005. ”Soita mitä näet.” Kuvionuotit opetuksessa ja terapiassa. (”Play what you see” The Figurenotes in music education and in therapy). Oppimateriaalikeskus Opike. Helsinki.

Kaikkonen Markku. 2004. Pianonsoiton alkeet kuvionuoteilla. (The first steps in piano-playing with Figurenotes). Musiikin erityispalvelukeskus Resonaari. Helsinki.

Laitinen Sari & Pataila Hilkka. 2000. Kuvionuottimenetelmän käyttö aivohalvauspotilaiden kuntoutumisessa. (The Figurenotes in rehabilition after stroke). Miina Sillanpään Säätiön julkaisusarja B:16.    Helsinki.

Vikman Kirsi. 2001. Kuvionuottimenetelmän ulottuvuudet pianonsoiton alkuopetuksessa. Toimintatutkimus eri kohderyhmillä. (Dimensions of the Figurenotes-method in the first years of piano-playing. Action Research with Different Target Groups). Helsingin yliopiston kasvatustieteen laitoksen tutkimuksia 177. Yliopistopaino. Helsinki.

Vikman Kirsi & Kaikkonen Markku. 1999. Piano soikoon! Kuvionuoteista perinteiseen nuottikirjoitukseen. (Let the piano play! From Figurenotes to conventional notation). Musiikin erityispalvelukeskus Resonaari. Helsinki.


Estonian Figurenotes book:

Järvik Ene, Ilmjärv Koidu, Uusitalo Kaarlo & Kaikkonen Markku. 2004. Figuurnoodid. (Figurenotes). MTÜ Tolaram Foundation. Tallinn. Estonia.

Vilmusenaho Marika. 2003. Figuurnootide voimalused muusikakasvatuses. (The possibilites of Figurenotes in Music Education). Tallinna Pedagoogikaülikool.


Italian articles and Figurenotes book

Ferrari Gabriella. 2003. Figurenotes: una nuova possibilità per l’apprendimento musicale. In “Scuola Musicale delle Giudicarie, note per vent’anni”. Tione di Trento.

Ferrari Gabriella. 2003. Animazione musicale con Figurenotes. In “Colibrì”, periodico di informazione dell’associazionismo solidaristico delle Giudicarie - n. 14, settembre 2003. Comunità Handicap onlus – Roncone (Tn).

Ferrari Gabriella & Kaikkonen Markku. 2005. Fare musica con Figurenotes: nuove prospettive in educazione e per l'insegnamento. In Comploi Franz (a cura di) Musikerziehung Erfahrungen und Reflexionen Educazione Musicale esperienze e riflessioni. Casa Editrice WEGER – Bressanone.

Ferrari Gabriella & Kaikkonen Markku. 2005. Musica con figurenotes. Imparare a suonare facilmente con i simboli colorati. Centro Studi Erickson. Italia.


Japanese article and Figurenotes book

Yamada Machiko. 2005. Finnish Figurenotes Music Therapy Method. A Tool for Improving the Quality of Life of the Mentally Disabled People. Bulletin of the Lifelong Learning Research Institute, Hokkaido Asai Gakuen University Vol 8. March, 2005. (215-224). Japan. (article in Japanese language).

Kaikkonen Markku & Uusitalo Kaarlo (supervisors). 2006. Figurenotes. Nakanishi Publishing co Ltd. Japan. (Japanese language).