SUSIE MALLETT

My visitors today

Sunday 18 December 2016

Posters WCCE9



The abstract and poster number 20

MALLETT, Susie

Private Practice, Conductor, Art Therapist, Publisher
Nürnberg, Germany, email – small66711@aol.com

When conductive pedagogy becomes conductive lifestyle 

(Poster)

‘Pedagogical logic is determined by educational goals, and these are not immutable but change as society changes.’ (1)

Introduction.  Some families who discover Conductive Education recognise that they have found something that will enrich the life that they lead with disability.

Aims.  These families embrace Conductive Education wholeheartedly and along with it the conductors who work alongside them, beginning a shared life-long journey. 

These journeys become virtuous spirals that branch off spontaneously to become all-encompassing, so that every aspect of the family’s life, both near and further afield, becomes conductive.

Materials and methods.  It has given me much pleasure to have been involved in several such journeys, with some families still taking their first tentative steps in developing a conductive lifestyle and others travelling, with me alongside them, for up to twenty-five years.

The model of long-term Conductive Education is becoming a more common phenomenon. As children become young adults looking for possibilities to live independent, active lives they need mentors and motivators to share their lives and assist them to overcome the next challenges. (2)

Results and conclusions.   In my own conductive life, mentoring from art teachers and later from conductors still plays an important role in my artistic and conductive careers. As a conductor I continue in my role as mentor, advisor and motivator for the parents but also, and increasingly more so, for their children – once upon a time four-year-olds now twenty-four-year-old adults embarking on their own careers.

They too need mentors to guide them in their ever-changing conductive lives just as I have always needed someone in mine.

(1)         Makarenko, A.S. (1951) The Road to Life, Part One, Moscow, Foreign Languages Publishing House, page xxvi 

(2)        McDowell, G. (2013) George's Travelogue, Nürnberg, CN Press



The abstract and poster number 21




MALLETT, Susie, Arnold, Julia
Private Practice, Conductor, Art Therapist, Publisher
Nürnberg, Germany, email – small66711@aol.com

The road to a conductive music group

(Poster)

‘Man must have something joyful ahead of him to live for. The true stimulus in human life is the morrow’s joy…  In the first place the joy itself has to be organised, brought to life, and converted into a possibility…  To educate a man is to furnish him with a perspective leading to the morrow’s joy.’ (1)

Introduction.  When I first applied to train to be a conductor proof of musical ability was required. I had none so was not accepted. I reapplied when this requirement was dropped.
Both my conductive and musical education began on moving to Hungary. I heard more music during those four years of training than in all my previous life, on the stairs at the Pető Institute and at the many musical events that I attended in the city. 

Aim.  Visual art comes easily to me, it bringing joy to my soul when I play with paints; I know how to transmit this joy to my clients to help create activity in their lives. I have enjoyed adopting the written word to do the same. (2, 3)  I have always recognised the potential to also do this through music.

Method.  My musical education has continued since becoming a conductor, with the help of conductor colleagues and from music teacher and conductor Kati Őrfalvy, through my love for Tina Turner and using her music in walking programmes – most importantly through experiences with children and adult clients. Using music to teach speech in stroke groups has been particularly motivating. I have always had a great desire to use music in my work; alone however, I have not had sufficient skills.

Outcome to date, work in progress.  At last I have found a talented musician, Julia Arnold, with compatible goals and values to collaborate in bringing to life my dream of a conductive music group.

[1]     Makarenko, A.S. (1951) The Road to Life, Part One, Moscow, Foreign Languages Publishing House, page xxvii 

[2]    Mallett, S. (2013) Abstracts, 8th World CE Congress, pages 126-127, 309

[3]    Conductor Nürnberg (2010-2013) Four books, in English, German and Chinese, CN Press







The ‘Music Box’ is a conductive music group that came into being through the shared ideas and passions of Julia Arnold, social pedagogue/musician and Susie Mallett, conductor, art teacher and art therapist.


The road to a conductive music group

‘Man must have something joyful ahead of him to live for. The true stimulus in human life is the morrow’s joy… In the first place the joy itself has to be organised, brought to life, and converted into a possibility… To educate a man is to furnish him with a perspective leading to the morrow’s joy.’ [1]

Everybody knows the power of music. It touches us, joins us together, it causes thought and exploration and presents new possibilities. In the world of harmony and rhythm it makes no difference whether one has a physical disability or not.  When one takes an active role in music-making for the first time, whether it is singing in a round or solo, there are hurdles for everyone to overcome. Everyone needs to learn how to listen and how to develop a feel for beat and melody when entering this new territory.

People with disability face extra challenges, but with each new challenge there opens a door of opportunity – opportunity for change, to set new aims, to expand personal possibilities and to overcome inhibitions. 

The Music Box was formed with the aim of helping people with physical disabilities to develop social skills, cognitive skills, emotional expression, and of course all types of movement, while at the same time enabling them to strengthen their creative, musical ability.

 [1]     Makarenko, A.S. (1951) The Road to Life, Part One, Moscow, Foreign Languages Publishing House, page xxvii

Published by Susie Mallett Conductor - Nürnberg
Text by Julia Arnold 2016, translated from German by Susie Mallett

 


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