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A coach-mentoring programme for professional musicians at the Firebird Trust

Background


The Firebird Trust is a developmental music organisation which was founded in 1984 and has charitable status. Much of its current activity is focused, not on formal performance, but on work in the community. Professional musicians, across a wide spectrum of styles, work with communities, schools or groups in prison in a collaborative way on an ongoing basis. There is an increasing demand for such services in the community, but a shortage of musicians with the necessary facilitation/workshop skills. At present some 20 freelance musicians are linked with Firebird and earn at least part of their living in this way.

In 2003 the Firebird Trust received a Regional Arts Lottery Programme grant to set up a continuing professional programme for musicians who live in the East Midlands. The aim was to assist musicians with high quality technical proficiency and to develop the necessary workshop and facilitation skills. It is a pilot scheme that is being monitored and evaluated and, subject to funding, may be expanded in the future.

Supporting individual personal development


A number of coach mentors were recruited through public advertisement. Their role is to operate as enablers and facilitators of learning rather than instructors or imparters of knowledge. A two-hour one-to-one session between coach and musician is held every month; the format is principally face-to-face, backed up by telephone or email depending on the learner's preferences. These sessions provide an opportunity for the musicians to reflect on their practice, explore new ideas, and develop not only their skills in workshop facilitation but also their skills in learning. Above all, as Sibyl Burgess, the Trust's Director puts it 'it's a chance for artists to have some individual attention'. Many of the musicians work from home and are isolated from peer group support; some are undergoing career changes and for them the workshop is a new way of working.

A quarterly meeting of all coaches and participating musicians is held to give all involved an opportunity to share experiences and generate ideas. Formal training opportunities are available should participating musicians request them. However, the nature of the learning needs means that a structured programme based on individual coach mentoring is the most appropriate way of supporting individual personal development.

 
 
 
 
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