“My work explores how sound and music shape attention, regulation and connection, moving between composition, facilitation and non-verbal interaction.”

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Monday 16th March 2026: Developing small sound objects for everyday listening

I'm currently exploring how small, self-contained sound objects might create opportunities for attentive listening in everyday life.

The work focuses on simplicity and low-demand interaction, with no screens, instructions or tracking. I'm interested in short, tactile encounters with sound that can be picked up and put down easily and what happens when sound sits alongside experience rather than directing it.

This early stage involves sketching and testing ideas using embedded sound processes, exploring how sound behaviours can be shaped and refined so they feel responsive without becoming overwhelming. Rather than asking people to perform tasks or achieve outcomes, I'm interested in how carefully designed sound interactions might encourage curiosity, attention and repeated engagement over time.

Over time I'll be exploring these ideas with small groups in familiar community settings, including adults with learning disabilities, autistic adults, older people, carers and artists. These sessions are about allowing the work to evolve through listening, observation and reflection.

At the centre of the work is a question that has gradually emerged through my facilitation practice: can the qualities of attentive listening, improvisation, restraint and care become part of a small sound object rather than depending on a facilitator's presence?

This work sits somewhere between sound art, facilitation and care-led practice and reflects an ongoing interest in how minimal sound interactions can become part of everyday experience. Less to instruct or entertain, but to invite attention and leave space for interpretation.

More will follow as the work develops.

At the beginning of 2025, with generous support from the Chalk Cliff Trust, The Clifton Centre, in collaboration with myself, began developing ‘The Studio’ into a dedicated space for music therapy and creative facilitation within the local community.

From April 2025 onwards, the funding allowed us to soundproof and reshape the room into a welcoming, purpose-built music space. This is somewhere people can feel comfortable to reflect, create, and connect. Since then, the studio has become home to a range of music-based sessions, from structured therapy to more informal creative facilitation.

Each week, around twelve people take part in music therapy sessions led by qualified practitioners. Alongside this, a further eight individuals regularly attend facilitated sessions that focus on creativity, self-expression, and building confidence. These sessions are particularly valuable for people with learning disabilities, complex support needs, and those who identify as neurodivergent. The space is also used more widely by the community, with local singing groups and musicians using it for rehearsals and creative projects.

Importantly, the Chalk Cliff funding has enabled us to offer one-to-one music sessions for people who may otherwise be unable to access them due to financial barriers. This ensures that those who are economically disadvantaged or harder to reach can still benefit from the positive impact of music.

These one-to-one sessions support wellbeing and nurture creativity and artistic ambition. Participants have been exploring songwriting, recording projects, and other personal creative ideas, using music as a way to express and celebrate individuality.