Composer Andy Jackson and Linguist Martha Young-Scholten have been working with local secondary students on an Aimhigher-funded project 'Setting Language Acquisition Research to Music'.
Since April 2007 composer Andy Jackson, linguist Dr. Martha Young-Scholten and Newcastle University staff and students have been working with local secondary students on a project that uniquely involves turning research on babies’ perception and production of English into a musical performance. This Tyne and Wear Aimhigher-funded project raises young people’s aspirations by giving them a taste of the intellectual curiosity that drives researchers.
Last September secondary students from Ryton Comprehensive and Sacred Heart High School and members of the Cobweb Orchestra performed Jackson’s Swing Cycle, a series of songs exploring research findings on how babies perceive their native language. Also, go here to read more about the Setting Language Acquisition Research to Music project.
Workshops held earlier this year on babies’ babbling, child-directed speech and toddlers’ early attempts at speech led to a second song cycle entitled Out of the Mouths, which presents some ideas about how very young children start to speak.
The lyrics to both pieces are also available:
Swing Cycle lyrics.
Out of the Mouths lyrics.
Published: 22nd July 2008