Garden of Music

10/08/2026

It was a privilege to work alongside the brilliant staff at St Dallan’s Primary School, Specialist Provision in Warrenpoint, with the pupils themselves at the heart of the work and helping to shape the music making throughout.

If you work in Specialist Provision in Northern Ireland, the free practical guide and resources from Live Music Now are well worth exploring. They offer ideas and approaches to support meaningful, accessible and inclusive music making with autistic pupils in our schools.

https://www.livemusicnow.org.uk/autism-resource-bases-music-programme/

29/07/2026

Lovely to see so much music making and fun at Donard School’s Summer Scheme this week! Thanks to Cindy and all the fantastic students and staff! ☀️🎵

I had a wonderful time delivering music sessions for Garden of Music as part of the Summer Scheme at Donard School this week☀️

We had so much fun singing, moving, playing instruments and making music together😎🎹🎸🎤

17/07/2026

Such important and much needed work, and I’m very proud to have been involved alongside brilliant Live Music Now musicians, the fantastic school staff at St Dallan’s Primary School Specialist Provision in Warrenpoint and, most importantly, the wonderful pupils who helped shape the project.

If you work in Specialist Provision in Northern Ireland, please take a look at the free practical guide and resources. Hopefully, they can help support more meaningful and inclusive music making for autistic pupils in our schools. https://www.livemusicnow.org.uk/autism-resource-bases-music-programme/

14/07/2026

Delighted to present at the recent Arts Council NI’s Mental Health & Arts Showcase on behalf of Live Music Now and N.I Programme Director Margaret Kelly.

Great to connect with so many inspiring organisations doing some brilliant work in arts and mental health and to hear the amazing The Henry Girls 🤩

07/07/2026

Today I had the pleasure of attending the AHRC Hub for Public Engagement with Music Research Final Showcase in Cardiff, celebrating inspiring music research taking place across the UK.

It was also a chance to reflect on the past 6 months, during which I’ve been fortunate to work as Lead Musician and Northern Ireland Advisor on a wonderful Live Music Now research project exploring how musicians can create safe, inclusive and meaningful musical experiences with autistic children and young people in Specialist Provision in Mainstream Schools.

The project brought together two 10 week musician residencies at St Dallan’s Primary School in Warrenpoint and Porth Community School in Wales, using a pupil led approach to music making and research.

As someone who has spent much of my career working alongside autistic children and young people, it was a genuine privilege to be part of a project that recognised and celebrated each pupil’s interests and unique ways of engaging with music.

Thank you to the incredible team I had the pleasure of working with: researchers Dr Beth Pickard (University of South Wales), Alex Lupo and Dr Alex Lucas; musicians Ryan McGoarty and Cheylene Murphy; Karen Irwin, Strategic Director of Live Music Now; Programme Director Margaret Kelly; and Programme Coordinator Annie Nichol.

Most of all, thank you to the fantastic pupils, teachers and staff at St Dallan’s Primary School and Porth Community School.

One of the project outcomes is a fantastic new resource for schools and musicians, alongside a short film capturing the creativity and joy that developed over the 10 weeks. I hope it encourages even more inclusive musical opportunities for autistic children and young people in schools.

Watch the short film:
https://vimeo.com/1205792997/13706e9c00?fl=pl&fe=vl

Download the Music in Autism Resource Bases Guide:
https://www.livemusicnow.org.uk/download-arb-guide/

01/07/2026

Such a privilege to be part of this wonderful project with Live Music Now. It was a real joy to co-create such beautiful lullabies with incredible parents and their babies. Thank you to everyone involved 🎵

09/06/2026

My flying visit to Roehampton for the Sounds of Intent conference, Making Sense of Music, Changing People’s Lives, was time very well spent.

It was inspiring to see how the Sounds of Intent framework continues to develop and how it is being used so creatively in schools and organisations to support meaningful musical engagement.

We were all treated to some brilliant live music performances from some very talented children and young people! 🎵

It was also a real pleasure to reconnect with my London friends and colleagues, and to spend time with so many people who share a commitment to inclusion in music education.

A huge thank you to Prof Adam Ockelford and the entire team for a wonderful conference, and for creating a resource that has had such a positive impact on the lives of so many people.

01/06/2026

Music communities/organisations thrive when people share what they know and encourage one another. We never know what small insight might encourage someone else on their own path.

A lovely memory from this time last year, when I had the pleasure of speaking at the "Harping for All" Symposium and have enjoyed revisiting a few moments from the day.

The blooper at the end is a reminder that technology keeps us all humble! 😂

27/05/2026

Are you an educator, parent, carer, musician, or involved in supporting autistic learners through a school, charity or organisation?
Do you have lived experience of autism and/or an interest in music education? 🎶💛

Join Live Music Now and University of South Wales at The MAC, Belfast for ‘From Research to Practice: Music Access for Autistic Learners in Northern Ireland’.

This free networking event will share early insights from the AHRC-funded ‘Musical Connections’ project exploring how access to high-quality music-making can be expanded for autistic children and young people in Specialist Provision in Mainstream Schools (SPiMs).

Together we will share:
-Key learning from residencies in Specialist Provision in Mainstream Schools (SPiMs)
-What enables—and limits—access to meaningful music experiences
-Early insights shaping our upcoming toolkit for schools and policy briefing
-Panel discussion with perspectives from practice, research, and lived experience

📅 Tuesday 16th June 2026, 10am-1pm
📍 The MAC, Belfast
🔗 Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-research-to-practice-music-access-for-autistic-learners-in-ni-tickets-1988409238559?aff=oddtdtcreator

We’d love to bring together a wide range of voices and perspectives for this important conversation and would be delighted if you could join us or help spread the word by sharing with your networks.

If you have any questions or accessibility needs, please get in touch by emailing [email protected]

This project is supported by the University of Southampton's Centre for Music Education and Social Justice and delivered with researchers Dr Beth Pickard (University of South Wales) and Alex Lupo (Live Music Now)

12/05/2026

We are committed to gaining an even picture of what inclusive music looks like in everyday practice, so that we can tailor and strengthen our support.

So if you are based in Northern Ireland, we would be particularly interested to hear your responses in our current study with the University of Roehampton and UCL. The survey is here: tinyurl.com/soimusicimpactsurvey

By taking part, you will help us gain insight into what is working well and what could be improved to make music education more accessible and meaningful for all students.

Every survey response is entered into a free prize draw to win a Mugo for your school, a portable musical instrument that allows children with disabilities to create music.

Please help us by taking 10 minutes to fill out the survey, and passing it around to Northern Irish colleagues - thank you!

Image description: A flyer for the survey themed in green, pink and blue with a picture of the Mugo, a QR code and the information above along with additional contact information: "For more information please contact Natalie Cairns-Ratter, Research Assistant at the University of Roehampton - Email: [email protected] - Tel: 07496058751