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On the topic of educating children: I'm a teacher and a sound recordist an=
d would love to do more to teach children about sound. It's not on the curr=
iculum, but I incorporate it in different ways. One is an after-school fil=
mmaking class. Children's faces invariably light up when they put the headp=
hones on and start wandering around with a microphone (doesn't even have to=
be a particularly good one). Appreciation of sound could be built into the=
curriculum in other ways - for example getting children to do creative wri=
ting based on their experiences with microphones. Nature sounds could also =
be incorporated into biology. However, most teachers lack the skills, equip=
ment and experience. That's where sound recordists come in. And workshops. =
I would suggest that anyone interested in educating children put together a=
workshop for children in schools, or better still, a session to show teach=
ers how they could develop these ideas in the classrooms. Most teachers (pa=
rticularly the younger ones) are open to new ideas - anything that captures=
children's imaginations. =0D
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On a side note, in our local community we've started up an interactive art=
installation in hospital waiting rooms: the children (wearing headphones) =
move bright coloured ceramic handles around tracks carved out of abstract p=
aintings and as they move the handles, different sounds are triggered by a =
sensor. Children are often anxious in hospital waiting rooms; this I think =
is a great way of calming them, and giving them an appreciation of sound. I=
'm making a short film about this project, can post it to you if anyone's i=
nterested.=0D
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