There is an online form to gather information about the music teachers working with children applying for an Amber Music Award. This is to ensure that the Trustees have all the relevant information needed when assessing new and re-applicants for Music Awards and that we have up-to-date information when processing invoices.
Please take a few minutes to complete the online form which can be accessed by clicking on the link below.
Music Teacher Registration Form
Please note that by agreeing to us holding your details in this way you will be helping us to build a database of teachers and therapists who work with children with visual difficulties. As we often have enquiries from families seeking a suitable teacher for their child we hope that we will be able to point them in the right direction.
At Amber we know that hourly rates charged for music lessons can vary widely. In order to provide a guide to the levels considered appropriate by Amber, the Trustees have developed a matrix of hourly rates to act as a guide for applicants when applying for a Music Award, and the teachers whom it is proposed should work with them.
Teachers’ Music Reports
For teachers who are already working with a child, please complete this report form:
The form is designed to streamline the process of reporting the impact of Amber Music Awards, and, taken as a whole, the reports will be used anonymously to provide Trustees with the evidence that they need to secure future funding. Please note that some questions require answers from everyone (these are marked with an asterisk), while others are optional. Please select the ones that are relevant to your sessions. To make things easier, a number of questions have ‘drop-down’ options. It is not possible to part-save a form (although you can navigate between pages within it), so, before starting, we advise that you download the following information about Sounds of Intent:
and have to hand information regarding the number of sessions you have offered, and the child’s attendance rate and punctuality. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Professor Adam Ockelford at a.ockelford@roehampton.ac.uk.
Please note that future requests for repeat funding for a child are contingent on a satisfactory report being received.
Where you have the necessary permission from parents, we encourage you to submit short videos or audio recordings of the child engaging in musical activity with you. These will only be used by Amber for the purposes of gauging the impact of its funding, and will be viewed only by the Awards Panel. To send a video or audio file, please email them to: elissa.turay@ambertrust.org. Larger files should be send via a Dropbox link, We Transfer or in another suitable way.
Amber Sound Touch
Amber Sound Touch is a ground-breaking online teaching resource for music that specifically caters for teachers working with blind and partially sighted children. It comprises 13 videos complemented with an extensive written guide, covering key topics such as getting started, learning to play by ear, guidelines for appropriate touch in teaching technique, notation, improvising, practice and performance.
Positive Touch Guide
Children who are blind or who have very little sight experience the world primarily through auditory and tactile information. In music education, this means that touch can become an especially powerful and meaningful channel for demonstrating and scaffolding instrumental technique, supporting singing (for example, through awareness of breath and posture), and, for some children, communicating reassurance and emotional connection.
What we define as Positive Touch is the intentional, supportive and appropriate use of physical contact to facilitate learning, foster communication and, where appropriate, provide reassurance. Used sensitively and ethically, Positive Touch can be a crucial element in teaching blind and some partially sighted children.
This guide is for teachers, practitioners and families. It outlines Amber’s approach to Positive Touch, tips and techniques, and information about safeguarding.
This guide is available to download as a pdf, and in word (suitable for screen readers) and large print versions.