Sounds of Intent
Sounds of Intent is a charity that promotes inclusive musical engagement and provides a framework with resources to help music teachers, therapists, cares, relatives and friends assist those with special musical abilities and needs.
For neurodivergent children and adults as well as those with other cognitive and / or sensory challenges, music can be a critical pathway to development and self-expression, facilitating social interaction, communication and personal growth.
The SOI Framework is a model of musical development that sets out how we all engage with music, from children in the early years to older people with dementia, from those with profound learning difficulties who are still learning to process sound, to others who are regarded as advanced musicians in their culture. It underpins many different projects related to music education and neurodiversity as well as music and disability in multiple countries.
Sounds of Intent
Check out this incredible video from Riverside school, a close partner of Sounds of Intent. They are making incredible strides in supporting children with PMLD to access creative activities. This video is a trailer for just one of the innovative programmes they have developed. We are delighted to see music and song be so central to the programme - facilitating movement, proprioceptive awareness and kinaesthetic learning.
2 days ago | [YT] | 0
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Sounds of Intent
Sounds right is a tool for bringing the joys of music into inclusive education. Published by @TrinityVideoChannel, it provides ideas, structure, musical resources, and support for teachers and learners alike. Get your copy now: store.trinitycollege.com/products/sounds-right !
At just £30.99 for the print copy and £20.48 for the ebook version, the resource is designed to be as accessible as possible. Please help us by sharing it far and wide.
#musiceducation #specialeducationalneeds #specialneeds #learningdisabilities
5 days ago | [YT] | 2
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Sounds of Intent
They’re finally here… the Sounds Right Resources that have been 18 months in the making!
Sounds Right is a multimedia resource for use in inclusive music education. Work through the 4 projects included in the book, and the 2 additional projects available online. The resources cater fully to all four levels of development - from Sound Makers, to Pattern Makers, to Motif Makers, to Music Makers.
We know that these resources are already making a huge difference, and we can’t wait for all those who have preordered them to receive them! You can place your order NOW at tinyurl.com/soundsrightresources
#musicresources #teachingmusic #musiceducation #specialeducation #specialneeds #send #pmld #specialeducationalneeds
1 week ago | [YT] | 0
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Sounds of Intent
We’re excited to share that behind the scenes, we have been piloting a new awards scheme for schools last term. The Sounds of Intent School Awards are industry-recognised qualifications which celebrate excellence in inclusive music provision. There are three levels - Bronze, Silver, and Gold - designed to recognise the efforts of UK schools towards a school-wide inclusive music offering for students. Thanks to the participants in our pilot scheme this term, we are looking forward to a full launch in March 2026.
If the scheme sounds interesting to you, please do sign up here: forms.office.com/e/mvv2TU8Fgs to join our webinar next week on the 14th January to hear about them in full. By signing up, you will also be able to access the recording.
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Sounds of Intent
For the final number in ‘Sounds of Intent’s 2025 in numbers’ we wanted to celebrate collaboration and partnership, and so our number is 31. This is the number of organisations Sounds of Intent has worked with this year - more than 1 new partnership every 2 weeks! Collaboration has been so valuable, making possible huge projects like the Mugo. We can’t wait to see what 2026 will bring. To all the organisations we’ve teamed up with: thank you, and happy new year!
Music for All, Live Music Now, The Amber Trust, Music Masters, Music of Life, Music for Autism, Moving Music, Audiovisability, South Yorkshire NHS Trust, Downs Syndrome Association, Create, Triborough Music Hub, Services for Education (Birmingham), TiME, LIFT, Digit Music, Wolverhampton Music Service, Wiltshire Music Hub, Nordoff and Robbins, Jessie's Fund, Open Up Music, Bristol Beacon, Soundabout, Sempre, Trinity College London, Myndstream, Cinnamon Care Collection, Creative Futures, Jigsaw, Bedfordshire Music Service
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
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Sounds of Intent
We couldn’t review our year in numbers without referring to social media! 2025 has been the year we have truly invested in Sounds of Intent’s online presence, and we couldn’t be prouder of the results. 166 instagram posts, 188,196 total views on Facebook, and 224 new YouTube subscribers - all in a year. Of course, these connections are about far more than the number. For a small charity like us, ‘reach’ means that more and more people are engaging with our mission: making sense of music, changing people’s lives.
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Sounds of Intent
We are born musicians. Did you know that at three months old, a child’s ability to process music is around six months ahead of their capacity to understand language? Sequences of notes make more sense to children than words at this age. The development of the inner ear is fully mature by birth, allowing infants to perceive pitch, timbre and volume at the same level that adults can.
This incredible feature of young childrens’ development is why we believe that all children should be able to access music education, regardless of ability or need. Music is innate within all of us.
(Ockelford, 2021)
This was our final post in the #30for30 series, in which we have shared 30 research findings to support @theambertrust's 30th birthday with them! It seemed only apt to focus on the universality of music for our final fact. Thank you for joining along!
#musicfacts #childhood #interesting
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 1
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Sounds of Intent
Today in ‘Sounds of Intent’s 2025 in numbers’, the magic number is 29. This is the number of special schools that our founder, Prof Adam Ockelford, made time to visit in 2025. All the schools we work with are doing amazing things embedding music into not just curricula but the life of the school - to the great benefit of the pupils.
Sounds of Intent is here to support schools harnessing the power of music for pupils with additional needs. We are so happy that so much in-person support has been delivered this year.
On many of his visits, Adam is accompanied by a filming team. For an incredible insight into how Sounds of Intent can be used in schools, check out our YouTube produced from some of these visits.
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Sounds of Intent
In the next instalment of ‘Sounds of Intent’s 2025 in numbers’, the numbers are skyrocketing! This year we sent around 2,983 promotional emails, and 974 physical letters. These communications were bulletins to notify our affiliates of Sounds of Intent research and resources. We keep them to a minimum but with around 900 special schools in the UK, we still racked up impressive totals! We frequently have discount codes, unique research opportunities, and partnership options. If you would like to receive such emails, please contact us (email address in profile).
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Sounds of Intent
The next number through which we are celebrating Sounds of Intent’s 2025 is 12. This is the number of people who this year completed the PGCert with the @RoehamptonAcUk. The PGCert is a masters-level qualification focused on music and children with special abilities and needs. As our alumnae community builds, we watch the effects of the Sounds of Intent framework for musical development ripple outwards. We are so proud of all of them!
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
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