What is iMUSE?


iMUSE sessions are one to one  sessions comprising of the individual and the facilitator. They are person centred in approach. The individual leads the session by emotionally engaging and responding to the iMUSE environment. The facilitator optimises this process by sensitively adjusting the environment to meet their needs of the individual.
The approach is based on using intensive interaction principles of style of engagement with the person leading the sessions communication styles and through interactive musical conversations, visual stimulation and sine tones (vibration stimulation).
It is sound therapy and uses the elements of Vibroacoustic Therapy This will include low frequency sine tones that stimulate and relax the body.

Sound Art
 
Sound Art is made by the artists using the sounds they generate to compose images onto a computer screen. These can be made from the faintest breathing patterns; vocalisations; speech or music made by the person.
The sounds are picked up via a microphone into the computer software which responds directly by translating the sounds into  colour,shape and form. The individual makes choices through emotionally responding to the  shapes, colours and movement on the screen. The facilitator supports the choice making process and records the images made by the person.
The person can use movements as small as the blink of a eye or tiny facial expressions  to trigger the choice making process and  compose music and images . This can trigger a joyful awakening of ‘self ‘. The person becomes powerful communicator and for some it is the first time they have heard their own breathing or vocalisations and can see their interaction creating cause and effect .   Sometimes using a time delay enables the person to hear their sounds repeated back to them, allowing the artists to process this information and respond to it.
The skill of the facilitator  is to enable the person to show the way. They empower the person to lead the interaction by responding to the preferences of that person. The facilitator captures and records the creative artistic journey without interfering with the artist’s process.
The visual stimulation and emotional responses to the colours and shapes generated can extend the levels of concentration and absorption of the artists. This can also give them time to reflect and process their ideas, providing  spaces within the interactions  to respond and change their habitual behaviours into creative new patterns.
The journey.
The person’s starting point is to choose / indicate preference of  the colours, shapes, starting images they like and can see.
The person starts to experiment with the sounds and images they generate.  The facilitator adjusts and modifies the environment to optimise it to the personal choices of the person.
Images are then created and explored further.
The creative process develops into exploring interactive art forms.
Digital Sound Art is then stored on a computer and the images can be reviewed by the artist.
The artist’s work can then be printed, kept or sold.
iMUSE Artists have  created their own artist pen portraits and profiles and have been very successful in selling their art around the world
iMUSE artists can work from home or from iMUSE rooms in community settings. This enables people to  work on their own terms.
This is based on my 7 years research working with Professor Phil Ellis’ and using the iMUSE model.

”I found that the visual stimulation and the generation of moving images by the adults and children with complex needs was a very important feature in building ownership and empowerment to the individuals and gave them fun meaningful work that connected to others and to themselves. I have been teaching this to  university students, residential staff, teachers , day service staff  in the Australia and the UK. Stewart Geddes June 2020.