Generative music, dyslexia and me

Hi Blog readers Wishing all my readers a restful christmas day I bought myself a new music app the other day. Its called Scape and is a generative music app from Brian Eno and Peter Chilvers. You dont have to be a musician to use it, its quite easy to use. For me as a dyslexic I have always found music and making music fab for many reasons from helping me develop my concentration to my sequencing skills and relaxation etc. All of which could benefit any dyslexic like myself. Its an app for Ipad and a fab tool for creating ambient music with art. I have been a fan of ambient music since 1975 and even create my own now and again. Wrote a whole album of ambient stuff a while back.. Ambient music and this app will not be for everyone but at £11 I give it a ten out of ten and advise you all to investigate it and other generative music apps.

This link will take you to a you tube video of the app

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PennXD3SGmI

#Peace, #Love and #Groovyness to you all

#PeaceLoveGroovyness

Unique Dyslexic BOOM podcasts

Hi blog readers hope you are all feeling fab

Today I am posting a link to my Soundcloud page where I have posted my latest Unique Dyslexic BOOM three part podcast on dyslexia.

https://soundcloud.com/raelthing/sets/steve-mccue-the-life-dyslexic

The link will take you to my Soundcloud page.

Please leave any comments you may have they would all be much appreciated negative as well as positive.

I am now on by Christmas break from by dyslexia university work and from my broadcasting course. The broadcasting course has been going very well. 
Especially the podcasting because I have access to Adobe Audition to record and edit my podcasts. Podcasts are more accessible.

I would like to do more with the podcasting and I am researching ways to do that. Ideally I would like Adobe Audition at home but its outside my budget.

If anyone has any ideas about getting more involved in podcasting, on the cheap, lol because I have a very limited budget, I would be much appreciated.

Anyway that's enough for me for today

Peace, Love and Groovyness to all, #PeaceLoveGroovyness

Steve McCue (Dyslexic dyslexia and inclusion specialist, musician, blogger, podcaster and social entrepreneur)

My latest dyslexia podcast

One of my dyslexia positive tee shirts available online

Hi blog readers hope you are all feeling fab

The link below takes you to my Soundcloud page where you can listen to my latest dyslexia podcast. Its about models of dyslexia.

Your feedback an comments are welcomed as well as any questions you may have

https://soundcloud.com/raelthing/my-dyslexia-podcast

My HND Broadcasting course is going well. My second Unique Dyslexic Boom radio show went much better than my first.

The show features dyslexia articles as well as social media stuff and 1970s music.

If you are dyslexic or neuro diverse or disabled or any combination of the three this is a page where you can share your creativity and experiences in a friendly supportive environment. Just select the link below and visit the page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/unique.dyslexic/

anyway thanks for reading

peace love and groovyness 

Steve McCue 

#PeaceLoveAndGroovyness

Dyslexia: deficites, disorder and discrepancy? I dont believe so.....

me in the Boom radio station during the my Unique Dyslexic Boom radio broadcast

 Hi readers hope you are all feeling fab

Almost all new ideas are generated by individuals but they are given life by and nurtured by communities and the cultures they create.

If we are ever going to move away from a negative medical model of dyslexia that has nothing positive to say to dyslexics or about dyslexia. We, as dyslexics, need to come together and create a coherent global dyslexic community. A global dyslexic community that has a more positive social model of dyslexia vision. A vision which nurtures and values dyslexic diversity and difference and celebrates all that we have achieved and are still to achieve in the future.

We need to consign the medical model of dyslexia to history where it belongs because it has failed us as dyslexics. The medical model defines us in terms of deficits, disorder and discrepancy. Its a model that has nothing positive to say about dyslexia or to dyslexics.

The social model of dyslexia defines us by what we can do and achieve, it empowers us and it frees us from the negative medical model stereotype that tells us being dyslexic means we are disabled is some way.

That's why I believe that dyslexia is a difference that reflects diversity and that neuro diversity is as important as biodiversity. My organisation Dyslexia Pathways CIC was the first dyslexia focussed social enterprise in the world and we have embraced and promoted the social model of dyslexia.

Why not join us and let's create the global community and culture we are dyslexics need to move forward and enable our dyslexic kids to thrive and succeed.

Anyway many thanks for reading, you are invited to leave comments in the comments section.

Peace love and groovyness to you all #PeaceLoveAndGroovyness

My New Unique Dyslexic Radio broadcast on Boom Radio

Unique Dyslexic Boom Radio

Hi Blog readers hope you are all feeling fab:

That's me in the Boom radio studio on my live broadcast for my Uniqe Dyslexic broadcast. We had a technical issue just before I was due to go on air. Lol not good for my nerves. Took maybe 10 minutes to resolve. Still the broadcast went ok, sounds even better now I have edited it lol.

Still all in all considering it was my first time for real with the new equipment I managed ok. Even dropped in a couple dyslexia articles for good measure.

One article was about differences between social and medical models of dyslexia. The social model is one that is very close to my heart and one that is integral to my social enterprise Dyslexia Pathways CIC.

I decided to play music from the early 1970s from when I was a young teenager. Played a lot of glam, bit of Bowie, Elton John and Slade etc.

Of course it didn't all go to plan I made a few boo boos and on the whole it went ok. Especially when I edited it down. Not sure if I can actually put a link here to my Soundcloud page where I have uploaded the edited version of my show. My next broadcast will be Wednesday 07 December at 2pm UK time.

If you have a request or a question just message me and I will answer it on my next show.

Here are the larger versions of the photos from the montage above:

Anyway that's enough from me:

Peace Love and Groovyness to you all #PeaceLoveAndGroovyness

Steve McCue 

BOOOOMMMMMM Dyslexia lol

My first attempt at an advert for radio lol

Hi blog readers hope you are all feeling fab.

Had to make an advert for radio as part of my HND in Broadcasting course. Its my first attempt at something like this.

Was supposed to be only three different tracks mixed down into one. I ended up using six tracks.

Wish I had Adobe Audition at home for my pod casting and blogging etc. Pretty easy to use.

Just click on the blue link above and it will take you to my Sound cloud page.

I am in the middle of putting together an hour radio broadcast for next Wednesday lol. Oh dear this will be fun. Its going to focus on dyslexia and neuro diversity with a bit of 1970s music thrown if for good measure.


Peace Love and Groovyness to you all.

#PeaceLoveAndGroovyness

Steve McCue founder and MD of Dyslexia Pathways CIC and Unique Dyslexic

Our dyslexia positive online shop link

Here is a link to our online dyslexia positive tee shirt and bag shop. Just click on the link below to be taken to our shop page.

Our online dyslexia positive tee shirt and bag shop

The objective of Dyslexia Pathways CIC / Unique Dyslexic is to support, promote, celebrate, develop and nurture the talents and abilities within of all in the dyslexic and all other neuro diverse communities. 

We promote and support the social model of dyslexia through social enterprise. We believe this is an inclusive, empowering, innovative and positive way forward. 

Where society sees disability, disorder and discrepancy we see diversity and difference and what a fab examples of diversity and difference being dyslexic or neuro diverse is.

We are a registered social enterprise and so a not for profit organisation. 

Any funds raised form the sale of our tees and bags goes towards the running of Dyslexia Pathways CIC and Unique Dyslexic.

many thanks

Steve McCue Founder and MD 

Hi  followers hope you are all fab

Some of you may remember I started an HND Broadcasting Course this year. Looks like I am going to be hosting my first live broadcast on the 20th November. The show is going to have a dyslexia focus and I am going to play a little 70s glam music. 

I know strange brew but hey what the heck its my show lol. However, if anyone wants to ask me a question, doesn't have to be on air please send me one. If anyone wants to be interviewed about being dyslexic please contact me. 

It would only be 10 minutes maximum and again does not have to happen on air. I can record one over the phone. If anyone one has a 70s glam tune to suggest let me know. As long as its on spotify and in good taste who knows you may get a dyslexic dedication on air lol.

I would actually make a series of 10 short recordings of interviews with dyslexics focussed on the positive.

Thanks for reading

Steve McCue

Dyslexia is not about disorder, discrepancy and deficits its about diversity and difference

Dyslexia: a difference that reflects diversity

Good day to you all hope everyone is well

If you would like to support the dyslexic community and my not for profit dyslexia focussed social enterprise why not buy one of our tee shirts, designed by a dyslexic, hmmm me, for dyslexics and people who love and support them. Money from the selling of our tee shirts will help keep our web sites and social media up and running:

Link to our online tee shirt shop

Here is a selection of our dyslexia positive tees and bags

A child never fails......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUu1Rp3Mito an old vlog but still valid

A big hi to all my blog readers hope you are all well and have been behaving yourselves lol

A child never fails.

Never put blame on any child for the failures of adults around them.

Schools can fail kids, parents and carers can fail kids, social services and the law can fail kids.

Kids are victims of the failures of adults around them.

Dyslexic kids don't fail at school because they are dyslexic, they fail because the adults around them fail them.

Peace love and groovyness to all

Steve McCue (dyslexic dyslexia and inclusion specialist founder of Dyslexia Pathways CIC world's first Dyslexia social enterprise.

If you have any comments please comment.

If you think my blog has something to say please share it on your social media.

Finally, a little music from Ray Wilson just chill and have a listen;

Unique Dyslexics the #fab one in 10

How do we know what people think dyslexia is about unless we get out there and ask. How do we challenge negative perceptions and change minds?

Hi Blog readers hope you are all well.

I don't have dyslexia, I am not a person with dyslexia, #IAmDyslexic😎 I think, feel, see and make sense of the world as a dyslexic, I see the world through my dyslexic prism, Dyslexia is about diversity and difference not about disability, discrepancy and disorder. 

Tell me your story I am inviting people to write or film a blog, share art work or music or anything that expresses what you feel about being dyslexic or neuro diverse.

Peace, Love and groovyness to all

Steve McCue Dyslexic, dyslexia and inclusion specialist for 26 years now social entrepreneur

Please leave a like, give my blog a share on your own social media, get involved be positive

sometimes you have to take the rough with the rough

Cover from my first album

Hi Blog readers hope you are all feeling fab

Rough day today, back to Uni doing my dyslexia support work. First student arrived very upset lots of tears. Self esteem and self confidence totally at a low. Our dyslexia unfriendly education system has a lot to answer for. still we have a plan to go forward with. 

More on my rough day lol. Got on an HND course in broadcasting. Fife college told me there would be no problem with funding. Of course there was. Next they said I could do it part time lol. Yep you guessed it problems with funding. I got my degree and post grad 26 years ago and that's the problem sigh. No problem said Fife College lol ohhh dear. I gave up two days a week dyslexia work to do this.

#inclusion #socialenterprise #dyslexic #diversity #student

Peace love and groovyness to you all

Steve McCue Dyslexic dyslexia and inclusion specialist and social entrepreneur.

Please feel free to comment or if you have something to say and want to write a guest blog please just contact me so we can sort it our.

Dyslexia; its about diversity and difference

I designed this 1 in 10 logo for dyslexics and those who support us to raise awareness

Dyslexia is about diversity and difference and definitely not about disorder, disability and discrepancy. 

Yes society disables and this disabling begins day one at Dyslexia unfriendly schools for far to many of us. Unless we dyslexics as a community change they way how we think and talk about dyslexia we will enable society to continue to disable us.  

Unless we change how can we expect society to change how it sees Dyslexia?

From an inclusion perspective there are three models of disability. The charity model say we are poor disabled people who are broken and society needs to give us money because society pity's us. It is a model imposed upon us by society and it is a disempowering model.

There is the medical model that basically says we are disabled, that it is we dyslexics that are the problem, that we are broken is some way and need a cure. It is another model imposed on us by society. This is another disempowering model.

Finally, there is the social model of dyslexia which say Dyslexia is about diversity and difference and it's is society that disables. 

It is our model developed by dyslexics for dyslexics. In my view this is an empowering model. It may not be perfect but its a start.

From my perspective both as a dyslexic and a Dyslexia and inclusion specialist with 29 years of experience working in the fields of dyslexia and inclusion I know what model I choose.

Which model would you choose?

I don't need pity, I am not broken and disabled #IAmDyslexic😎 And that's fab.

You are welcome to comment and send me thoughts on this, and any other, of by dyslexia blog, Comments welcomed from people from all other neuro diverse communities  and well as from people who are disabled.

Peace love and groovyness to you all 

#PeaceLoveAndGroovyness

Please leave a like or share with on your social media if you think my blog has something to say

Thanks for reading

Steve McCue 

Dyslexia: discrepancy, disorder and disability or diversity and difference

One in 10 people in the UK population are dyslexic

Hi blog readers hope you are all feeling as fab as you can in these troubled times

I founded my dyslexia focussed social enterprise Dyslexia Pathways CIC over 10 years ago. It was the first Dyslexia focussed social enterprise in the world. 

We have a social model of Dyslexia ethos we see dyslexia in social model of Dyslexia terms. 

Where society sees disability and discrepancy we see diversity and difference. #VivaLaDifference

This video will take you to my You Tube channel
Many thanks for reading and watching. As ever your comments and feedback and invited and welcomed

Dyslexia: discrepancy, disorder and disability or diversity and difference? what are your thoughts on this?

For me dyslexia is about diversity and difference and that's why we say:

#VivaLaDifference

Peace Love and Groovyness to you all.

Steve McCue founder and MD of Dyslexia Pathways CIC world's first dyslexia focussed social enterprise.

Hi blog readers it been a while so without more ado here is my latest blog

Love planet earth

Hi blog readers hope you are all feeling fab

We human beings need to live up to our own dreams and start to solve the real problems we have on planet earth. 

We must work together to solve the problems of hunger, of poverty, of 

global warming and of pollution. These issues will not go away. They will not 

solve themselves.

All these problems are self created but nobody takes any responsibility for them. 

We can only solve them if we as a planet work together to solve them. We must put away our bigotry, our greed, our lust for power and our desires to consume for the sake of consumption. 

#GreedKills and it must stop.

These are human frailties we as a planet, and as the human race can no longer afford to have.  We have now become a danger to ourselves and to the planet. 

Peace, love and groovyness to you all

Steve McCue 2019

PS I know its been a while since I posted a new blog just been too busy. Also been having a few issues with my Blogger blog page which I cannot seem to resolve. If there is anyone out there who could help me out with solving this please that would be fab

social model of dyslexia and social enterpsie a more empowering, inclusive and positive way forward

just a photo of me with my I am dyslexic logo

Good day to all my blog readers

I can only comment on this from a dyslexic perspective. I believe the medical discrepancy model of Dyslexia has gotten us pretty much nowhere. This model say it's we dyslexics that are the problem. It makes no mention of diversity and difference. 

That's why my social enterprise, Dyslexia Pathways CIC, (Community Interest Company,) promotes and support the social model of Dyslexia. 

We see the social model of dyslexia together with social enterprise offers the dyslexic community a more inclusive, positive and empowering way forward. The social model tells us it is society that disables and here is how society does. 

My own research showed only 19% of dyslexic adults were assessed while at school. That the majority of adults assessed as dyslexic were assessed while at university. 

But you have to remember only about 5% of undergraduates are dyslexic while in the UK research shows around 10% of the population are dyslexic. Society disables us in so many ways and this disabling starts from day one at school for many of us and does not stop even at higher education level.

Heart News,

I only realised a couple days ago that I had reached my two year anniversary since my two heart attacks in a week. Two years since I had my two stents fitted. I remember the first time I mowed the grass in our front garden after my hear attacks. It took me ages and totally knackered. I mowed it the other day and it took less that 15 minutes with no rests.

We have also applied for an allotment through our local council and now have an 55 square meter plot on top of our front and back garden. Just planted some potatoes and carrots over the last few day and looking at other possible veggies to grow.

New business plan:

Finally, FINALLY!!!!! with the support of my business mentor and my wife I have completed my next three year business plan sheesh I have sweat blood over this lol.

thanks for reading, please share and like or like and share lol

regards

Steve McCue

Oh and yes once again thanks to all who have enabled my dyslexia blog to achieve over a quarter of a million views.

What is legal can also be morally wrong and no guide to human decency

1 in ten I am dyslexic logo

Hi blog readers hope you are well:


Our governments and laws they create are no guide to human decency and morality:

The Holocaust was legal and people who hid and saved Jewish people were prosecuted as criminals.

Slavery was legal and people who freed slaves were considered to be criminals by the governments of the day.

Segregation and Apartheid was legal and people who fought against it were considered criminals by the governments of apartheid.

Tory government imposed austerity and changes to benefits is responsible for the deaths of 10,000s disabled and vulnerable people. 


Some people are calling this government sponsored social murder. I will only add the companies responsible for running this are making tens of millions of pounds sterling from this despicable process.

If we fail to hold our governments to account when they are morally and spiritually bankrupt.

We risk encouraging those who would create a new

Holocaust. Who would enslave free people and who would segregate seek to repeat these crimes against humanity today and in the future. 


Thanks for reading, I know its not strictly about dyslexia but I think we as dyslexics have a strong sense of justice. Maybe that because we experience injustice throughout our lives. Or maybe its a dyslexic trait?


what do you think?


please share


Thanks for reading


Steve Dyslexic McCue

Nothing hidden about being dyslexic

Our new tee shirts

Hi blog readers I hope you are all feeling fab.

A short blog this time...……………..

Being #dyslexic isn't about hidden disability. It's about a society that cant see our abilities and a Dyslexia unfriendly society that marginalises us .

An education system that's is so focussed on a negative medical / discrepancy model of dyslexia that can't see our abilities. 

Its about a society that cant get its head around the idea that dyslexia is about diversity and difference not discrepancy and disability.

My social enterprise Dyslexia Pathways CIC logo

Many thanks for reading peace love and groovyness Steve McCue

Dyslexia, Its a nature nurture thing. We are the #fab 1 in ten

we are the #fab 1 in ten

Hi blog readers and social media followers

As a dyslexic I have been thinking more and about dyslexia as a life experience. 

I experience and make sense of and understand the world through my dyslexic prism. Being dyslexic through eyes, thought processes, decision making and dyslexics senses. There is not a blob in my head that is dyslexic and the rest isn't, it is much more complicated than that.

All of us have different lives have different life experiences as children and adults which can impact on how we manage our lives as a dyslexic.


It's a nature nurture thing.

I was born dyslexic, no getting away from that, thank gawd. That's the nature side of dyslexia. 

Then there is the nurture side. Our experience with family, school, friends etc. The nurture side is ongoing and shapes us and who we are through our lives.

Our dyslexia unfriendly education system can leave many dyslexics with feelings low self esteem, self confident, self worth and even long term mental health issues.

But we can all overcome these issues. For me personally relationships with friends and my wife, reading sci fi comics and books, becoming a musician and computer game player etc all helped me to overcome these issues when I was an assessed dyslexic. 

I had a dyslexia assessment at age 35.

This assessment enabled me to make sense of my inability to succeed at school. It enabled me to realize I was not as thick as a brick at school. That is was our dyslexic unfriendly education system that failed me not myself. Only a dyslexic can comprehend how liberating the realization of this can be. 

But the effects of experiences at school can still come to the surface even today. I can still experience periods of low self esteem and depression etc. I can still scold and berate myself for being an idiot. I can say things about my self to myself that would never say about anyone else. 

My own research showed:

The vast majority of assessed dyslexics, 71%, leave school without being assessed. More to the point so many dyslexics never receive an dyslexia assessment never find out they are dyslexic. Nobody really knows how many un-assessed dyslexic adults are out there. But I think this number is very high. At least my research suggest it high. 

It's no wonder that so many of us hate being dyslexic, can even feel ashamed of being dyslexic. Many will never know the answers to why they feel how they feel. To why they have struggled all through their lives. 
Question to you all:


How do you feel about being dyslexic?

Please leave your thoughts in the comments section of this blog or on my social media.

Dyslexia is about diversity and difference not about disability and deficits.






Its what makes us unique. Humanity and nature have thrived  because of diversity and difference.

I know it seems nuts to many dyslexics because of their negative experiences at school. I know this because I know this from my own life experiences as a dyslexic as well as from listening to life stories from the dyslexics I have worked with. But I love being dyslexic. 

So it's also understandable that so many of us hate being dyslexic.
 


But is it we who have a problem or our dyslexia unfriendly society?


Anyways thats enough for this blog

Peace love and groovyness to you all

Photo from our Unique Dyslexic Get Creative exhibition, taken with the Lord Provost of Fife