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Getting more people involved
Community-changing choirs By Kathryn Deane, Director of Sound Sense, the UK professional association for community musicians Singing is great, right? It makes you feel good, it enables you to express emotions, it can bring communities together. Except that, singing tends not to bring different communities together. Many choirs appeal only to the middle-classes; and because of that, many people don't get a chance to take part. There are exceptions, of course, of which the most famous are the South Oxhey Choirs, initiated by TV's Gareth Malone. There are many other examples, led by community musicians, but their value in community development terms is not widely understood and they don't often develop an autonomous life beyond that of their original vocal leader.
As a choir becomes more confident in itself and in its community, Making Music steps in to support it with all it needs to know about taking on a life of its own: how to form a committee, raise funds, hire its own vocal leader. Here's where other Making Music members in the vicinity might help, offering the hand of friendship. Because singing is great – and it can even bring communities together. Look out for more details about the locations of these new community choirs and how your group could help – coming soon on our website and in our enewsletter iNotes.
In the first wave we're setting up some ten new singing groups, funded by the Hedley Trust and others, based widely across the UK, and including rural and urban locations, working in villages and housing estates, with a broad mix of the population or with a community of interest such as refugees and asylum seekers. Sound Sense members will be pounding the streets, using their contacts with local development workers and making new contacts with community leaders to recruit people who want to sing, and who wouldn't normally have the opportunity. They'll also check to see what other singing is going on locally, and ensure they're not stepping on any toes. Then they'll do the fun bit: the singing.
Sue Lacey
This gap has sparked a new collaboration between Sound Sense and Making Music. Sound Sense members have huge skills in community development through music, and know all about working with people who don't normally get chances to participate. Making Music knows all there is to know about how music groups should be run. Put the two together, and you have the best chance of setting up a choir in a deprived area, and then empowering it to become self-sustaining. In the process we will all learn more about ways of developing communities through the use of music – knowledge we'll share so that others can also set up similar groups.
South Oxhey Choirs famously turned a failing community around
New to folk By Alice Little, Regional Development Officer, Making Music South East Last autumn, 40 players of various instruments, abilities and backgrounds gathered in Oxford for a course entitled 'Form a Folk Band'. By the end of the 12 weeks six bands had been formed, and they all went on to perform at the Oxford Folk Weekend in April. The aim of the course, created by Making Music South East, was to provide an opportunity for 'musical networking' between people interested in playing in an ensemble but who didn't have many opportunities to meet like-minded musicians.
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Seven tutors taught repertoire, led exercises and advised the ensembles on arranging their music. Some of the groups stuck to traditional tunes and songs, whilst others incorporated unusual instruments in music that ranged from traditional to popular. Overall the course helped more people make different kinds of music, whilst at the same time bringing six new folk groups in to Making Music.
DID YOU KNOW A new study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry in August has found that adults diagnosed with depression who were given music therapy sessions showed fewer symptoms of depression than those who received standard counselling. The clinical trial involved 79 people aged between 18 and 50. 46 received anti-depressants, psychotherapy and counselling and the remaining 33 were also given 20 music therapy sessions. The one-hour sessions led by a music therapist got subjects playing an African djembe drum and a digital mallet instrument. Prof Christian Gold said: 'Music therapy has specific qualities that allow people to express themselves and interact in a non-verbal way – even in situations when they cannot find the words to describe their inner experiences.' Find out more at tinyurl.com/musther
Highnotes • September 2011 • 7