Arts and Older People's "Drop the Needle" Project Strikes a Chord of Unity at Newington Day Centre
In the rhythmic echoes of a bygone era, Oh Yeah's "Drop the Needle" project took shape. Paul, our Arts and Older People's Manager, alongside musician Chip Bailie, embarked on a mission to explore the musical memories of a group of carers at Newington Day Centre.
Drop the Needle group with St Malachy’s Students, Newington Staff and project facilitators. Photographed by Bernie McAllister
Over the course of 12 weeks, stories were shared amongst the group and hidden cultural gems came to light, creating a legacy to resonate through generations. These stories were recorded and pieced together with musical interludes from St Malachy’s students and Over the Hill Collective to create a heartwarming podcast.
Meet Maureen
Ina and Mureen, photographed by Bernie McAllister
The first voice we hear on the podcast is that of 77 year old Maureen, born and raised in North Belfast where she still lives today. She paints a vivid image of the small house she grew up in and reminisces on singing competitions she would have at home with her six siblings. Maureen also shares the tale of auditioning for the showband ‘The Blue Caps’ at age 16, which she performed with alongside her late husband.
Maureen became familiar with Newington Day Centre through caring for her husband and taking him to the centre twice a week after he had suffered a stroke and heart attack. During this time Maureen got to know the staff at Newingon, who invited her along to a weekly singing group at the centre after her husband died. This marked the beginning of the rekindling of Maureen’s passion for music eight years ago. Since then, she has signed up for as many musical projects as possible and has engaged with various Oh Yeah projects through our partnership with Newington Day Centre.
Making Connections Through Music
"Drop the Needle" wasn't just about music; it was a salute to carers, often the unsung heroes in our lives. The project’s dual mandate became apparent—addressing the needs of carers while providing fun workshops as something to look forward to in a supportive community. This initiative echoed Oh Yeah’s mission of ‘opening doors to music’ and Arts Council NI’s aim to reduce isolation whilst amplifying the voices of the participants and bringing their creativity to the forefront.
Maureen credits the Arts and Older People’s projects for creating a space for unexpected connections to be made and long-lasting friendships formed, with the group regularly arranging social activities outside of the workshops.
She commented, ‘‘It takes me out to new people and I’ve gotten to know everybody really well. We’ve gone out for dinners too, sometimes we're checking out the theatre or the opera.’’
Collaboration With St Malachy's and Over the Hill Collective
The intergenerational element to the project with St Malachy’s students visiting Newington Day Centre with their instruments resulted in spontaneous music sessions tapping into different genres such as trad, blues and classical. Some of these pieces of music were recorded and integrated into the podcast, helping bring the stories to life.
St Malachy’s student and Chip Bailie. Photographed by Bernie McAllister
Maureen remarked that the connections made with the St Malachy’s students were one of the highlights of the project.
She said, ‘‘I love the violin, trombone, the piano, most of all I love the saxophone - and to know that those boys could play those instruments and hear them play, that was really remarkable. It was really nice to meet the young people because despite the age gap, if you talk to them, you'll find that you had more in common than you thought.’’
One of the workshops also included a drum circle led by and the Over the Hill Collective which broke down barriers, fostering community and sparking natural conversations that set the stage for emerging creativity.
Building a Legacy
Over the course of the 12 weeks, musical memories unfolded and the podcast took shape. Participants found their voices and built confidence, realising the importance of their stories in shaping a collective narrative.
Reflecting on what it means to have this legacy in the form of a podcast, Maureen shared, ‘‘It’s wonderful. I think it's gorgeous because it gives you a wee bit of something you leave behind for your children. It's just nice to have something you can look back on and say, this is my story.”
Each member of the group also received a personalised book designed by local visual artist Lesley Cherry, featuring sentimental song lyrics and photographs.
Stream the Podcast
The podcast is now available to steam on the Oh Yeah Centre Youtube channel. You can listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGRcLZW1HsA
If you are interested in finding out more about our Arts and Older People’s projects, contact paul@ohyeahbelfast.com
