Happy Together: the power of engaging people with music
Open up the door and let me walk right in
It’s great to see you there, tell me, how’ve you been?
(Opening lines to Happy Together Song)
No matter how many times you experience or are part of a birth of a song it is something really special. Sure, you have the chops, the experience and hopefully the creativity but it’s still a big thing. What if you don’t do this often or have never done it before though? It’s a real wow moment!
How many jobs in life allow you to not only meet, but work with a group of wise and talented mature women? Mine does. Over the past nine years I have had the pleasure to work with a range of people in Newington Day Centre in North Belfast. The reason we work there is to enable live music, reminiscence workshops as well as songwriting, podcasts, writing, photographs, engagement, hearing the voices of older Carers, recording and much more. It’s an attempt to reach some of our most marginalised older people.
It is simply about engaging with people, interactively participating and to me, most importantly, taking on people’s views and literally hearing their voices. It has been incredible seeing people’s confidence grow, questions being asked and as time goes by answers being given. I still get a joy from moving through phrases like ‘ I can’t’ or ‘I could never do that’ to open hearted singing and participation.
This current project funded by the Community Foundation, sees us working with a number of Carers over 15 weeks – some of them have been with us for over 5 years (through several previous projects) and continue to bring fresh insight, energy, ideas and creativity to bear on projects. I don’t do this alone, Margaret McCrudden, the Newington Manager alongside her dedicated team are at the core of what we do as well as their members. Chip Bailey as well as photographers Bernie McAllister and Carrie Davenport provide a heady mix of expertise and personality that sustains a relaxed backdrop and allows people to just… be themselves.
Back to that songwriting – there are tons of ways to write songs and all we do is show how historically songs are structured then just try and get topics and themes people are most interested in. We then develop lyrics and then melody – it all gets shaped and moulded and changes as the weeks go on. Eventually, it will be arranged, recorded, then professionally mixed and mastered – in essence it will be broadcast quality. The songs become part of a legacy, a point in time where people collectively created something that had never existed before – and we can all be proud of it.
Sometimes it’s the simplest things that create the best outcomes – Let’s just sit down and listen to what people have to say. Let’s create a safe space for them to do that, add in some tea and a few sarnies and magic starts to happen.
Of course we have goals to meet, and reports to write but essentially I feel our role is to allow things to happen – it’s a little like that ice game curling – we are the brushers in front of the sliding stones, they have already been pushed and are on their way – we just help them go a little further!
Over the years we have worked with people who are now friends – there is real trust there, we’ve shared highs and lows and have done so non judgementally. There is mutual respect and to be frank we are all part of a bigger whole – no one thing is more important than the other but all are essential to making it work. We are just over half way through, although there is some serious talk there is also a lot of laughing and personally, these two hours per week are the tonic I really look forward to during a working week. Others have said this too.
Is there a secret to this? I don’t think so – All I know is I try to be as honest with people as I can, I never ask anyone to do anything I ‘m not prepared to try myself, I try to show respect and I try my best to leave ego at the door. I hope some of the experiences we have help others in their own journeys.
So, thanks to our funders. The next time we are together we’ll form a circle and pat each other on the backs, why? Because we really are Happy Together, and we all need to celebrate the small wins.
Paul Kane Music & Older People’s Manager
Music is Mixed by Phil D’alton, Mastered by Moostronix, & recorded at Lomond Studio
