Working with Achieve, Change and Engagement in Morecambe

Our cold spot and music inclusion projects have taken place across the Lancashire area, including some long-term developments in Skelmersdale, Blackburn, Burnley and Preston. This project was much closer to home as we worked with young people from our own community in Morecambe.  Although we provide regular weekly open musicmaking sessions during termtime for young people, the group we wanted to engage with needed their own space to feel confident to express themselves.

Achieve, Change and Engagement (ACE) are based at Morecambe Library and work with young people with mental health and emotional issues who have been referred to them by schools and other agencies. They run one-on-one mentoring and group work to help participants build their confidence and self-esteem in a supportive and safe environment and wanted us to engage the young people creatively. 

The group of ten young people, mainly comprised of girls aged 14-18, had liked a song that had been created on an earlier More Music project at the Morecambe Foyer (a support housing development in Morecambe for young people aged 16-24 experiencing homelessness) and wanted to create their own anthem.

More Music has two musicians, Leroy Lupton and Sam Middleton, who we wanted to give a chance to create their own project and learn new techniques.

Sessions began at the Library, and then moved to the Hothouse – which is our building and a safe environment where we have easy access to a range of musical instruments as well as recording facilities.  Some young people could play but everyone had a chance to experiment with guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. After ten sessions, the young people had written and recorded a song called ‘Just Breathe, Step Back’ and also completed five Discover Arts Awards certificates.  The AA process was as ever a struggle for the musicians as they had to make time for the reflection as well as the musicmaking – our recent AA training programme is helping staff become more confident – but they managed!

ACE young people’s comments:

•    “I feel more confident in a way which I can write a song and it will turn out good. Before I had no confidence to do it at all.”

•    “I think I do feel slightly more confident and I think it’s because I have sung with other people so it has makes me more open to other people and the way they sing ”

•    “I know how to sing in front of other people now”

Our music workers also gained from the experience.  Lead musician Leroy Lupton explains: “Working with a group like this can be quite challenging, yet tremendously rewarding. I have found that groups with emotional or social problems are no different to any other group (I believe we all have emotional or social anxieties to some extent) other than it can be a bit tougher/slower to break the ice.” 

“Our lengthy discussion about social anxiety led to the creation of some beautiful lyrics for our song with each participant adding something unique and individual. The finished recording now serves as a reminder for each person in the group of what to do when they feel anxious, upset or nervous.” 

“Everyone had lots of fun recording in the studio and the finished CD is something they all are very proud of. If I were to work with a similar group again, I would use more MIDI/sample based equipment that doesn't require any complicated music theory to learn so that the group could work at an even pace with no one taking over or showing off.”

Sam Middleton is at the beginning of her career as a music leader and this one of the first projects she had a direct role in delivering.  She said: “I feel I learned to be open to the diversity of young people and their needs within this group and it was wonderful to see the group come together as a whole and really gel despite their differences. It really was something special!”

ACE youth worker Rehana Hassan said “The group always enjoyed the singing at the beginning and sometimes the end of the session. The activities meant that they were being challenged to try new things, which they always embraced. Some of the young people found the musical element very calming. Everyone had a role to play which made all feel valued.  Their confidence and self worth has increased so much. Thank you to the lovely staff who worked so hard and tirelessly to make this project such a brilliant success.”

You can hear the completed track here:

For more information about More Music, visit www.moremusic.org.uk.