Self Expression
SELF EXPRESSION Tang Hall SMART C.I.C. is about half-way through its ‘Self Expression’ project. This consists of several components, but Sue, the Manager of Tang Hall SMART, has asked Holly, one of the support workers, to record her observations of some of the one-to-one work being carried out with a selection of the young musicians on the project, who have learning disabilities. Holly has chosen to focus on three of these:
“We have been aiming to capture youth voice, handing over more of this process to the young musicians, to maximize their musical self-expression in compositions, performances and recordings. The results so far have been astounding, and not only has there been a musical impact on these young people, but the relationships they’re making seem to be fueling their creativity and growing their confidence. We believe the work done is going to have a deep impact on their development and can already see it from some of the unusual results coming from them.
Take Rebecca for example: she’s a 14-year-old with Down’s Syndrome. She has been having her 1-1 session with Sue, (Tang Hall SMART’s managing director, and an experienced musician). Rebecca has a natural affinity for music; her sense of timing is phenomenal, this is particularly noticeable when she is on the drums. She has no inhibitions when she plays, she plays her music based on what sounds good and feels right, this is what makes her music so stunning, so unique and quite unusual. When playing collaboratively, there is rarely any verbal communication between her and Sue, but the relationship she is building with Sue is I think fundamental to her musical development, as it is a relationship through music. The chance to play with other musicians is her way of communicating, so being able to listen and collaborate is profoundly important to her. The 1-1 session has offered her a chance to find her own musical voice, express herself in a creative way and unleash her true, raw talent.
The relationships are critical to the young people’s progression. We work with Jake, one of the other young musicians on the project, at another time of the week when he attends as part of a class, and ordinarily, he is the most introverted person in the session he attends with his school where he struggles to express himself and is very shy. As part of the Self Expression project, Jake works one-to-one with Neil (coach) and is experiencing the joy of real experimentation with music for the first time and is developing a sense of authority and assertiveness over his own music. The relationship Jake has with Neil is vital as Neil pushes him out of his comfort zone, which helps make Jake’s music so creative and is only possible because he feels supported to do what he wants and more.
The young people we are working with have the opportunity to express themselves in a positive, supportive way and they have been able to open up about their life experiences; demonstrating that music facilitates emotional expression. Even though these young musicians have communication difficulties, they have been able to express themselves through music. Jonny, who is a young rapper who has downs syndrome; can exhibit poor memory, and his speech can be limited although he already has a good rap flow. Neil and Sue have been working on a variety of ways to help Jonny express himself more fully and distinctly e.g. visual prompts, dramatic scenarios, discussion etc. They stick with Jonny’s agenda, where he can truly express what’s on his mind, without any barriers. Jonny really focuses in these sessions, clearly enjoying the attention, and his rapping has become more meaningful, with content that reflects what Jonny is thinking of, rather than a collection of rhythmic sounds. There are several other young musicians who are progressing on the project, and we are all looking forward to working with them as a group when we hold our summer rock schools next week, which are an important part of the project.”
By Holly Parker