Reflections on music sessions at Amber

Capturing soft outcomes...

In order to capture some of the "soft" outcomes of our project we have used music leader session diaries such as these. We found these the most useful to evaluate the impact of the porject especially with participants who are shy and more private. 

Notes and reflections on music sessions at Amber Gaelle Hammond Music Leader Music in Devon Initiative

D.

When D first came into the music room he was very quiet and reticent to talk about anything at all. He loved to sit and listen to music going on around him often with his eyes closed.

D spent quite a few sessions together with myself and another music leader and discovered some styles that he enjoyed.

He had a laid back style so we thought some laid back songs would be a good idea. We chose Folsom Prison Blues as one of the songs.

It has that speaking / singing style that you can sit and let the words fall out of your mouth with. He really loved this song.

He was easily discouraged when he couldn’t fit the words into the music....but I showed him a simple way of marking the sheet which shows you which words take up more beats. This worked really well and his confidence improved. He was happy to keep going over the song until he got it how he wanted it.

We also looked at a song D liked, Paranoid, Black Sabbath..... but it’s one thing liking a song and another thing so perform it. This song demands a more aggressive and assertive singing style. He tried it a few times.... It is a syncopated feel with the vocals...not as easy as it sounds. He struggled with it and eventually, after a few weeks said it wasn’t for him.

Another song D loved was Can’t Stop by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. He loved this one. Again music leaders helped him with scanning the words, which made some phrases easier.

This song has loads of words but it didn’t put D off at all.

In short, finding the right songs for each individual is vital to a successful session with the residents at Amber.

It might take time to get there...but it’s worth the wait. Slogging away with one they don’t like is not a great idea...but you can’t be totally sure unless they tell you.

On the other hand, sometimes creating a challenge can be just what they need. I guess the key is being flexible and knowing when it’s time to try something else. We built towards a performance and D performed the two songs he’d been working on. He was very nervous but he did it and was proud of himself for performing in front of his peers.

D had a few weeks off the project and in that time I gathered some other material I thought he’d like to learn to suit his voice. Eventually he came back to the session, and he wanted to revisit the songs he’d done with us before. I think this gave him a feeling of reassurance.

D also showed an interest in having a go on the drum kit, always a good thing for a musician! He managed to keep a steady beat. We were really encouraged that he was happy to have a go on something new.

D was definitely more positive and held eye contact a lot more in the later sessions. He was more prepared to express his thoughts and expressed them more openly. He appeared ready to move on and start a new life outside Amber.

My impression of D was that he was solitary but likeable guy with a (quiet) sense of humour, who obviously thinks deeply about life but doesn’t need to talk about it to everyone.

S.

I first met S at the end of January 2020. He was extremely nervous when he came in the room.

He was also very excited about having the music facility and seemed like a child on Christmas Day

The three of music leaders chatted about what music he likes, he mentioned:

Red Hot Chilli Peppers...Under the Bridge.

Neil Young...Heart Of Gold

Neil Young ...Old Man

He was very keen to learn the Neil Young songs on the guitar and tried very hard to play a series of chords on the guitar. We could see he was having difficulties concentrating, I could see he was struggling and needed to do the music in short bursts. He put a lot of concentration in, but needed to take breaks. It’s good he recognised this.

The next week he came back and we worked on “Under the Bridge”; he sang the song with me playing the piano. He expressed an interest in developing his singing voice which I thought was a great idea. He also discussed wanting to write his own songs. S was still excitable, but more realistic and calmer than he had been previously.

I didn’t see S for a while after the first two or three visits, I think he went through the slump which sometimes happens after the initial excitement of arriving at Amber, when the hard work of facing oneself kicks in.

In February we had a session on our own which turned out to be a talking session. He said some sensitive things about his personal state of mind which I wrote down. When I read them back to him I told him he is a poet and most definitely can write his own songs. He still seemed doubtful.

These are the words which he was happy for me to write down:

“It’s lonely when you can’t find yourself

I’m starting to meet myself and I don’t know what to make of it

It’s a novelty to me to be who I am

You’re no happier than me,

Live more, with less

There’s no winners in war

The civil War within my Soul is a relic on the shelf.”

I look forward to seeing S again and to see how he is getting on. I felt that music and lyric writing is a great form of expression for him, as well as outdoor activities, growing veg and connecting with the land. He is a very likeable and friendly guy who has so much potential.

S also showed an interest for the drum kit and was pretty good at keeping the beat.... With work I could see him being great on the drums. He was focussed and enjoyed the demands of using both arms and the bass pedal at the same time.

During that last session I found S more able to express himself, in the few sessions together we had built up a mutual respect and trust which doesn’t always happen so soon.

He was calmer, and able to maintain a steady eye contact. He was frank but still had his sense of humour and a lightness. I felt he was a talented guy who can turn his hand to many things.