Music for a Change - Musical Respite
Plymouth Music Zone is currently delivering a Youth Music funded programme called ‘Music for a Change’ offering ‘musical respite’ to some of the most emotionally vulnerable children and young people.
The work includes one-to-one and group music sessions in a Refuge with participants who have experienced varying levels of domestic abuse. It also involves work with children and young people who have lost someone special or have a parent or loved one living with a terminal illness.
As you can imagine, this kind of work is tough and challenging - but it’s also powerful and deeply moving too. Plymouth Music Zone’s Music Leaders got together to reflect on the sessions so far. These are the top recommendations they came up with to help others who may be thinking about delivering this vital work...
Top Ten Tips for Music Leaders Providing ‘Musical Respite’ Sessions for Vulnerable Groups
1. Consult carefully with partner organisations / groups prior to projects or individual workshops.
2. Follow consultation up with careful preparation and planning. Try not to make presumptions – ask as many questions as possible so that you can be well-prepared for different eventualities.
3. Be aware of your own prejudices (positive and negative).
4. Sustain a circular dialogue between the organisation / support workers / parents / participant / music leader for promoting best practice. Ensure that everyone in the cycle feels safe, valued and empowered throughout the process of delivery.
5. Focus on making music, not just the personal or social context of the participant(s) which may be challenging in many ways. This does not mean ignoring a situation when the participant(s) may choose to talk about their feelings, lives or disclose something important to you – if this happens, be aware of the protocol that you should follow (e.g. child protection policy). Remember that you are there to facilitate a joyful musical experience, without delving too deeply into the emotional context – you are not there as an alternative to a social worker or health professional, for example.
6. Listen carefully. Be sensitive to what people need from you as a Music Leader. Take time to notice little details because they can often make the most difference to people.
7. Strive to instil a feeling of long-lasting musical enjoyment beyond the session(s). This may also include signposting to other activities and organisations or something as simple as recommending an artist / song.
8. Allow time for feedback and evaluation of your session(s), including your own perspective. Collect appropriate documentation (video / audio/ photographs) with appropriate consents. Documentation needs to be meaningful to participants as a ‘keepsake’, accessible for funders as well as documenting progression or special moments.
9. Have confidence in your intuition on a human level. If your consultation has been thorough, then you should feel well prepared to deal with any issues that arise and be supported by other people around you. It is particularly important to talk about and reflect on emotional issues that may arise from the work with others.
10. Equip yourself with the capacity to offer a wide range of genres, instruments and technologies to create the most meaningful musical experience as possible.