Songs of praise for our connected choir
SNAP supports Essex families who have children and young people, aged 0-25, with any additional need or disability. No formal diagnosis or professional referral is necessary to access SNAP services which have been developed in response to the needs of local families.
During the lockdown last year, we introduced the SNAP Choir. The aim of the choir is to help participants feel more confident, connected and less isolated which has the knock-on effect of improving their emotional wellbeing. SNAP’s choir session, for young people aged 8-25, runs during term time and is currently a remote session where our attendees sing a variety of songs led by our Music Therapist over Zoom.
Attendees request which warm-up activities and songs they would like to do and then everyone sings a song together, learning the melody and sometimes harmony parts. This gives them greater ownership of the choir and also helps with communication, social skills and awareness of others, waiting until it is their turn to choose the song. Everyone except the music therapist is muted, in part to help with the internet delay but also to enable participants to conquer any self-consciousness. The emphasis of these activities is to have fun and join in, participating however they like. There is a huge range of needs within the group and everyone takes part in their own way, helping them to overcome barriers and ensure that they have fair access to music making.
SNAP’s resident Music Therapist, Emily, is delighted by how the sessions are developing.
“The choir for young people provides a safe space to explore their voices, from the comfort of their own home. Each week, a different member of the choir chooses a song for the following week, providing the opportunity to share their musical preferences with everyone. Our sessions follow a similar format each week, even allowing for an opportunity for each person to have a solo, if they would like to!
The choir is a lot of fun, and everyone is always so supportive of each other. We’ve even taken part in two different recording projects now and are looking forward to what is next for our choir!”
SNAP parent Lindsay is delighted her son, Nathan, is enjoying the camaraderie of being in a choir and that his favourite part is the opportunity it brings to make friends with other people who also enjoy singing. She said,
“He likes working towards the recording of everyone singing for special occasions. Through SNAP Nathan has also been able to access one-to-one music sessions. Music has always had a relaxing and calming influence on him and through exploring music with Emily he discovered just how powerful music can be.”
As a result, Nathan performed two solo songs at SNAP’s Christmas Drama Show.
“We knew Nathan enjoyed singing in the shower and car but it was a wow moment to see him stand up in front of his drama cohort and other SNAP families and sing his original songs. We couldn’t be prouder and we know it’s because his self-esteem has grown through taking part in Choir, Drama and Music Therapy and he felt safe and supported at a SNAP event.”