Messin With the Music! 20/5/13

Image compliments of Denis McLaughlin.

Messin With The Music is a music project which aims to bring together young people in a week of musical workshops to encourage music creation and performance. Denis McLaughlin, one of three facilitators of the project explains a bit about MWTM.

 “We’ve been running it now since 2011, it’s run maybe 3 or 4 times a year, it’s funded by the Arts Council and run in conjunction with Greater Shantallow Community Arts with Olly Green. The idea is to get young people aged 14-17, bring them together. 

When we ask for applications we also encourage non instrument players as well and stuff like that as well as instrument players so they can do a bit of peer to peer learning. It’s been going on this week, we’ve been doing different workshops on songwriting, arranging, chord progression and then they’re split into 3 groups each with a facilitator. The stuff that they’ve learned and stuff that they already know, they can learn from each other. At this point now they’ve created a song, their own original piece so that’s why you do the songwriting, chord progression, give them the tools they need to pick from.

 The main thing, from doing it in the past and doing it now it that you can see there’s a need for it. The young people that do it have nowhere to go and they just want to practice and rehearse and things like that. Friday we set up our showcase, like a rehearsal if you like, they got to do a bit about sound.”

The young people also played at the launch of the Earhart festival at Ballyarnett Park yesterday which was the main performance for the groups but there’s more in store. “On Tuesday as part of Amelia Earhart Day they’ll be playing in the Guildhall Square so it’s that opportunity of getting them on the big stages as well and get a bit of a buzz for it. The ones we have in now are 14/15/16, that kind of age.” Says Denis.

The social aspect is also very important and has been incorporated into the week to encourage the young people to mix and share ideas. “As much as us doing the workshops we’re always keen to give them decent breaks were they can mingle together for the social aspect because we have them in groups but then sometimes we like having half hour breaks where they’ll go and play with different people, people they know, people that are interested in this or that, they might come together and start playing. The whole thing is about giving them a platform to get involved in music.”

The project was started to encourage young people to develop themselves through music and it continues to do so. Denis and all those at the MWTM project aim to see the young people take the skills they’ve gained into the future. “When we first started it, it was summertime and it was something for the kids to do during the summer, we were working in a disadvantaged area and taking kids from socially deprived areas and thought we’d like to do some music stuff with them. There’s a lot of sports stuff and all going on but there wasn’t much music, we know there’s loads going on now with the City of Culture but back when we started it there wasn’t that much going on musically. We hope that with the people they might meet here they’d go on to do something, strike up friendships or some people come here that have already done a bit of work together, they know each other and have had a wee jam and for them it’s a focused week and they can start creating some stuff and setting stuff in stone. By the end of it we’d hope they’ve learned a few things from us, from themselves and they’ve added some more strings to the bow for stuff to be moving on with.”

Luke Lafferty is just 16 and is playing in one of the bands. “ I’ve always had an interest in music being brought up with my dad who liked to play his guitar every so often. It was like, you know what, why not pick up the guitar? I’ve been playing since I was eight but properly the last two years. My dad would have taught me songs to start off with and then I would have eventually just taught myself from there. I’ve always wanted to be in a band and this is the first opportunity I had to actually get band work. I used to be really shy, I could never get up on stage and talk in a big crowd of people but the fact that this has made me come up on stage and sing, this is my first time even getting to play guitar here even though I’m a guitarist. I’ve been able to sing in front of big crowds in the Guildhall which I never would have done before until I came here, it’s gotten me over so much stage fright.”

I had the pleasure of listening to another on the bands  who as of yet do not have a name but comprise of Niall Doherty, 15 on keys, Caoimhin McFadden, 17 on lead guitar and vocal, Gavin McCafferty, 15 on Yukulele and vocals, Jessica Doherty, 15 on Rhythm guitar and vocal. It’s hard to believe the group have only been together a week and have already put together a great orginal track called ‘Summer’, though that name could change. Jessica Doherty has been able to enhance her skills by taking part. “Last year my music teacher said I should go to a songwriting competition and it just seemed to go from there. I’ve got on really well, I’ve been writing songs for everything and find it really easy now to write. I started off on piano so it’s easier for me to write for piano accompaniment. These workshops are hard to find, what they’ve offered with the workshops like improvisation and I’ve developed my guitar skills. I’ve enjoyed working with other people, seeing things from other people’s point of view and sharing ideas and opinions.”

Niall tells of how the group may even stay together after the week is over.  “It’s good because mostly I’d play on my own but get to play with other people so it’s different, better as well. It gets people that don’t normally get the chance to play with other people in bands and stuff so it’s good experience. We’re thinking now of keeping that band together as well.”

In just one week three new young bands have been created on the music scene in the City. If you’re going to be around the Guildhall Square on Tuesday get a look at what these young bands have been able to achieve in just one week. It goes a long way in showing what that talented people of this City are capable of!