A space for all children and young people to be inspired and get into music and the creative industries
Bouncin' Trax
Here is an extract from an article in Mental Health Today about the success of the programme and it's students.
Back on Trax
A music project has been reaching out to south London's disaffected youth as Ian A McMillan reports.
"By the start of 2008 an initial group of enthusiastic students, all whom were referred by the early intervention or forensic services, were learning how to program and write their own music using Apple iMac computers and keyboards. Those with a flair for singing, rapping or playing an instrument finally have an outlet for their talents and often 'surprise themselves as much as us' when their efforts are played back to them, Tutor Uschi Classen says.
Everyone who completes the eight-week programme walks away with a certificate and a CD that captures his or her work for posterity. A photograph of the client printed on the CD's cover provides the finishing touch.
Ms Classen has an impressive CV as a music producer: she has worked with Kylie Minogue and Alison Moyet, for example. She says, 'I'm always impressed by the standard of the work that we get at the end of the programme, particularly considering that many people have had no previous experience of music programming or the software we use.'
Ms Classen is hatching plans to make a compilation CD of the clients' work. Though producing a hit isn't the objective, }..lIs Classen is convinced that some of the material would be well received in clubs.
'We've seen some incredibly talented people coming through Bouncin' Trax and produce some really great music. My focus is to give them the opportunity to express themselves in a supportive and creative environment and see what fun they can have in making music.'
The training takes place at the Deptford-based The Midi Music Company, a charity set up in 1995 with a remit to
inspire local children and young people to further their education or enter the creative and music industries.
A sound engineer and an assistant equipped with a 24-track mixing board provide technical support and encouragement. Crucially, says Ms Moy', they have 'street credibility' with the clients and exude a natural empathy towards those living with mental health problems. 'It's vital that we all show a human and respectful attitude to people with mental health issues. If we don't treat people as worthwhile human beings, we damage them and keep them unwell.
'The people at The Midi Music welcome our clients as aspiring, talented and worthwhile individuals - that makes a big difference. Too often in mental health services we greet people with an expectation of their limitations and put a label on their head.'
A qualified mental health professional is on hand to offer discreet help if required, though Ms Moy' can recall only one incident in which a client needed support during a class. In a written evaluation of the pilot programme, The Midi Music Company team described the clients as being 'productive, respectful and attentive' and said they were impressed by their confident vocal and instrumental performances. Feedback from those who referred clients was generally very positive. One said a client became 'more animated during our meetings and more communicative'.
After completing the course, the young man applied for a place on a graphic design course and was accepted. Music clearly plays a central role in the lives of many students, the majority of whom have black and minority ethnic backgrounds. One said, 'Music is my life.' Another noted, 'I want a career in the music industry as I have always enjoyed it.'
Four out of the five students who completed the pilot course said they wanted to develop their skills in music and music production even further, with one noting, 'I [now] have a focus for my week.'
One issue that Ms Moy' acknowledges could be problematic is censorship and what constitutes 'artistic licence'. For example, a white, female staff member not directly involved in the project recently took offence to one rapper, a black man, using the word 'nigger' on his track. 'In his crowd, that's the language they use,' Ms Moy' says. 'Many people coming to The Midi Music Company are into "grime" music, come from deprived communities, and have to "tell it like it is" for it to be meaningful.'
One course graduate, who came with a reputation for being 'mute', went on to follow a mainstream Midi Music course. 'Apparently, he has proved to have a quite exceptional talent. Everyone seems to smarten up and care about their image more as the course progresses.' Ms Moy' notes, 'Some students have been really unwell, for example, they might hear voices or have other delusions. But we have been astonished at their ability to focus for a solid three hours at a stretch and learn a whole computer program.
'It's quite magical what this has done for people's self-esteem. Several managers and vocational workers have been moved to tears after seeing the clients' transformation.'
After a bid to buy five sets of portable recording units was successful, Ms Moy and colleagues are now keen to introduce the equipment to inpatients on acute wards at the nearby Ladywell unit. 'This is all part of the drive to improve people's therapeutic experiences as inpatients and move them towards recovery. One idea is to run three or four week courses on the unit and start to link people into the Bouncing Trax programme when they leave the ward.'
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