The Black Dog Music Project

Rock school starts this summer. A brand new project but for young people with mental health difficulties. We have vacancies for the up & coming rock school programme. Wether you can play or just have a little experience it does'nt matter, its the enthusiasm that counts. For further details about how to become involved please use our contact page.

The project would like to say welcome to Sue Tebble. Sue comes to us with a large C.V of accomplishment. Sue facilitates our Tuesday session and will also be running the new youth programme starting this summer. To find out more about becoming a member or volunteering some time to the project. Please contact us via our contact page

GO ON.......... DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT!

Our new weekly Tuesday sessions are now up & running thanks to funding greatly received from Norfolk Community Foundation. We still have a few places left. If you would like to be a part of something special and creating a new band. Then get in touch via our contacts page. We provide individual rooms for drums, guitar and vocals as well as group rooms for bands

We are now running weekly Karaoke sessions on Tuesdays 12-3pm. It does'nt matter if your not a singer. Attending these sessions will help you find your voice and gain confidence in taking the next step joining one of our project bands. Karaoke is enjoyable and educational and these sessions have been designed with you in mind. Over 15,000 tracks to choose from all the old favourites right up to the very latest tracks out this week.Using state of the art industry standard equipment.

COME ALONG AND GIVE IT A GO.

January 2012. We can now offer trianing courses for music production and music engineering at Ashwood studios Norwich. Spaces available but be quick.

It is really gratifying to know that the project is helping people in so many ways in their lives. A recent new member had this to say about us.

This Dog is my best friend.

"I was really looking forward to going to the open day at 'The Black Dog Music project' because I love singing & entertaining people. The first impression when I walked into Earth Studios is that you are on level ground with everbody. Everyone is welcoming, friendly, helpful & shared my passion for music. It helps you feel at ease with your confidence no matter what your ability, a perfect way to get the best out of anybody. I know go every week singing with a band & I love every second of it and the other members are great to be around. It gives me a real buzz. I feel about 6 feet tall although I'm only 3ft 2"! I feel really proud of what I am achieving and I recommend it. Come and give it a go!

Adam Dean.

STATEMENT.

As individual members of the Project elect to form bands and attend various functions and events. They do so under their own initiative. Manys of our members like to gig as a way of gaining valuable experience of playing live to an audience and this is incouraged as a means to gaining confidence. When bands go out to play for whatever reason they are reminded that they are not yet professional and therefore should not charge for their appearence other than private arrangement with the organiser for covering expenses. Any of the musicians that attend events that do earn regular sums of money are encouraged to disclose this fact to the relative agencies involved with them.

Our Mission Statement

The Black Dog Music Project is a service user led community music group that provides music sessions for beginners to ex professional musicians who have suffered mental health problems or disabilities. The Project is proactive and keen to be involved with enabling its members to establish themselves into the wider community and challenge any form of discrimination experienced during their recovery journey.

A Word From Keith

Many of our clients struggle with confidence issues, and are often very difficult to engage with. I looked for an element of common ground that we all have an opinion on and I came up with music. Being able to express yourself gives you a sense of freedom that we all long for, but in order to attain that freedom you have to have a degree of confidence. What if we could offer people a way of building confidence, on a one to one, or at a group level, where they had the freedom of expression to create something unique and individual to them, which they could share with others if or when they felt comfortable. I know what you're thinking, this is to good to be true. No we are here & here to stay

This is where "The Black Dog Music Project" steps into the frame. It is not as difficult as you may think to create your own song, or piece of music. In creating something that is their own, our clients will be able to take a step away from the negative self-perpetuating circle in which their lives become woven due to their illness. I think that by using "The Black Dog project" clients will be able see their problems from a different angle, so developing productive ways of dealing with these problems, rather than becoming a victim of, or fighting against them. I believe that individuals can gain confidence through experience, building self-esteem and with time they will be able to move on to new challenges through their growth in confidence and motivation. "The Black Dog Music Project" is not specifically aimed at musicians, but can be utilized on a one to one level by any of our clients who write down their thoughts and feelings or how they reacted to certain situations. Clients will be able to read their prose into a microphone and have it recorded and can reflect on their thoughts at a later date using their recording to gauge their progress in their goal of recovery. The therapeutic role of such material will be exceptional, and with their gained confidence the client could be encouraged to ultimately become part of the group project.