As the release date for CFINE’s Community Music projects songs rapidly approaches, it’s time to reflect on how we got here. On April 25th four songs will be released by the three groups that took part in CFINE’s Community Music Project.
CFINE’s Community Music Project kicked off in November 2024 with three groups taking part in song writing sessions held in community settings. Each of the groups explored different aspects of music-making including song writing, singing, composition and rhythm.
The participants created songs inspired by the themes of community, greenspaces gardening and wellbeing. This was facilitated by each group’s close connection to different community gardens throughout Aberdeen. The community gardens include Earth & Worms Community Garden (Tillydrone), SNUG Community Garden (Seaton) and Tullos Community Garden (Torry). These gardens also had accessible warm indoor spaces for those cold winter months. Allowing participants to take walks in the gardens and use the green spaces as inspiration for their song writing.
Three tutors and five volunteers supported the groups throughout the song writing process. Before delivering workshops, the tutors took part in a training day at CFINE. During this session the tutors discussed the value of each group having a unique experience based on their tutor and location. This then created an opportunity to open out a shared experience across all groups, helping to build connections between the participants.
Additional support was provided by the Melting Pot Collective - a local community music group passionate about encouraging participation in music. Their support allowed for more one-on-one assistance during sessions, such as guiding participants in melody-making.
The result of the project is a unique collection of four songs. Including three completely original songs, written by the groups during the project. These songs are titled ‘We are the Living Memory’, ‘The Change’ and ‘Every Dog Has Its Day’. The songs explore themes like identity, memory, resilience, and community connection, representing the different voices and creativity of the groups.
The fourth and final song was a collaboration between all the groups taking part in the community music project. The final track ‘I am the Song’ is an adaptation of a song originally written by Boo Hewerdine as an unlicensed Creative Commons piece for Luminate Scotland. Members of each group were invited to contribute their own new verses to the piece. Nicely tying the project together, this final song became a powerful collective piece. A class of Foundation Apprenticeship Creative and Digital Media pupils at SHMU are creating a music video for this song. Keep an eye out for the release date of the video on CFINE’s social media.
From the start, the aim was to make music creation accessible to everyone, regardless of background or experience. The project involved a diverse range of participants including people on low incomes, refugees, asylum seekers and individuals with mental health difficulties. Tutors supported these participants in developing ideas, finding melodies, and expressing themselves lyrically and musically.
The project has a broad impact, not only in terms of creative output, but in the experience of the participants. Feedback showed participants felt relaxed, confident, and socially engaged during the project. Participants also found the project helped to improve their wellbeing, providing benefit creatively and personally. Through the project many of the participants found a sense of belonging and a feeling of community.
‘I enjoyed writing my own songs, co-creating with a group, demystifying the creative process in making songs & melodies’
“Everyone is so welcoming, and it is a very comfortable environment”
Once the songs are released, there will be opportunities to celebrate the achievements, watch the music video, and stay connected with ongoing music and creative opportunities in the community.
Get ready to hear the incredible songs that came out of this community project!
Keep an eye on CFINEs social media for the big release on April 25th.
To learn more about this project and any future music projects from CFINE please contact RDunn@CFINE.org
