Program made for musical connection

By Paul Pickering
THE introduction of a new music program will soon provide an exciting creative outlet for disabled members of the hills community.
Attitude 2007, the latest program offered by the Dandenong Ranges Music Council, encourages people who have become socially isolated as a result of a physical or mental disability to write, compose and record their own music.
Musical therapist Rachel Nendick, who will guide the weekly workshops, sees the program as an opportunity to use music as a connection point to the community.
“It’s partly about providing a sense of inclusion in the local community, increasing opportunities for communication and collaborating with other people,” she said.
“It also helps to increase self esteem and a sense of belonging.”
Budding musicians over the age of 16 will explore the program’s Earth theme through a series of three courses.
In the first course, participants will be invited to write songs about the earth, before tackling composition and earth sounds using computer technology in the second phase.
In the third course, Ms Nendick will call upon the services of local indigenous music guru Stax the Didgeman to explore Melbourne’s aboriginal music heritage.
The program will culminate in a major concert at Monbulk Secondary College in October where participants will be able to display there new-found talents to friends and family.
The first course of the program has already begun and will continue each Thursday morning at the Dandenong Ranges Community Music Centre at Upwey High School.
Project manager Sharon Batterham is encouraging people who are interested in participating in any of the workshops to contact her on 9754 6566.
As Ms Nendick said: “You don’t have to be able to play music, you just have to have an appreciation of it.”