Breaking Barriers, Building Beats

Changing Tunes and Bxcellence have formed a partnership with Urban Pursuit, an alternative education provider based in Bristol. We sat down with Senior Musician-in-Residence Isie and Bxcellence Founder Tyrell to ask them more about this exciting youth project.

Isie and Relly.

What kind of challenges do these young people face, and how does the project address those challenges?

Relly - This project tackles the issue of kids not feeling engaged. It’s not just about the creative outlet but also about the skills, the conversation, it’s about getting them used to that kind of environment which will hopefully get them attuned to the school setting.

I think it also tackles the idea, especially when it comes to young males, of expression. We focus on outlets for emotions and challenge our reluctance to engage with those emotions, music is an outlet that allows us to do that safely.

How do you believe music can play a role in supporting young people who are struggling academically or socially?

Isie - I’ve been helping the kids by using GarageBand to create full instrumental tracks before adding vocals with Relly. By using clever techniques and tools, like adding reverb, and using various plugins and effects, it’s accessible and quick to make something that sounds half decent.

It's also fun to let the kids go rogue on the keyboard or microphone and then incorporate some of this in the songs, whether it's the sound of giggling or just being a bit silly with different keyboard sounds. Because of the accessibility of the technology, you don't have to be academically "good" or have any particular music skills to make something, anyone can have a go, and it can be made into something creative, expressive, and unique. 

Music provides so many things: a safe space in which to express emotions - it is very therapeutic in itself. To be able to transmute a difficult emotion into a piece of music can be very satisfying, affirming, and empowering.

Music can also be something to distract and take you away from challenging life situations: time flies when you are immersed in music. As well as holding the more negative emotions, music also has the ability to make us feel joyous and uplifted, it breaks down barriers and provides a space in which to build trust with peers and staff.

The kids who've taken part in this project should feel proud of what they've achieved, and I hope it's given them a bit of a bug to have a go themselves. 

Relly - I think music plays a role in understanding the world and understanding their world - their peers, the people around them. It plays a huge role.

A project like this is important for teaching them what messages they put out into society. It’s about recognising the messaging, what are we saying through the music we produce. This can be seen through some of the music we have made and what has been applied.

Can you share any success stories or moments that stand out where music has made a significant difference in a child's life?

Relly - Speaking of this project, I have had young people find Bxcellence on social media and leave a voice note about how much it’s impacted them, how much they would love to do it again. Young people start the project saying they can’t do it and at the end they are proud of themselves.

It may seem like a few words, but when you work with at-risk young people it’s quite a rare occurrence to hear them say they are proud of themselves. It’s the reward they can feel, it’s the lived experience of seeing they can do something they thought they couldn’t.

Isie - I used to teach piano to a boy at a PRU (pupil referral unit). Unusually, he was very interested in learning classical piano. He would cycle to school with these huge, hefty books of sheet music that he'd been given by his supportive family as Christmas presents. He even replaced his Xbox time for piano (!!!)

I was shocked one day when he said he'd been up until the early hours of the night before watching music theory videos on YouTube. He took his Grade One ABRSM exam with me and got a Distinction (the highest level you can get). He then left the school, but Changing Tunes helped him gain a grant from The Finzi Trust which has covered the cost of his lessons and music books for two years. I have now heard that he's going to be taking his Grade Five soon which is awesome!! 

How do you measure the success of the programme, and what kind of outcomes have you seen so far?

Isie - We've had some positive feedback from some of the kids, for example, "I feel proud of myself". A general sense of achievement and uplifted atmosphere at the end of sessions.

Relly - We measure success in terms of the young people’s self-report. Where they felt at the start to where they feel at the end. A lot of success is measured by young people deciding to come back each week. All cohorts have wanted to come back each week and complete.

Staff members report how young people react to these sessions to other sessions. The behaviour, young people are engaged. Ultimately, it’s around the participation, about them taking part in the final products.

How do you create an inclusive and supportive environment for children who may feel disconnected from school or society?

Isie - Firstly, music itself is a universal language, it knows no barriers and should be accessible to everyone. The technology is also accessible and can involve the input of a few people at once.

In terms of the environment, we like to create a positive space in which everyone can have a go, there's no such thing as a right or wrong way to do something, whilst also recognising that success is different for everyone.

Unconditional positive regard is important and getting creative when things don't go quite to plan... It also helps that Relly and I both have an amazing sense of humour...!

Relly - Firstly, from our aspect of Bxcellence – we are lived experience ourselves. We created the opportunity for people to get to know us. From experiencing criminality and exclusion. To get them to recognise this isn’t a test, it’s about gaining more experience. We use friendly language, we are representative.

The criteria for taking part is inclusive as it is. It’s based on nothing more than your age and working with Urban Pursuit who we are partnering with for this project.

Of course, we treat everyone the same, but people are different and it’s about recognising that and making people feel welcome and open. I won’t put paper in front of people assuming they can read and write. We will talk through the form and what’s going to happen. Make sure staff are on each table so they can talk through what’s happening.

We have people suffering with depression, it’s about not calling them out, it’s about allowing them to be in whatever they’re in, no pressure, just letting people be.

Are there any key skills or lessons that children gain from participating in the project beyond just learning music?

Isie - Patience (with themselves, peers, and staff!), collaboration, respect, kindness, listening...

Relly - I think it’s social skills but also a level of contextual risk awareness. From the point of partnering with Changing Tunes, that was heavily one of my motivators. It’s not about the music for me, it’s about recognising your surroundings, recognising social interactions, risks, ideas which they do see in music – being able to decode those and keep themselves safe.

What have you learned personally from working with these young people?

Relly - I’ve learnt that things are constantly changing. My lived experience counts for something but it’s not the be all and end all. These people’s experiences and challenges are similar but they’re not the same. I appreciate when people open up and share with me. It helps them but it helps me to further my approaches and interactions with other young people.

Isie - Whilst it is brilliant to produce a wicked sounding song, ultimately it's also been the chats with the kids about life stuff that has been so good about this project.

Particularly as a woman, I am grateful to be able to demonstrate to the girls in the group that you can know your stuff when it comes to making music, and do it with no shame or embarrassment, whilst also being able to chat about cool nails, hair, make-up, clothes etc!

The project has reaffirmed to me how important the "relationship" is.

What do you think are the biggest misconceptions about children at risk of exclusion from school, and how does your work help challenge these misconceptions?

Relly - I think the main misconception isn’t just the risk of exclusion. It’s children at risk generally. We often get a picture of a young person who is more at risk, there’s a misconception that there’s a profile - that’s not the case.

Good school, bad school, PRU, young people are more exposed. There is no particular type of young person at risk. There’s a misconception that young people who don’t engage with ‘what they’re meant to’ means that they won’t engage with anything. This project shows they can and do when given the opportunity for other learning styles to be recognised.

Isie - I think a misconception about children at risk of exclusion from school is that they are all just "naughty" kids. There is so much more going on underneath the displayed behaviour - a feeling (perhaps fear of failure, isolation, overwhelm, anxiety, or disconnection) and underneath that feeling - a need (perhaps emotional safety, belonging, purpose, or to be heard or seen).

Our work definitely gets to those core needs, whether it's through the music, relationships, or both.