Music Group at the Galgael
The session took place on a Thursday afternoon. It was an informal music based session that was voluntarily attended. The group convened in the workshop and sat in a circle. There were eleven people involved including the session leader, Luke.
The objective of the session was to write songs in groups about whatever people chose. The session aimed to encourage people to take part in something different and to get people actively involved. The session was also meant to be fun and help people overcome their fears and shyness.
The methods used: there was an initial warm up/icebreaker exercise. There were a couple of stones that were placed in the centre of the circle. These were the ‘talking rocks’ – if you wanted to introduce yourself then you simply picked up one of the rocks and said your piece. We then progressed onto warming up exercises – making sounds and humming to get the diaphragm going. We also did some breathing exercises and then moved on to some singing. We sang a Leadbelly song and were spilt into two groups; one singing the main song; the other providing harmonies as accompaniment. Then we split into three smaller groups and began a brainstorming session – writing down any ideas for songs or snippets of lyrics.
The outcomes: initially our group struggled to choose a specific area to write a song about. We just wrote down little rhymes and soon we were able to link them up and, with a little help from Luke, we were able to sort of cut and paste them into a 2 verse, 1 chorus song about the Galgael, its warm environment and its founder, Colin. Each group sang their song with some musical accompaniment on guitar and percussion. We ended up with three very different but equally excellent songs. The group I was in produced a more spoken word, Gil Scott Heron-esque number. The second was an Oasis like song with original guitar backing. The third group wrote a dirge with its memorable refrain “Feed the clan and we will sing”. The session finished with warm down exercises similar to the warm exercises, finished off with a group huddle and congratulatory applause.
Observations: The environment and setting was perhaps not ideal. The two options were in the reception area or in the workshop itself. Both had their disadvantages. The reception area is a very busy place with people constantly coming and going. The workshop had people still working in and has fans that can be loud. It was decided to undertake the session in the workshop – we found a space a little bit removed from the area that contains the majority of the workbenches. It was felt that this choice of location would minimise interruptions to the group and that as the music wafted around the workshop, people might be tempted to down tools and come and listen or even get involved. The group sat in a circle and were asked to stand so the warm up exercises could begin. Luke led the way by picking up one of the ‘talking rocks’ and telling the group what his name was and how he was feeling. One of the group, Luis, volunteered information about himself and his feelings but then there was a brief pause, with no-one keen on going next. I took the opportunity to introduce myself to the group. I felt it was important to make people aware of who I was because I am new to the project but also because I felt it was good to continue the momentum generated by the first two introductions. Eventually everyone had said a little piece about themselves – sometimes self-deprecating or gentle ribbing of others in the group. This engendered a laid back atmosphere with much laughter and joking. One however does need to keep in mind that there must be set levels of trust and mutual respect in place already for such joking. If something is said or taken and that level of respect and trust is absent then it could involve personal insults and feelings being upset. The environment created by the Galgael ethos and by Luke ensured that all the banter exchanged, although at times colourful, was all playful, good-natured and harmless. The icebreaker session involved singing notes and sounds and then a Leadbelly song. Initially I found the singing and sounding shaping slightly embarrassing, but I felt I was not the only one. However I felt I should cast aside this barrier I was constructing and thoroughly participate. “It’s okay. It’s meant to look silly” was Luke’s reassurance – something that was appreciated and seemed to encourage deeper involvement. The Leadbelly song was given a brief historical context concerning slaves and their songs. The song itself was simple and easy to pick up. After the group was confident with the lyrics and pace etc then we were divided into two groups as to provide a mainv vocal lead group and a harmonious chorus – the effect reminded me of early gospel choirs. Everyone sang away – others more loudly, some more restrained but still everyone sang and the results were very pleasant. The group was too large to try and write one song. It was felt that people’s participation would be diluted and so the group split into three smaller groups. Each group was given paper and pens and asked to suggest ideas or rhymes. Our group had a lot of lyrics written down but they lacked the focus to form a recognisable song. With Luke’s intervention, he guided us towards a verse,chorus,verse format and suggested a line be added to keep the song’s tempo flowing. Once the songs were complted then each group performed their creation. All three songs were keenly performed and warmly received. It was remarkable that three full songs, varying massively in their style and content, had been produced in such a short time. I felt a sense of pride that we had achieved this as it had seemed a mammoth task when we began. All three songs were performed at a dinner later that evening, although, sadly, I was unable to attend. Apparently all the songs went down a storm.
THE SONGS ARE ON THE NEXT 3 PAGES
FRIENDS LIKE BROTHERS AND SISTERS – by Luis, Kevin and Colin
VERSE:
At the Galgael you can build boats on the Clyde,
Everyone is friendly, no one is snide,
Greet you with arms open wide,
Give you a bowl of tasty soup – when you get inside.
CHORUS:
Friends like brothers and sisters; if you weren’t here I’d miss ya,
Friends like brothers and sisters; if you weren’t here I’d miss ya,
VERSE:
Colin was a man. A man’s man’s man.
Who loved the land and the freedom on the hand,
Stretch his mind in poetry and rhyme:
Carving wood for spiritual food.
CHORUS:
Friends like brothers and sisters; if you weren’t here I’d miss ya,
Friends like brothers and sisters; if you weren’t here I’d miss ya,
NOT ALWAYS PLAIN SAILING – by John, Lucy, Umair and Stuart
Plain sailing at the GalGael,
Carving an existence with hammer and nail,
Our chiselling achievements bound to set sail,
Breaking barriers but staying out of jail.
End of chapters, new beginnings,
Sometimes losing, sometimes winning,
Always have to surf these waves,
But with the Galgael we’ll feel brave
So we’ve nailed new skills,
Grown from the joy of making,
Looking forward to new thrills,
Casting away, the future’s ours for the taking.
THE DEeR THAT WAS TOO SLOW – by Scott, Willy and Tam
VERSE:
The deer that was to slow, your freedom on the hill,
A hunter in the snow, aims and makes a kill,
From the hill down to the city, food upon the plate,
We praise you and we pity, and so it goes on – it ain’t a pretty sight.
CHORUS:
Feed the clan and we will sing,
Feed the clan and we will sing,
Feed the clan and we will sing,
Feed the clan and we will sing,
VERSE:
There’s no freedom in this place, it sometimes wears you down,
But the creature had its space, far from this old town,
Freedom on the hill, kids are in their beds,
They have had their fill; they can rest their heads.
CHORUS:
Feed the clan and we will sing,
Feed the clan and we will sing,
Feed the clan and we will sing,
Feed the clan and we will sing,
MUSIC SESSION – PARTICIPANT INTERVIEWS
A- How did you find the music session?
B- I was a bit nervous about singing. How about you?
C- Did you stay behind for the evening session and sing the songs?
D- Can you give me three words or phrases that sum up the experience?
JOHN - group one
A- It was good, I really enjoyed it. I was bit nervous at the beginning.
B- Aye , I had tumbling in the belly. “whose going to start singing?’ I was thinking. I was worried about getting the words right too.
C- Yes the evening session was a lot livelier. Everyone was giving it laldy
D- Good; exciting; something different
UMAIR - group one
A- It was really good. It gave me different ideas. It was impressive that we were able to write a song in such a short time. It shows what you can do when you spend your time productively.
B- I was a wee bit nervous but that soon disappeared.
C- I was more up for the evening session. I believe it showed that anyone can do anything. Don’t let anyone tell you any different – if you think you can’t it’s only a mental block. As Luke said “ if you can talk you can sing; if you can walk you can dance.”
D- Productive; Enjoyable; it brought people together
STUART - group one
A- It was great. Luke came last year just after I’d started and we did a similar group song like we did this time. I didn’t know anyone but that day I spoke to loads of different people – it helped break down barriers
B- I play guitar so I wasn’t really nervous. You can hide behind the guitar or even hide your singing with the guitar!
C- The evening was great. We sang the song again after the meal. Everyone got involved, there were a lot more people and it was a good atmosphere.
D- Freedom – being able to sing what you want. Sometimes its easier to say something in a song than just talking about it; Fun – it was great getting stuck in. Liberating – doing something different with different people
LUCY - group one – still to interview
LUIS - group two
A- I was pointed in the right direction, went through to the workshop and had fun.
B- I’m confident with singing and comfortable in a group. The ice was already broken for me.
C- It was full of people, a good night with everyone up singing and dancing.
D- Fun; a wee bit scary; definitely good
KEVIN – group two – still to interview
SCOTT – group three
A- It was quite good and a bit different.
B- I do karaoke so I’m not bothered. They let me sing at last orders to empty the pub. I cannae really sing but I like getting involved
C- Yeah, the evening session was full of people. It was a good laugh, a nice experience
D- Fun; Inspiring; an experience
TAM – group three
A- It was a good opportunity for the participants to get involved in something different. A chance to express themselves and be part of a creative process. It was unusual and good to get to meet a successful musician- A meeting of people from different backgrounds.
B- I wasn’t nervous. I’m the karaoke king and will sing given the slightest chance.
C- Aye, the night went okay. There was a good response to all the song. Our group felt a great sense of pride and pleasure in the work we produced. As Willy said “ It should be on Top of the Pops”
D- Inspiring; fun ; meaningful.
WILLY – group three
A + B- I found it very, very exciting. It was the first time I had the courage to sing. I’ve never sang in front of people before but being with my mates gave me the confidence- especially Tam – he helped me break out of that eggshell. We should do more of that type of stuff because a lot of people hold back and this type of thing helps people get over that.
C- The evening was very good. It opened me up mentally. I had more confidence and joined in more.
D-Confidence building – it helped me loosen up and I did sing in front of other people. It was my first time as a composer but it never quite made it to number one on Top of the Pops!
