LMN musician Zoë Wren leading music for people living and working in a Haringey care home (pre-Covid)
Drum roll please! Starting the week of 14th June, Live Music Now will make a resounding return to live, presenting over 60 concerts across England, Northern Ireland and Wales, as its 250 musicians get back to performing in schools, care homes and community centres across the nation.
Restarting its world-class programme of activities, Janet Fischer, CEO of Live Music Now said: “It’s time to return to live music-making for our army of professional musicians, working with those experiencing challenging and difficult circumstances. This includes people living and working in care homes, those living with dementia, children facing disabling barriers and school children who have all been missing out on vital creative stimulation throughout the pandemic.”
Live Music Now is one of the UK’s biggest musical charities working specifically within the health and wellbeing arena, delivering inspirational musical moments that enable people to live musical lives whilst building community and generating creativity.
It also nurtures the careers of hundreds of musicians. Through a programme of training and resources, Live Music Now will also be supporting its professionals as they re-start their careers, with funding from Arts Council England and Arts Council Wales’ Culture Recovery Fund.
Janet Fischer continues: “The results of our musicians’ survey have shown what a devastating impact the pandemic has had on their mental health as well as their careers. It’s critical that we look after their health and wellbeing too – providing vital support as they journey from isolation to performance through an offering of life coaching, mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, performance skills and rehearsal assistance to ensure that they are confident, concert-ready and back on their feet after a thoroughly demoralising year.”
#ReturnToLive will:
- enable those experiencing disadvantage and challenging circumstance across the UK – from children at school to older people in care homes – to return to their musical lives through the experience of and participation of live, in-person music making for the first time in more than 15 months
- provide development, mentoring and rehearsal support for Live Music Now’s 250 musicians across the UK
- offer moments of wellbeing and support to staff delivering on the frontline of the pandemic for the past 15 months
- culminate in 60+ concerts in the w/c 14th June across the UK, from schools and care homes to community centres, hospitals and doorstep musical moments.
Some concert headlines:
* In the North West, the Chameleon Quartet will bring their multi-instrumental woodwind extravaganza out to play. Featuring 14 instruments on stage during their concerts, this lively, engaging group will entertain in locations across Manchester.
* In the North East, vocalist Rosie Hood from the Dovetail Trio, returns in person to her residency at Riverside School in Goole, creating original folk songs with pupils.
* In the South East, Gambian musician Jali Bakary Konteh will be soothing the spirits of people queuing at Islington vaccination centre with his kora – a 22 string West African Harp – playing traditional Gambian songs as well as his own compositions.
* In the South West, contemporary classical chamber quartet Spindle Ensemble will be captivating classrooms in Bristol’s Claremont School with their sonic soundscapes.
* Northern Irish audiences will be treated to the unique sounds of the uilleann pipes as Conor Lamb and Dierdre Galway perform concerts of Irish traditional music which will set toes tapping and hearts singing.
* And, in Wales the Top Brass Trio will be sounding their trumpets (and more)!
Janet Fischer sums up: “The whole team is fired up and ready to get back out in our communities, entertaining and collaborating with audiences from babes in arms to octogenarians. It’s time for us to all reconnect with our musical lives. Let the music start!”
Live Music Now
Live Music Now foster musical lives. We recognise the transformative power of music as a connector, language and powerful tool for social change. Our world class musicians connect musically with people experiencing social exclusion or disadvantage, working together to create engaging, interactive, evidence based live music sessions that meaningfully enhance health and wellbeing, improve communication, strengthen relationships and deliver positive effects long after the last note has been played.
Live Music Now reaches over 85,000 people a year and trains and employs 250 professional musicians. You can find our musicians in care homes, hospitals, community settings, schools, libraries and hospices in England, NI and Wales and in Scotland with our sister organisation Live Music Now Scotland.
For more information: Welcome | Live Music Now
