‘Do The Mic 🎙 Thing’
A FundaMental Health Music Mentoring Services
Providing Music Production and Songwriting Sessions for Hospitals and In Reach Patients,
Community Programs, Service Users and Commercial Recording Artists.
* Up to date approved DBS.
Do The Mic 🎙 Thing at NewMan College Drop Down Day
Mental Health - Stress Workshop
I delivered a mental health workshop on stress to year 7 students at Newman College.
Young people recognise stress and were very vocal in their understanding of the word.
The students said they became stressed with starting at secondary school, homework, expectations, arguing, fighting, bullying, not being listened to, when being shouted at and negative thoughts. The most common stress related trigger was school homework.
10 Ways to De-Stress.....
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Get active with a physical sport or activity - exercise is a good way to relieve stress from simply going for a walk, running, riding a bike, swimming or visiting a gym. Exercise can help improve your mood and lighten your load and worries.
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Eating healthy - A healthy diet with fruit and vegetables will help curb stress levels.
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Breathing - Take deep breaths and exhale. Do this for about 5 mins. This enables airflow to your body and calms your nerves reducing stress and anxiety.As a singer breathing through your nose strengthens the diaphragm and aids the nervous system to relax, chill out and restore itself.
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Laughing is good for you - A good sense of humour and laughter is a good cure for stress. Surround yourself with funny people and friends. Laughter stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles and releases positive endorphins from your brain.
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Connect with friends - Family and friends and a good social circle is a good stress reliever. Isolation is not a good friend. Being able to talk about what is making you stressed offers solutions and alternative ways to look at your stressful problems.
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Yes is not always best - You can’t please everybody and learning to say no or politely declining a request can be beneficial to your peace of mind. Trying to be there for everybody and everyone can be tiresome and you’ll be very stressed when you can’t deliver. Say no to that gathering or social event if you need time on your own. Put your needs first.
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Lack of sleep - Can cause stress. You may have a lot on your mind and have difficulty sleeping. Sleep is the time when your mind and body replenishes itself so its very important. Lack of sleep can effect your energy levels, your mood, focus and concentration. Always sleep the required time you need to recuperate. If you can’t sleep then just learn to relax. That will help you sleep.
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Music for your mind, your body and your soul - listening to music is a great stress reliever. Playing music or an instrument and creating music is even better. Music relaxes your muscles, lowers your blood pressure and reduces stress hormones. This improves your well-being. Music is a distractor. It can take your mind away from your current plight or situation and make you feel better.
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Singing - whether you are a good singer or a bad one, always sing. I have been a singer for at least 40 years and the joy and happiness it has bought me when I’m happy or sad is immeasurable. Sing softly, sing loudly, just sing. Singing reduces stress levels. It releases endorphins of pleasure and stimulates oxytocin, a hormone that alleviates anxiety and stress. If you don’t want to sing on your own, join a choir or group singing in numbers is harmonious. Singing is a wonderful relaxant.
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Get help from a Counsellor - Therapy is good way of expressing how you feel in a safe place, working through your stress related problems and bring order to your thoughts and feelings. The problem with the problem is when there is no solution. Therapy offers solutions and settles your stress and confusion.
Do The Mic 🎙Thing at Newman Catholic College
with The Refugee Project
Newman Catholic College has been recognised as a Citizens UK Refugee Welcome School and a School of Sanctuary. This means they are committed to being a safe and welcoming place for all, especially those seeking sanctuary.
It was a pleasure delivering a session to the students helping them express their culture, feelings and thoughts through the creative process of music.
The students came together to create the track and record vocals as a group.
It was an amazing day as students from different countries and cultures combined to make music.
Here is some music created with the Refugee Project at Newman Catholic College. with English not being their first language it is important to make the students feel comfortable in the studio and encourage them to write and record on the mic.
I also got them involved in creating the music for the track. The keyboard melody used on both tracks is and a slightly adapted drum pattern was created by the students.
If you would like Do The Mic 🎙 Thing to come into your school and work with your students to produce wonderful music like this, please send us a message either via our chat to us service or email info@dothemicthing for further enquiries.
Do The Mic 🎙 Thing at NewMan College
Drop Down Day Mental Health - Confidence & Self Esteem Workshop
I delivered 4 Mental Health workshops on Confidence and Self-esteem to Year 9 students.
With Year 9 moving into Year 10 soon and setting out their exam options for future, I felt it would be helpful to produce a workshop to support and help them navigate this pressured change.
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We discussed areas that gave the students confidence like family, friends prayer and faith, clothes, music, sport and teachers.
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Students shared the greatest obstacles in life they had faced and he newest skill or knowledge they had acquired that gave them confidence.
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All of this was done with students using the microphone in a public speaking exercise. Do The Mic 🎙 Thing.
10 Ways to Build Confidence and Raise your Self-Esteem...
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No Negative Thoughts - Believe in yourself. I know at times it's easier said than done but to have belief is a positive mental health. Saying you can rather than you can't will open up lots of opportunities. Saying that you can't stops progression and personal development. so try to think positive thoughts, if you keep having negative thoughts about yourself, there's probably more at play than just the belief in yourself.
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Surround Yourself with Positive friends and People - My mother often said 'Show me your friends and I'll show you who you are'. This is so true. If you have negative friends around you, you may find that their outlook has a major impact on you and your life. Surround yourself with people that are happy for your achievements and that push and support you to better yourself. Our main source of self confidence and influence comes from our family, friends, teachers and mentors who shoud always want the best for you.
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Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and Try New Things - You’ll probably find there’s lots of things you can do as opposed to can’t do. Finding these new talents and skills will improve your self-esteem and boost your confidence.
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There is Only One You. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others - When you compare yourself to other people’s looks, status, wealth and achievements and not your own personal goals and targets, you lose focus on your own needs, your strengths and successes. You are unique. Value and appreciate your difference.
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Eat well, Sleep Well and Get Out More - Eat well. A bad diet leads to bad health. When you eat the right nutrients and food, you feel healthier and stronger, and you begin to feel better about yourself. Sleep well - A lack of sleep can take a toll on your emotions. Getting good quality sleep has been linked with positive personality traits including optimism and self-esteem. Get out More - take walks and venture outside. The fresh air will do you good. Physical activity and exercise from walking to running from football to basketball or any sport, is good for your health. Body image can improve confidence.
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Clothes and Your Appearance - As an Artist and musician myself, clothes has played a big part in my self confidence. Clothes can boost your self confidence and make us feel comfortable. Clothes boost our confidence and an introduction to our personality and style. It's very individual. the colours we were also have a big impact on our mood and says a lot about how we are feeling. Dressing correctly can open doors, it can also close doors so be aware of how you want to be presented.
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Take Risks - From a very early age I have encourage my children to 'take risks'. They use to laugh at me at first thinking Dad is crazy but as they got older, it has made complete sense. The only thing you should gamble on in life is yourself. Be determined and show no fear. What you learn from failing is how to succeed. Give it a go and watch your self confidence grow.
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Ask lots of Questions - If you don't know, ask. You might learn something. You either empower yourself with knowledge that you didn't know or it will set you on a journey to find your truth. Either way your confidence and growth will be boosted.
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Stand up Straight - Slouching and shuffling your feet never got anybody anywhere fast. Walk with your head up, shoulders straightened with a good posture. A firm greeting and looking people in the eye will all contribute to building your confidence.
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Speak Up - Speak clearly and make sure you are heard. When people can hear you, you will feel confident in what you are saying. If people can't hear you it may appear to others that you are unsure of your message. At Do The Mic 🎙 Thing I encourage the use of the microphone in my sessions to give young people a boosted vocal presence on the mic. They are emboldened by the power the microphone has in the public speaking arena.