‘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 Events
Out of Isolation Embracing the New
at The Courtyard Theatre N1
I recently had the pleasure of being invited to an evening of poetry and live music at an event produced by Loop and Link in collaboration with Project Phakama UK to share my creative history, thoughts and ideas with young talented musicians and artists. The event was titled ‘Out of Isolation Embracing the New’ and the performers shared the thoughts and feelings on Lockdown in 2020/21 and how it effected their mental health using poetry and song. It was an amazing night of hearing how creativity helped them cope in isolation.
I was invited as a guest panelist with Wizdam Layne (Mobo Unsung) and Anna Glarin (Phakama UK) to share our knowledge and experience on creativity and the importance it has towards positive mental health.
Thank you Lizzie Adejimi (Loop & Link) for inviting me. Here are some highlights of the evening discussing success, mental health and being a creative.
Introduction - a brief history of how I got here after 35 years in the music industry and as a creative.
What Does Success Look Like
My time in the music industry has taught me that to be successful you have to be ruthless, selfish, single minded, self absorbed and somewhat narcissistic to be at the top of the game. You have to be controlling and willing to go places that are immoral and compromise your values. Sell your soul as it were to be 'famous'. Whatever it takes. Fame, success and the pursuit of money can create a multitude of mental health problems.
Mental Health Problems Occur with a Loss of Identity
It is in my opinion that black and minority groups mental health problems stem from a loss of or denial of cultural identity. Most black and minority groups in Britain are asked to assimilate and be British, have and follow British traditions and customs and made to feel that their own culture is 2nd class and unimportant.
In the fight to be accepted, black and minority groups adopt different personalities in the work place and socially by wearing different hats to suit each situation. It is only when at home do they feel comfortable and feel authentic.