Newark and Sherwood, Alive with Music!

Councillor Cozens explains, “Many local residents, when speaking to me, have told me how important music is to our communities.  Not only does it provide an outlet to support individual wellbeing, it also provides a vital opportunity for people to come together and share in a united passion. I firmly believe that everyone should have access to music and I am delighted to be bringing this agenda to the forefront of our district.  We have some wonderful talent in our district, and no doubt a lot of undiscovered potential too, and I am delighted that some of our local musicians will be taking to the floor during our discussions to help provide inspiration for action to ensure that music is firmly placed as a key priority for the District Council.”

Performing during the meeting will be Sapphie Johnson, a young local violinist whose talent will demonstrate the importance of music for our younger communities.  Also Ruby Boyd will be playing the guitar and singing.

Alongside the music performances during the meeting, local pianist and composer Chris Miggells will talk about his innovative approach to writing and creating music and performing it in unusual venues using acoustic quality to transcribe natural phenomena and experience.

Julie Fox sings and entertains in care homes and works in supporting those with dementia alongside other areas where music can provide comfort.  Julie will talk about her latest show which is called The Memory Suitcase during which she uses props and songs to stir memories and start discussions.   Julie will be talking about her important work during the meeting to prompt an interesting conversation around the importance of music to benefit health.

Dr Runa Saha is a GP and Clinical Associate Professor of Medical Education, she will be talking about transferable skills between music and medicine, making connections that will be extremely thought provoking and insightful. Also, Kevin McPherson, who composes and produces music for film, TV, advertising and computer games, will be talking to us about writing music to a specific brief, describing the craft and process of creating music in this way.  Finally, Lincoln Abbotts, Engagement Director at the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) will be talking about the power music has for doing good and inspiring positive change.

Councillor Cozens concludes, “The agenda is jam packed, but I am delighted that this will only be the first in a series of meetings to drive this agenda forward. Over 70 people have already accepted invites to this important meeting.  I know that this will be the beginning of something very special for Newark and Sherwood District Council and I look forward to seeing how we can support musicians going forward.  This event really is truly special for me, it’s the first of its kind with a sole focus on music and I am looking forward to celebrating our already fantastic musical talent on Monday.”

The meeting will take place at Castle house in Newark and further information will be available on the District Council website afterwards.