Operation Transformation – Keeping Well Apart
I was delighted to be asked to be part of the first episode of this year’s special edition of Operation Transformation – Keeping Well Apart. The producers were interested in knowing about our music school and how life has changed for us since Covid 19. That question was very hard to answer – our whole world has completely changed. So much of our work revolves around people – rehearsals, concerts, events and, of course hugging – all of the things that are banned right now! So I jumped at the opportunity to work on a show that might bring a sense of community and understanding.
I found the producers great to work with. Everyone is really coming together to try and portray an accurate and realistic account of events as they are happening around the country.
The Challenge
The idea of bringing in a music task was to encourage positive mental health, and to check my bold claim that I can teach anyone how to sing! I still haven’t been proven wrong in all this time. It was an ambitious task, but I loved it! I worked with the four households – Ann who lives alone, the Gavins in Mayo, the Ryan Mongeys in Dublin and the Ryans in Limerick. Between them all, only a few people claimed to be able to hold a note and they were shocked that in a week they would be singing on national tv! We all clicked straight away, and they quickly realised that not only were the lessons fun, they were easier than they thought and they really helped with stress levels.
Possible Side-Effects Include…
This is a really common outcome of singing that people don’t realise – it’s a natural mood enhancer and it’s completely free with no side-effects! As the week progressed, the households were amazed at their progress and they grew more confident every day. When we got the good luck message from Kodaline, we were all delighted with ourselves and it gave us a real push! When the performance came around, everyone felt confident and connected – to themselves, to each other and to the song. They actually enjoyed their performance, and all of them reported feeling that they really achieved something and are considering continuing with lessons, or joining a choir. Success!!
Community Enriching Community
A big thanks to everyone who supported me by encouraging me during the process, and by tuning into the show on the night. The SuSo Community showed up yet again in support – as you can see from the images below!
So sing yourselves happy folks! Let your voice be heard!!!
