The lead singer of Scottish rock band Deacon Blue has joined musicians with additional support needs ahead of their Christmas performance.
Ricky Ross paid a visit to the Berkeley 2 rehearsal studio in Glasgow as patron of the charity MusicALL, which supports disabled and neurodivergent young people to achieve their full potential through music-making.
The charity started as a band organised by Julie McKenzie, the music teacher at Glasgow’s Hazelwood School, and has since expanded to support ASN pupils across the city, as well as those who have recently left secondary education.
STV NewsRicky, a close friend of Julie’s, told STV News: “I’ve always loved music and I want others to love and be involved in music at some level – it’s a lovely thing.
“But the fact (is) that music can actually change lives and support people, it can give people meaning and purpose.”
Ricky has enjoyed an illustrious career spanning three decades, writing songs that have stood the test of time as both a solo artist and as the frontman of Deacon Blue.
Now, as a patron of the charity MusicALL, Ricky offers the bands mentoring and encouragement.
STV NewsHe said: “Parents just come up and talk to you because they’ve just never had that kind of support. They haven’t seen their young person, or son or daughter, get a chance to shine in that way.
“Sometimes people look at these young people and think ‘what am I going to do’, like somehow they present a problem, but it’s completely the opposite of that.
“They are actually gifted. They’re finding these gifts that they have and suddenly realise they have an amazing ability at music.”
Ross says the charity has allowed people to express themselves, gain confidence and celebrate music.
He added: “You always want the best in people and this brings out the best in people.”
Among those benefiting from the charity is singer Amber Weizeg, keyboard player Gerard Simpson and drummer Calum Roach.
Calum, who has been playing music since he was at high school, told STV News: “I’ve been getting the hang of it recently. I’ve been performing and rehearsing for our next shows coming up.
“It was a pleasure to meet Ricky – even singing one of his songs that he did with Deacon Blue.”
STV NewsBut what did Ricky make of the performance?
“I found it very moving,” he said. “I have to say, I think it was my most favourite performance. I mean sometimes people send me YouTube performances and they kind of slaughter the song, but I thought that was a great performance.”
MusicALL now comprises six staff members, three music tutors and five music workers. The charity’s projects in schools have expanded and now cover every ASL school in Glasgow, as well as regular sessions for school leavers and independent bands.
This Thursday, their showpiece Christmas concert takes place at the National Piping Centre.
Rob Gallagher, director of MusicALL, said: “We’re all about removing the barriers that young, disabled and neurodivergent people have, in terms of accessing music.
“We raise a load of money during the year, through various trusts, foundations and activities, to make sure those activities are free because when it comes to making a choice of what to spend money on, actually people who are disabled and neurodivergent have very little choice, so we want to remove that barrier for them.
STV News“It can be hugely life changing. For some of our young people, they have not had the opportunity to access it at all, whether it’s through school, whether it’s been a shortage of music tuition for people with additional support needs, or whether it is through community activity, they have really not had the opportunity to access that specialism.
“Some of the young people we work with, maybe MusicALL has been the first experience they’ve had of making music but they’ve carried on with that for years. Some of the young people we started working with over ten years ago are still in bands now performing all over the country.”
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