I had no friends, I was in a dark place. Joining a guitar group saved my life
WHETHER you’re playing it, dancing to it or simply listening to it, music has been found to boost levels of endorphins – happy hormones – released by the brain, as well as improve heart rate, focus, self-esteem and even the immune system.
You needn’t have experience: from choirs to guitar groups and drumming workshops, all of them welcome absolute beginners.
VOICE LIKE A RUSTY HINGE? YOU’RE WELCOME AT THIS CHOIR WHAT IS IT?
Tuneless Choirs can be found across the country and are for those who love singing but lack the ability – or confidence – to do it in front of others.
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All-comers are welcome, but particularly anyone ‘with a voice like a rusty hinge’. There are no auditions, no rehearsals or performances – basically ‘no pressure and no judgment’, according to Angela Knapp, 69, who runs the Oxford branch.
Choirs are held weekly and sessions last about an hour. Angela adds: ‘We all get things wrong, and we all laugh.’
The songbook ranges from The Beatles and Nancy Sinatra to Abba, Queen and Oasis.
Nottingham member Helen Cook adds: ‘We have people with spinal-cord injuries and people with dementia. Two of us have had breast cancer. There’s all sorts going on for people, but we all come together and we all sing and we have a lot of fun.’
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Visit tunelesschoir.com and search for your local group – there are more than 30, and even a virtual one on Zoom. The first session costs £10, then it’s £8 a session or £36 for six.
THE HEALING POWER OF HAVING A ROCKING GOOD TIME WHAT IS IT?
Manchester, Didsbury and Oldham Guitar Group, where music-lovers meet in the organiser’s living room to rock out on the guitar. Beginners are welcome and instruments are provided.
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On Tuesday evenings, Suborno Ghosh welcomes members into his house. ‘People are going through a lot in their lives – job losses, divorces – and they get two hours to just forget about that and make music. It’s like therapy,’ says Ghosh, a careers and life coach.
One fan is 43-year-old Dave Beckett, who says the group has transformed his life.
Earlier this year Dave, who lives in Oldham, was at his lowest ebb. In just 12 months he had lost his business, split from his partner and lost his father. He says: ‘I was in a dark place. I had no friends, no life at all.’
Dave joined the guitar group on a whim. ‘The last time I performed, for a music exam, I had so much stage fright I passed out four times,’ he says. ‘But the group made me feel so relaxed and comfortable that I was able to forget about everything else and just focus on something I loved doing – playing the guitar.’ SIGN ME UP!
Visit meetup.com/manchesterdidsbury-oldham-guitargroup.
A CHANCE TO REALLY GET BACK IN THE SWING WHAT IS IT?
The Bristol University of the Third Age Band brings together retirees for swing music sessions. Events run fortnightly on Tuesday mornings at Factory Studios on Maze Street.
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With a guiding hand from experienced musicians, this amateur swing band is open to anyone who has ever played a musical instrument. Alan Nye, 77, from Bristol, was a keen guitarist and singer in his youth. About six years ago, thanks to the group, he picked up an instrument for the first time in 40 years.
Today, he is a skilled player of the cajon – a Peruvian drum.
‘When I joined, I was living on my own and wanted a reason to get out of the house,’ says Alan, whose wife died 19 years ago.
‘I realised I had time to pursue music again after being distracted by kids and mortgages and work.’
Seven years ago, attending another group on ethics, he met his new partner, 74-year-old Alexandra Pickford, a former ballet dancer.
The couple have just bought a house together.
‘Meeting Alex has been transformative,’ Alan says. ‘I’ve met all sorts of other people as well, so loneliness is not on my agenda at the moment.’
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Visit u3a.org.uk/join or email info@u3a.org.uk. Membership varies by location, but costs between £15 and £20 a year – which gives unlimited access to all local groups.
HOW YOU CAN JAZZ UP YOUR SOCIAL LIFE
WHAT IS IT?
Live Music & Socialising organises group trips to music events in and around Cardiff.
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From the Belgian National Orchestra to Sunday jazz sessions, this meetup.com page shares information on upcoming gigs. There’s also a monthly social event to discuss future