David and Levi bonded over a shared love of music and in the video talk about how their passion for music has supported their friendship and collaborations on different songs whilst being in services.
On his friendship with David, Levi says, “Our relationship has blossomed because we have got to know more about each-other through music and have got to know each other’s tastes.”
Eleanor Yates, Assistant Psychologist at Cygnet Hospital Woking who supported this episode explains: “David and Levi working together actually was something that they came up with on their own. They wanted to do a collaboration and they approached me and said ‘Can we do this together?’.”
David and Levi’s music project certainly impressed the team at Cygnet Hospital Woking. Dr Richard Church, Medical Director, saying “What I have observed develop is a type of collaboration you might not otherwise see, they are working together with a shared goal, creating something new”.
Music 2 Empower is an initiative Cygnet Health Care originally launched in October 2019 and aims to harness the positive effects of music across our services. Music plays a fundamental part of most people’s lives as it can shape our identity, culture, heritage and spiritual beliefs. Many of us listen to music for relaxation and leisure and it can affect people deeply.
Harnessing the power of music can also help people across mental health care settings, where it is used to promote improvements in people’s social relations and connectedness, as well as building confidence and self-esteem.
This is not the first time we have heard from David. In fact, David was the inspiration behind the Music 2 Empower project after he first performed his debut music video ‘Wish’ whilst being supported at Cygnet Godden Green. Please click here to watch David’s initial video.
Raf Hamaizia, Group Expert by Experience Lead explains: “David sparked a flame within us as an organisation to want to replicate the empowerment and recovery-oriented support he received during his successful request in wanting do a music video whilst being in services. This has since turned into a national initiative we are proud of and has even led to the development of a number of recording studios and music rooms within our services as well as other professional music videos. “
“Our message is that just because people are being supported in our services it does not mean they cannot chase their dreams and we will try our best in to support people in doing so.”
To find out more about Music 2 Empower and to watch other episodes, please click here.