The Rushes - Sound About Drugs
We all know the power of music. For many it has been the route out of a life of poverty. For others it has been a route into a life of drugs and alcohol abuse.
In this partnership project The Learning Centre focussed upon the power of music and ICT to engage and motivate a group of young men who were already involved in the Criminal Justice System as a result of drug or alcohol abuse.
It was not a chance to have fun and play around with musical instruments and computers. This was hard work and challenging. The group were faced with having to deal directly with their own behaviour and its consequences. Consequences for their health, their homes, their families, their communities and their futures.
Over a ten-week period the group were to address these consequences using mindmapping software on the computers, take these consequences and produce their own lyrics, and then work with a professional Sound Engineer to produce their own song.
None of them had any experience of Mindmapping, writing poetry, playing, or producing music...
Background
The group met for ten weeks between 10th February and 12th May 2003. The focus of the group was to address the participants' use of drugs and alcohol, its links to offending behaviour and consequences. The participants were referred by social workers across North Lanarkshire and were identified as young men who had been charged with various offences while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The Impact
The evaluations show that the group-work programme raised clients' awareness of their use of drugs and alcohol and offending behaviour, also, related issues. A particularly positive aspect of the evaluations was that all the young men taking part outlined that they had thought about making lifestyle changes as a result of the programme.
Click here to Download the Programme Structure or
Click here to download the song lyrics
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