Some projects warm the heart and change lives and this one sure did that! In collaboration with Creative Regions Bundaberg, Roz Pappalardo and I managed to write ten songs in three days with fifteen women at the gorgeous Vintners Secret Winery in Childers. On the forth day, we then performed those songs live at the Paragon Theatre in Childers to a very excited audience and an equally excited cast of women.
From Creative Regions Website: Songbirds of Childers is a celebration of storytelling and song. Delivered to women in the Childers regions and surrounds, this free series of songwriting workshops saw 14 local women produce ten songs in the period of a week. From their first meeting to four days later performing the new songs to a live audience at The Paragon Theatre & Espresso Bar and recording their new songs at Central Queensland University only days later, the women involved had a musical roller coaster ride. Led by Melinda Wells, this project involved several music artists including Roz Pappalardo, Bree Wells, Harry Wells and Sam Vinci. (c) Creative Regions
Next the Songbirds worked with Harry Wells and Sam Vinci to record their original tunes. Here’s a few shots of the girls in action. Included is a story on two high school girls who joined the Songbirds during the project!
This was followed by performances at Women of the World Festival
The women kept diaries and reported that they had a positive experience that had built new friendships, engaged them in creative practice, built resilience and new skills as they sang their way around the festival circuit performing their own co-written songs! The project was also the subject of a study by Wendy Masden (Masters), Central Queensland University investigating the positive effects on both singing and song-writing, the outcomes showed that engaging in song-writing had a more positive effect than just singing alone! Connecting senior women across the region in song and performance proved a winning combination and I continued to work with the group to extend our performances.
Childers Festival @ Vintners Secret
Crush Festival Bundaberg
Our performance at the Bundaberg Festival ended up on the news!
VIDEOS OF ORIGINAL SONGBIRD SONGS
Here’s videos from the Songbirds of Childers performances at the Childers Festival @ Vintners Secret
Melinda J Wells 