Earlier this year I worked alongside Acorn Shed Music to produce a seven-track album of songs written collaboratively with carers and people living with dementia.
You can listen to it here:
The album was recorded at GloWormRecording Studios by Iain Hutchison, a studio and name that might already be familiar if you read the liner notes to my 2021 album Pale White Branches.
I loved the whole process – from mentoring Carol and Pauline throughout the songwriting stage, to recording the participants on-site, to working with Iain again at his fantastic studio, to playing at the album launch in June:
Here’s what Acorn Shed has to say about their album:
Pendulum was created by Acorn Shed Music as part of the ‘Songs From Here’ project, working collaboratively with carers and people living with dementia in East Dunbartonshire. The project, established through a partnership with Ceartas and The Village Storytelling Centre and funded by Life Changes Trust Legacy Fund, offered a unique creative outlet for participants whose lives have been touched in some way by a dementia diagnosis. Through sharing stories and group activities, people spoke about the challenges they face and what has changed for them. However, we also heard lots of happy memories about their lives and about what is important to them. We all enjoyed developing the themes for the new song compositions from these discussions together. We hope you enjoy our songs and perhaps reflect on thoughts and shared meanings that may emerge for you from the lyrics and melodies we have created.
