By Helen Fay
New Wortley Community Centre played host to a musical jam session yesterday (Thursday, 26 June).
Around ten people attended with musical instruments, and others came to watch and sing along.
Community Jam is the brainchild of centre volunteer Terry Cannings. He told West Leeds Dispatch: “We are trying to get people to come together who have an affinity towards music, it’s an uplifting thing and we want to see people smile again and enjoy themselves.”
The idea behind the Community Jam is to bring local residents together for a free musical session, whether it be bringing instruments to play, singing along to well known songs or performing original material.
Victoria Kortekaas, Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) worker, was there to support Terry’s initiative at the inaugural session. She said: “I hope as many people as possible would like to come along, whatever their level of musical ability, and get stuck in.
“Singers, guitarists, drummers, in fact people who play any instrument are welcome to come along and play music with others.”
Terry is planning to host further sessions, initially monthly on the last Thursday of the month from 1pm-3pm.
The next sessions are provisionally planned for July and September, further details to follow. Terry hopes to do a monthly session until December, including a Christmas Community Jam and then take things from there into the New Year.
At the end of the session, Terry said: “Music lifts you out of the doldrums, makes you feel good. If you know you’re entertaining other people, making them happy, that’s what we need. Mentally, it’s a lift – for me it’s like going to church in a way.”
- For further details of activities, events and services available at New Wortley Community Centre visit their website.
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