Yesterday saw a full house at Libanus Lifestyle Wales CIC for week three of our Reconnect through Music sessions with Daniel Fitzgerald from RecRock, which was attended by over 30 people.

Everyone did a great job and had lots of fun performing their favourite songs, beating away on the drums and dancing along. Members performed songs by artists including Status Quo, Leona Lewis, Phil Collins, John Denver, Will Smith, Neil Diammond, Kylie Minogue, Will.i.am, and Barry Manilow, among many others. You all sounded amazing.

Members have reported that they feel more confident, less stressed and less anxious since attending these sessions, and they love how they can express themselves freely through music.

Yesterday saw our second Reconnect through Music session at Libanus Lifestyle Wales CIC with Daniel Fitzgerald from RecRock.

Over twenty individuals attended – including many new members – and a great time was had singing and socialising together. These sessions are great way to build confidence and make friends whilst having fun.

Many thanks to Jeremy and Shaun for cooking our hot dogs – they were delicious. We will be back at Libanus next Wednesday from 10.30am am until 12.30pm if you would like to join us. Refreshments and a light lunch will be provided.

Yesterday saw the launch of our weekly music group, Reconnect through Music, run by RecRock. The aim of the project is to create a sense of belonging between individuals who are isolated, lonely, stressed or feeling low in mood.

We kicked off the session with introductions from members old and new, and shared our favourite songs, artists and genres. Following this our members almost blew the roof off the little chapel on the hill in Libanus Lifestyle Centre in Blackwood, with their singing, dancing and instrument playing.

We ended the session with lots of conversation, lunch and new friendships made. Well done to everyone who attended and travelled independently – we know it was a massive step for you.

On the evening of Tuesday 7^th November Caerphilly People First were at Blackwood Miners’ Institute to celebrate the tenth anniversary of RecRock. RecRock is a social enterprise based in Caerphilly which works with people to improve their skills and confidence through music and other creative activities. Caerphilly People First has been working with Dan from RecRock since Summer 2022, with our members attending music sessions where they have been given the opportunity to sing, play musical instruments, write songs, and make music videos.

As part of the evening, two Caerphilly People First members performed onstage – Mathew, who sang That’s All Right by Elvis, and Natalie who sang Torn by Natalie Imbruglia. They gave brilliant performances, and it was great to witness the musical performances by other groups who work with RecRock, many of whom performed songs they have written themselves. Everyone who was there witnessed so much talent onstage, and the crowd loved every single performance.

We will be restarting our music sessions with Dan in the new year, and our members can’t wait.

Thanks to Daniel Fitzgerald from RecRock for a another great music session yesterday. Our members once again had a great morning at Reconnect through Music, singing their favourite songs and having a go on the keyboard, and Matthew did a great version of Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash.

RecRock will be on Friday (12th May) rather than Wednesday next week, and will be held at Fleur De Lys Community Centre as part of our last Cookery session. Volunteers will be singing, dancing, and serving up hotdogs and burgers, so please book a space if you would like to join us

Our members blew the roof off at the most recent Reconnect through Music session with RecRock. We sang songs by Bob Marley, Elvis, The Proclaimers, and Neil Diamond, and Gethin, Natalie, Morgan, Matthew, Nick, Lisa, and John played drums along with their favourite songs, accompanied by Daniel from RecRock on the guitar.

It’s great to see everyone growing in confidence and making friends through the music group. Getting up and singing in front of people isn’t easy, but our members put on fantastic performances every week.