Jamming Sessions
This group supports participants to work together with other musicians to learn to play a wide repertoire of songs through fun and social weekly jamming sessions. We also provide opportunities to perform at local events.
When: Fridays 15.00-16.30 Where: The Pavilion, Hoglands Park Cost: Free
Beginner Music-Making
Looking to get started on your musical journey? Join us weekly at Beginner Music-Making to learn about traditional instrumentation and begin playing the guitar, bass or drums or to explore digital music-making.
When: Fridays 12.30-14.00 Where: The Pavilion, Hoglands Park Cost: Free
Vocal Group
Whether you’re already a confident singer or are looking to find your voice, join us weekly for group singing at our Vocal Group.
When: Wednesdays 13.30-15.00 Where: Edmund Kell Unitarian Church, SO15 2AY Cost: Free
Songwriting
Take part in, and express yourself through a range of activities and games at our weekly Songwriting sessions that will help you to hone your lyrics and songwriting skills.
When: Thursdays 15.00-16.30 Where: The Pavilion, Hoglands Park Cost: Free
To come along any of these sessions, contact Mark or if you are already a service user for CGL, chat to your key worker about a referral
About our Addiction Recovery Programme
Since 2012, SoCo has developed a range of music engagement programmes for adults with alcohol and/or substance misuse issues in partnership support providers such as Society of St James, Change Grow Live, Richmond Fellowship and No Limits.
Central to this has been our flagship programme, the SoCo Jamming Sessions, a weekly music performance session that supports a core group of aspiring musicians to hone their musical skills by learning and performing cover songs and composing their own material. Participants from this group have performed as The Recovery All-Stars at several high-profile events across Southampton such as Umbrella Arts Festival and The Big Sleep Out.
The Benefits of Music-Making For Those In Recovery From Addiction
Our activities form a key component of many service users’ recovery programme. They have become a vital lifeline to many of our partner’s service users as the unique delivery format continues to inspire participants, enabling them to develop their personal and social skills and thus continue to build their recovery capital. Our programmes:
- Build participants’ recovery capital by fostering greater engagement with the recovery process, and developing healthy relationships.
- Promote positive mental health, raise self-confidence and self-esteem.
- Create an outlet for self-expression through music sharing, improvisation and song/lyric writing.
- Facilitate participants’ rehabilitation into society by reducing social isolation and building vital support networks.
- Provide opportunities for participants to explore and discover music-making and to develop their musical, creative and transferable skills. In particular, their instrumental, vocal and performance skills.
- Provide fun and innovative ‘diversionary‘ creative activities.
Our work in this field contributes to a wider adult learning programme, read more about this project and others in our Adult Learning Report.
Partner Testimonials
“SoCo’s creative courses have numerous outcomes and have the potential to really impact participants’ lives by fostering greater engagement with the recovery process. They can help facilitate participants’ rehabilitation into society, enhancing their lives socially, personally and mentally.
Some of the main agendas are to enable people to sustain abstinence by developing learning, self-belief, passion and happiness. It is my hope that this project will motivate our service users to take up not only an interest in music but other leisure pursuits for themselves thereby building their recovery capital.” – Colin Owens, Change Grow Live
“Whilst all the participants have been working on different and unique things, the programme has given them all a space where they can come and express themselves in their different ways. The sessions also allowed for the participants to express themselves through music, something they almost certainly wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do without this project.
It has allowed them to meet new people and socialise in ways they wouldn’t have had they not attended the project. I feel that all the participants’ confidence has massively developed since beginning these sessions both socially and when performing their music.” – No Limits
“SoCo Music Project have given the clients another tool in their life skills. Clients’ self esteem and motivation has risen and many now have bought an instrument and feel they have found a purpose in life other than the substance misuse they relied on. The courses have created a new social network of friends. This service has been excellent and I have seen many good changes in clients for the better.” – Jacqui White, Society of St James
