Transition Times:Amnesty's Voice Our Concern project is giving transition-year students a chance to learn from Ireland's best musicians, writes John Holden
Music has always been a tool for subversion. For centuries it has been used to express discontent about the world, especially in times when freedom of speech was not as boundless as it is now. You couldn't always just get up on your soapbox, send a letter to the editor or post a blog any time you were angered by something. So musicians would use their craft to get a message across on behalf of their community.
That practice lives on. Bob Dylan's songs were often critiques of the world as he saw it. Likewise, The Clash used music to express their dissatisfaction with the social and political state of things. More recently, U2 have written songs which tackle such subjects as war and injustice. Often such themes are universal and can be understood by everyone. But there must be more to the relationship between music and highlighting injustice.
"Everybody listens to music," explains Sinead O'Leary of Abbey Community College, Wicklow. "So it is one of the best ways to get information across. If people listen to your song they'll be hearing your message, sometimes without even knowing it." The students at Abbey College are taking part in an innovative project organised by Amnesty International, the global human rights organisation. Amnesty actively works to defend the rights of people in prison, victims of government or military oppression and those whose rights are being violated by society at large. It is presently campaigning for victims of violence in Darfur, Burma and Palestine, and raising awareness of the arms trade and violence against women. Their message, therefore, is more than worthy.
Teaming up transition-year students with some of Ireland's best musicians, Amnesty's Voice Our Concern project aims to get students to use art as a means of learning about human rights and, hopefully, passing on that wisdom to others. Nine TY groups from nine schools across Ireland are currently being mentored by such volunteers as Christy Moore, John Spillane, Don Baker, Liam Ó Maonlaí, Nóirín Ni Riain, Julie Feeney, Niceol Blue, Hybrasil and the The Gospel Choir Tralee.
The musicians will do workshops with the students, showing them how to write music and lyrics based on the theme of human rights.
"The project was started in 2004 by Roddy Doyle and Maeve Binchy," explains Amnesty arts officer Sorcha Tunney. "The first medium was drama. Each year we use a different artistic channel. Last year was visual and students worked with artists and photographers. This is the first year we've decided to go with musicians.
"This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," she adds. "So the mentors will be helping students express how they feel about the declaration. We'll be holding a concert in the Helix, Dublin in May where schools and their musicians will perform together."
Students at Abbey Community College in Wicklow have been working with local band Hybrasil. Joe Kavanagh of the group explains how they got involved. "Amnesty got in contact with us," he says. "Abbey Community College had been applying for a while to take part in the project and we're from Wicklow ourselves, so I suppose it was just symmetry. We haven't done anything like this before. But we're merely acting as facilitators to help get the students' creative juices flowing.
"I do believe there is a science to songwriting, though. So we'll get them to play a tune that they like and then break the song down for them into all its individual parts. It can kill the magic but that's what you have to do sometimes. Then we look at the issues that are affecting the group and work on a theme. You need the right vehicle for the right issue. You can't have, say, a full-on dance track for a serious issue like human rights. Our ethos has always been to make music that's fun.
"So hopefully we'll be able to make our mark on whatever the students come up with. It's as much of an adventure for us as it is for them."
Abbey College has a healthy musical tradition already and recently brought ex-student Luan Parle in to give TY students a workshop in songwriting. The students are so excited about Voice Our Concern that they plan to come in during their Easter holidays to do a couple of extra workshops with their mentors, Hybrasil.
"I love music!" says 16-year-old Danielle Kane. "Most of us in the group are singers. I'm in a folk group in the local church. I love listening to it and I've written some songs before. I still haven't learnt an instrument but I will."
Rebecca Egan plays the tin whistle and the accordion but doesn't plan on using them for the Amnesty project. "One student is playing the drums, another is on guitar and another on bass," says Rebecca. "The lads from Hybrasil will be playing their instruments too. So I doubt there will be much room for my instruments. But I'm a singer also and that will be important. The vocals will be how we make people aware of their human rights. Many people think they can never be musicians but, once you have a good idea, it's not actually that hard to write a song. Plus it is really good fun.
"I'm not a member of Amnesty International but I do know about what they do. I'm happy to help in making people aware of their rights and show how many people around the world have their rights violated on a daily basis. Why use music to do this? Well if we want to get teenagers involved music is the best way. We all listen to music and, because it's so easy to access on the internet with sites like Bebo, we can reach a lot of young people with our message. If we do a catchy song that gets into people's heads, people will learn the Amnesty message even quicker."
"We have loads of time," she adds. "So if we put the work into it I think we'll achieve something brilliant. It's a small group in our TY music class so we can really focus on it over the next two months."
Flower power: Liam Ó Maonlaí's lessons in songwriting
"Amnesty International defends human rights and that concerns everybody. Over the years musicians have been an important part of communicating their very simple message: that human rights are being violated every day. So as a human being with a voice, I can't divorce myself from the importance of their work. I'm in a position to appear in public and make a noise with songs and opinions and whatever else. So I do it.
"It is interesting just to talk about human rights with students. Even at home your parents have rules about things like staying out late. How does that affect you as a teenager? How good is school at teaching us about our human rights? How is it built into our day-to-day life? I can only talk about what I understand myself, which is what is most important. We must all look into ourselves. That's where the power lies.
"This year is the anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration is important. It means by law people can stand up and say an action is illegal.
"But human rights are a living thing, regardless of what is written. Lawyers are there to find loopholes in everything, good and bad. It is important for people to also realise they're real. As a musician who finds inspiration within himself, I hope people also know that human rights are found within themselves. Not merely in a document or in a lawyer's office.
"I've done music workshops before but my approach varies depending on who is present. Generally I like to get everybody making noise and soon they realise that you don't need specific talents to make something sound really good. Energy is the key and getting a bit of energy - using our hands, voices, movement and sound all together - usually produces good results.
"When it comes to writing the vocals for a song, it is important to remember that there is no set way of doing it. But it is a good idea if you're in a group to brainstorm the issues you want to address. Take down notes and key sentences that might ring true. Look for phrases that anyone can understand from age nine to 90.
"If discussing human rights, it is a good idea to talk about your own experiences of human rights violations. Anything that might have happened to you or someone you know. Then if you find certain phrases which come out of your mouth that are clear, jump on them and work around them. The verse of each song should have one phrase that resonates.
"I'm a piano player but instruments are not essential. Try to work with what you have. In fact, instruments can sometimes be a little restrictive. The voice is the most powerful of all instruments. Run with whatever ideas emerge and you can spell out a tune with your voice anyway."
