Welcome Sessions for young adults and teens with diverse learning needs and disabilities
Where: Jika in the Park, 2 East St, Northcote (in Oldis Gardens)
When: Each Thursday evening 7:30pm – 8:30pm during school terms.
Who: Young musicians (high school to young adults) with a disability and/or diverse learning need
Which instruments: Keyboard, violin, cello, guitar, mandolin, harp, ukulele, flute, tin whistle, bodhran. Ukuleles will be provided for those who don’t have an instrument. Please let us know in advance if you need one.
Fee: It’s free – covered by donations to the Keys of Life program
Last date for 2024 – December 12
We start again on Thursday January 30, 2025
These social music-making sessions will offer young adults an opportunity to come together and play music in the style of a traditional Celtic session. Music will be learnt aurally and the Welcome Sessions will also offer an opportunity to socialise in a safe setting. Many young people with disabilities leave school and have difficulties finding opportunities to connect with other young people, so we are hoping that these sessions will give opportunities for them to meet other young musicians and create some new friendships.
Parents and families are welcome to join in! BYO instrument and join the group.
This free session is an initiative of the Keys of Life music charity, funded in 2015 by Daphne Proietto
Keys of Life is a music charity that enables students with disabilities or diverse learning needs to flourish through music, that trains music teachers and therapists to cater to the unique abilities of their students, and which brings together children, parents and teachers to share their knowledge, their experience and their joy of music.
The Keys of Life Foundation also offers professional development courses to suitably qualified teachers and music therapists in Daphne’s techniques of teaching children with diverse learning needs.
You can support Keys of Life by making a donation through their website
Recent news…
We were thrilled to receive the 2024 award for Community Performance by the Scottish Business Network of Victoria at their St Andrew’s day awards, 26 October, 2024. We extend our sincere thanks to the association, and also to the Keys of Life Foundation for presenting us with this opportunity. Our group opened the awards evening with a small performance.The Scottish Business Network Victoria is dedicated to creating a vibrant network of Victorian professionals, entrepreneurs and organisations with a shared interest in Scotland. Their mission is to foster harmonious collaboration, innovation, and mutual support among culturally diverse business communities.
Here’s a great article about the Welcome Sessions, by Deb Carveth of Community Music Victoria.
It really is just a chance to use music as a tool for a social outlet, coming together and having a group to meet with once a week, especially for young people who, once they’ve finished school, might not feel there is much happening around them, hence the name, ‘Welcome Sessions’.
Judy Oleinikov, tutor
