The Music Man Project Podcast

This month's highlights from The Music Man Project Radio Show on Chelmsford Community Radio, bringing you news from the Southend Mencap Achievers Awards, some great interviews with the remarkable students of The Music Man Project in Essex and a special look back at the launch of The Music Man Project in the Philippines.
We hear a heart-warming tribute from Terry to his beloved father, who adopted him when he was in a children's home. Terry was placed there to escape from his abusive biological father.
We also meet MMP Essex student Katie and hear from her two crazy carers, Debbie and Tracey, who describe their approach to caring for someone with complex needs. And we finally catch up with three MMP UK superstars for a quick chat too!
The Music Man Project is a multi award-winning, world record-breaking music education and performance service for people with disabilities - direct from the Royal Albert Hall! It started in Essex but has spread right across the globe!
To find out more visit www.themusicmanproject.com, follow "The Music Man Project UK" on Facebook, subscribe to David Stanley's blog at www.themusicmanblog.com and subscribe to The Music Man Project's YouTube channel.
Devised and presented by David Stanley BEM
Produced by Jon Webber
The Music Man Project, charity no. 1188041
Email [email protected] to tell us your news!

This week we talk to our very own Dr Natalie Bradford, who recently published her ground-breaking research PhD at the Royal College of Music about the impact of musical participation on adults with Down's Syndrome. Natalie's research can be read in full here: Academic Research | The Music Man Project UK.
We also pay to tribute to the late violinist Lorraine Kelly, who sadly passed away from Cancer in 2018. Lorraine was a wonderful supporter of The Music Man Project, and our Royal Albert Hall orchestra was formed in her memory.
The Music Man Project is a multi award-winning, world record-breaking music education and performance service for people with disabilities - direct from the Royal Albert Hall! It started in Essex but has spread right across the globe!
To find out more visit www.themusicmanproject.com, follow "The Music Man Project UK" on Facebook, subscribe to David Stanley's blog at www.themusicmanblog.com and subscribe to The Music Man Project's YouTube channel.
Devised and presented by David Stanley BEM
Produced by Jon Webber
The Music Man Project, charity no. 1188041
Email [email protected] to tell us your news!

The theme of this week's podcast is siblings.
If you ever get the chance, we urge you to watch a young person helping someone with special needs. Their insight, kindness and empathy defy their age, and their experience shapes their personality for the rest of their life. These young people develop the most extraordinary qualities: selfless kindness, patience and love. When that young person is also a sibling of someone with a learning disability, these qualities are even more life-changing for the whole family.
In this episode of The Music Man Project Radio Show on Chelmsford Community, David explores what it is like to have a brother or sister with a disability. He talks to two wonderful young woman, Remy and Emma, who are both sisters of students at The Music Man Project here in Essex, and he concludes with a moving interview with the most famous Music Man Project carer of them all - the legendary Auntie Ann Randal! Ann talks about her life as the sister of two brothers with learning disabilities, David and Paul.
David also chats to The Music Man Project’s resident filmmaker, web designer and all-round media guru, Paul Carpenter. 2012, Paul's acclaimed documentary “The Music Man” made a huge impression on the Prime Minister David Cameron. Finally, Chris Stringer from the Salvation Army talks about The Music Man Project/Salvation Army partnership in an interview recorded for the first series of our podcast last year.

The Music Man Project is a multi award-winning, world record-breaking music education and performance service for people with disabilities - direct from the Royal Albert Hall! It started in Essex but has spread right across the globe!
To find out more visit www.themusicmanproject.com, follow "The Music Man Project UK" on Facebook, subscribe to David Stanley's blog at www.themusicmanblog.com and subscribe to The Music Man Project's YouTube channel.
Devised and presented by David Stanley BEM
Produced by Jon Webber
The Music Man Project, charity no. 1188041
Email [email protected] to tell us your news!

The final episode of The Music Man Project Podcast series 1, presented by founder and CEO of The Music Man Project charity, David Stanley. In this episode we hear every track from the new Kingsdown Special School Christmas CD!
"It is fair to say that 2020 did not go as planned! It started well with a memorable teaching trip to the Philippines, our fifth international expedition in as many years. We also took The Music Man Project to Wales and even launched The Music Man Project Strawberry Field in Liverpool. Following 6 months of hard work, The Music Man Project officially became a registered charity in February. We looked forward to performances at the House of Commons, Birmingham's NEC, a special presentation to Camelot and the first concert of our "Music is Magic on Broadway" preview tour. Everything was coming together for yet another spectacular year in our history, two decades after it all began. But then the restrictions put in place to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic brought everything to a standstill. I have been immensely proud to witness how our community has adapted to the challenges presented by lockdown. In fact, our music has actually reached thousands more people through all the Zoom rehearsals, Facebook live sessions, YouTube videos, video calls, virtual concerts, podcasts, blogs and doorstop visits. Thanks to the National Lottery and Government funding, we were able to deliver £6000 worth of musical instruments for isolated families to play at home. The original Southend Mencap Saturday music school, which was the forerunner for the Music Man Project we know today, has of course been closed since March. I especially miss the children and it has been wonderful to work some of them at Kingsdown Special School. We were delighted to record and produce their very own Christmas CD, which you can hear on this special Christmas episode of The Music Man Project podcast. We hear from Kingsdown teachers, Lisa Stroud and Sophie Harris who tell us how the CD came into being and give an insight into life at their wonderful school during the pandemic." David Stanley

The world record-breaking Music Man Project provides award-winning accessible music education and performance opportunities for children and adults with learning disabilities across the UK and around the world. These remarkable musicians have performed at the Royal College of Music, the London Palladium and the Royal Albert Hall.
Every podcast includes news, music, interviews and lots of other exciting features and surprises. It celebrates the achievements of all people with learning disabilities from around the world.
To find out more visit www.themusicmanproject.com, follow "The Music Man Project UK" on Facebook, subscribe to David Stanley's blog at www.themusicmanblog.com and subscribe to The Music Man Project's YouTube channel.
Devised and presented by David Stanley
Produced by Jon Webber
The Music Man Project, charity no. 1188041
Email [email protected] to tell us your news!

Episode 14 of The Music Man Project Podcast, presented by founder and CEO of The Music Man Project charity, David Stanley.
No matter how driven or talented they are, everyone needs someone to believe in them, to share their vision and to take risks on their behalf. For David Stanley, that man was Marc McOwens, General Manager of Southend Mencap.

Marc valued David's ambitions and encouraged him to follow his dreams. It was the same as back in 2001, when David had proposed a Saturday morning music school to the then President of Southend Mencap – the late Joe Dorado. The two men are widely different in many ways but in this they are the same: they supported, encouraged and trusted David and he will forever be in their debt.

We hope you enjoying learning how The Music Man Project started with an amazing charity from South East Essex. Without Southend Mencap and Marc in particular, there would no Music Man Project and no Music Man Project podcast!
The world record-breaking Music Man Project provides award-winning accessible music education and performance opportunities for children and adults with learning disabilities across the UK and around the world. These remarkable musicians have performed at the Royal College of Music, the London Palladium and the Royal Albert Hall.
Every podcast includes news, music, interviews and lots of other exciting features and surprises. It celebrates the achievements of all people with learning disabilities from around the world.
To find out more visit www.themusicmanproject.com, follow "The Music Man Project UK" on Facebook, subscribe to David Stanley's blog at www.themusicmanblog.com and subscribe to The Music Man Project's YouTube channel.
Devised and presented by David Stanley
Produced by Jon Webber
The Music Man Project, charity no. 1188041
Email [email protected] to tell us your news!