Music Generation Cork City partners Music Mash Up have announced that they will launch their first single, ‘Shine Bright like A Star’, on CD and online next Wednesday 7 March at 4pm in Blackpool Shopping Centre.
Written by the Music Mash Up participants, the song takes on mental health and the subjects of depression, fear and loneliness. Told from the perspective of a suffering person, another friend tells them that it’s okay and to reach out for help.
The song, subject, production, video and PR have all been made and consulted on by the Music Mash Up programme students with the help of the course tutors. They chose to write this song to promote the idea of hope in a hopeless time, and by showing the dark and light sides of mental health, gives a more truthful and honest account of these issues and their affects.
Music Mash Up is a community music programme based in Mayfield that provides access for young people of all abilities to music in a fun, relaxed and inclusive way. Started five years ago with just 20 students, it has since grown to include more than 280 students from completely different backgrounds and abilities.
In the words of the young people involved: ‘Anyone is welcome, and nobody is judged. It’s a place where people can get together and be themselves. We encourage opinions and participation, we even get to help shape the programme and decide what we’d like to do. It helps build confidence, responsibility and you get to make loads of different friends and perform music to audiences. We are really proud of our song, and we have more on the way!’
The single is available to purchase as a CD from St. Joseph’s Youth Centre on the Old Youghal Road and at the Cope Foundation Main Office, or can be downloaded online via iTunes. All proceeds go to Cope Foundation and the continuing development of Music Mash Up.
Radio DJs and broadcasters are invited to share the song through their stations and programmes – please download the single from the Music Mash Up Soundcloud page.
Music Mash Up is run in partnership between Cope Foundation, Music Generation Cork City, Foróige Projects in Mayfield, Lotamore and St. Joseph’s, and Voices of Cork. You can learn more about Music Mash Up by visitng their Facebook page or website.
For further information about Music Generation Cork City and other partnership programmes contact:
Margaret O’ Sullivan, Coordinator
Music Generation Cork City, Cork Education and Training Board, 21 Lavitt's Quay, Cork City
E: musicgencorkcity@corketb.ie
T: +353 21 4907186
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