Transcript

Steve is the lead worker on music projects at Madcap

STEVE

[00.05] I think a lot of youngsters have the ideas in their minds, have ideas that they want to and things that they want to express but they may not have the means or the ability to do that. So what I am actually trying to do is make something that’s amorphous in their mind you know actually concrete I guess, you know that's what it sort of comes down to. So I am forever looking for what it is they really are after rather than trying to impose my own ideas on what they’re doing.

Text: His work brings him into contact with some potentially problematic young people.

STEVE

[00.40] A lot of the people that come to me are referred to me via various social services groups like Connexions or er well the young offenders team, you name it but they come in and potentially I have got the very worst young people who are, are well known for causing massive problems elsewhere.

STEVE

[01.01] We might be able to get a mix sorted so that you’re actually going out with something that is relatively complete and then you, but you…

Text: Anyone referred here becomes the lead musician on their own music project.

STEVE

[01.08] And yet, by having one at a time what happens is they come in and I say to them, well if you are working with your friends, bring them in. So they tend to bring their mates in who bring other mates in and soon you have a group of people who are actually already, they have already worked on their own dynamic, they work and if they are falling out then usually it’s a lot easier to deal with that because they’re already friends they know each other.

STEVE

[01.31] As you hit that note just put your head up slightly, yeah, so that you get it. Text: Building confidence is one of Steve’s first objectives.

STEVE

[01.35] At first you may have to put an awful lot of input in to make them realise they have even got good ideas and then you can gradually back off as the time goes on but when they start to realise that their own ideas have value and they do work um you can sort of back off and allow that to happen.

Text: But everyone who comes here has different abilities and aptitudes.

STEVE

[01.57] You may find that the person has come in with um, you know have loads of lyrics and they they write lyrics every day and they are absolutely brilliant so it, that that process of gauging where they are first is incredibly important. Gauging without any kind of judgement is also incredibly important and so everything they are doing you have got to say, you have got to bring out what is good about it so it is not a case of lying and saying it’s good when it’s not but um it is to actually bring out what is good about it.

STEVE (sings)

[02.29] ‘Watching it towering me. Sending me down…’ No that wasn’t quite right

JACKIE (sings)

[02.32] …’sending me down’

STEVE

[02.34] Yes, so it’s lower, so it’s… It’s crucial for the first stage of a creative project to be non-judgemental.

STEVE

[02.36] Sometimes that stage is called origination and I think that’s the most important thing, is to keep everybody smiling, and keep everybody feeling that their ideas have value and to actually bring no judgement whatsoever at that point and and so usually the people that are making the most judgement on themselves are the young people themselves so they’ll say something and oh no that's rubbish you know, and you go, and it is so important to make sure that they understand that it most certainly isn’t rubbish and even if it is rubbish maybe you’ve got to get the rubbish out the way before the good stuff comes so for God’s sake just do it, you know.

Text: For every project Steve and the band leader start by working up a plan.

STEVE

[03.16] In fact what you have got is a rolling plan but the, so therefore the plan doesn’t dictate what actually happens but what the plan does do is, is give purpose to the whole process. And I think that having purpose is really essential is, is what it’s all about. With purpose comes discipline and that’s not imposed discipline necessarily, um it’s, it is the kind of discipline that the young people actually want themselves. They want to create this thing, they want it to happen and I keep my, my job I guess is to keep reminding them.

STEVE

[03.50] Er and I’ll get the levels right, and sort of mix a bit so that you can hear everything right. And then we’ll go for it.

Text: Steve believes working towards a goal is a very effective form of discipline

STEVE

[03.57] They actually have ownership of it and all I’m being abrupt with is their tendency not to do the work, but it’s their work it’s not mine, so hence you know we, we don’t have discipline problems, because that’s what it’s about. They know it’s their work and they know that the result of it will be their you know, will be their thing.

Text: The goal may be a CD, a live performance, or a set of lyrics.

STEVE

[04.20] Young people I think (laugh) as a, as a breed tend to have brilliant ideas but find it difficult to actually bring something to a close. Actually, I say young people, I’m sure we all find that difficult, um but it is in the bringing something to a close, and completing it in some shape or form, that says look, I can do it, I’ve got this, this is mine, this is it, this is the stake in the ground and listen to me on this CD or, you know, and that is what actually creates confidence in doing the next project and it because what it’s saying is that my ideas are valuable, they work.

STEVE

[05.05] How about if we hang it up or no, one of you hold it and we stick a microphone at both ends. Text: Steve believes his ability to do the job is tied to his love of music.

STEVE

[05.12] There’s no doubt about it that what drives me is my love of music So I am very, very enthusiastic about music, and, and I’m also aware that I have, you know that, that’s where my skills lie.

JACKIE(sings)

[05.28] ‘has turned again.

STEVE

[05.30] Ah, you’re doing something really interesting. That’s what you’re doing. Text: He sees no divide between Steve the project worker and Steve the musician.

STEVE

[05.36] So for example somebody may sing a snatchet of melody which is all out of tune and everything, and my skill. I have to listen to what they’re really trying to do, use my musical skills to work out what it is they really want to do, play it back to them and say “Is that what you meant?” But if I wasn’t musical I wouldn’t be able to do that. So I’m really feeling that whatever youth work, that you know a good youth worker has got, if they are going to work within a certain medium they have got to know that medium too and not just know it but love it, they’ve got to love that medium and that’s what you express to the young people that you’re working with.