People Features

He noticed that the young man was surrounded by several destroyed guitars. In an attempt to communicate with him, Longden handed him another guitar, while he played the flute.

"He didn't have a broad range of dexterity, but he could hold the instrument and strike it," recalls Longden.

"He holds the neck of the guitar against his own neck and feels the vibration of the strings. I played my flute with him and at that moment we fused musically and that's how it began. Everything changed at that moment."

London Health Commission Awards

Eight years on, William Longden's moment of epiphany led him to City Hall, where Joy of Sound won the mental-well being category at the London Health Commission (LHC) Awards on July 2nd.

As well as a cash prize of £1,000, Joy of Sound, like the other category winners, will receive training, help with their website and benefit from a promotional film about their work.

William Longden with his LHC Award

Accepting the award for Joy of Sound, Longden said, "To be honoured in this way, together with other such incredibly inspiring projects, is a great achievement."

The LHC Awards, in its inaugural year, recognises the contribution to health and well-being made by small community-based organisations.

Joy of Sound

A core group of about 15 unpaid volunteers runs Joy of Sound, although an administrator will soon start working for the organisation one day a week. Winning this award is a huge boost in terms of raising awareness of its work, particularly when it is possibly seeking to expand its operations out of Lambeth.

"What's beautiful is that we've learnt by steadfast application and not just getting bundles of money," says Longden, who has never paid himself for his work in the charity.

"I just wanted to see whether the project could sustain itself and evolve organically and it has. It's become exemplary and we've even become a model of inclusive group work."

The Sessions

From an initial group of five students – as William prefers to call those who take part – when it first started, a Joy of Sound session today can comprise of anything up to 50 participants, including students, their carers, volunteers and other interested parties, such as academics or art therapists.

The students, who come from day care centres from around Lambeth, vary greatly in age, disabilities and mental awareness. The Joy of Sound ethos is that no one is ever excluded.

Joy of Sound

As the session begins, a circle is formed and each student, or their carer, will pick up an instrument, all of which have been pre-tuned to a particular ambience based on E-Flat major, and start a series of improvisations.

William Longden describes what happens next with an almost messianic zeal:

"There's variation in it, there's harmony but all of the instruments are unified so that anybody with any level of dexterity or any level of physicality can make a sound and we are automatically and divinely unified in that field of sound."

"We use that as an ambient overtone or haze  - the atmosphere of the situation – and from that we build. We build improvisations, vocal and otherwise."

"People respond to movement or to sound. For example, if somebody makes a movement that could be the impetus to draw a plectrum across a zither. It generally starts very slowly and it builds and it builds until we reach an amazing sound."

"I call it noveau-pyschedlic-folk-fusion. Everybody leaves uplifted, energised, vibrant and joyful."

The instruments

Some of the students are severely disabled, are wheel-chair users and have limited mobility. As such, Joy of Sound commissioned several specially designed 'wheel chair presentable' string instruments for their use. Such instruments can cost from £500 up to £1,500.

Longden jokes: "In the world of special needs the only things that tend to be bespoke are wheelchairs and prosthetic devices. Not musical instruments!"

Joy of Sound

The Joy of Sound musical tool kit also includes other stringed instruments that William Longden, Manchester-born but resident in London for the last 26 years, has collected from his travels abroad. There is also the odd guitar or zither found in skips and gifts from generous supporters.

Such has been the resourcefulness that William has needed to show in order to provide Joy of Sound with the appropriate musical resources, that he was invited to do a Masters degree in design & research in disability at London Metropolitan University. He is now currently working towards a PhD. in instrument design.

The benefits

Anybody who has ever lifted up a musical instrument, even one they cannot play, can testify to the simple elation of creating a wonderful noise. For the students of Joy of Sound, it is more profound.

Most commonly, when discussing disability issues it is the practical things such as access to public transport or education that sit at the top of the political agenda. Joy of Sound, says its founder, is much simpler than that: “We're talking about giving access to people.”

William Longden

"This is about music as a social medium for social interaction and personal awareness"

William Longden

• William Longden

William Longden insists: "This is about music as a social medium for social interaction and personal awareness. We're not interested in performance and yet paradoxically, and beautifully, the sessions are incredible."

"What we have seen in the last seven years is the social integration of individuals who would otherwise not be integrated or have the opportunities. We've also had obvious and quantifiable improvements in dexterity, expression and movement."

Challenges

Perhaps, you might say, there are more pressing issues that need to be addressed for people who have disabilities or learning difficulties.

William, himself, admits that the borough of Lambeth, which has three day centres for the disabled, is severely under-resourced. Often special transport is required and it can take up to three able-bodied people to help move someone in a wheel-chair.

There is a great demand for care services, despite the disabled being a marginalised and 'invisible' presence in society. To believe passionately in your work, is not to hide the frustrations and limitations of what one can do.

'Some things you have to feel'

However, just a few minutes in William Longden's company would be enough to convert any sceptic about the value of the service provided by Joy of Sound.

"Some things you have to feel, so we invite people to come and experience it, and they can make their own decision. Undeniably, this situation is challenging."

"Come to a session and see what you feel, it will be self-evident. You would no longer ask any questions. Read some of our feedback forms from people in England, from visitors abroad, from professionals, from parents. It is self-evident."

And now Joy of Sound also has an award to show for their efforts. That, also, is further evidence.

Joy of Sound welcomes all visitors to attend their sessions, however, they do ask that you contact them in advance. For more information: