Stand By Me: A Community Music Journey
This year, students from the School of Music returned to Cardigan Community Centre (CCC) to build on last year’s successful collaboration, delivering another community music project with the Elders Connect group.
Part of the level 2 module FOAH2020: Towards the Future: Skills in Practice, led by Professor Karen Burland, the project brought together four students – Alex Shepherd, Alfie Allen, Dearbhla Delaney and Muhang Liu – to co-create a series of music workshops with local residents. Working in partnership with CCC, a grassroots organisation supporting communities across Burley Park, Hyde Park, Woodhouse and Headingley, the project centred on collaboration, creativity and connection.
Building skills beyond the classroom
Before meeting the group, students took part in training focused on community engagement and workshop facilitation. This introduced key principles such as inclusive practice, cultural awareness, communication and session planning, as well as approaches to making music accessible by focusing on core elements like rhythm and pitch.
These skills proved essential as students designed and delivered six workshops, each building on the last. Across the process, students developed confidence not only as musicians, but also as facilitators and collaborators, adapting their ideas to suit the needs and interests of the group.
As Alex Shepherd reflected: “Working with the group here helped me feel a part of the community in Leeds, and getting to know the locals made me feel more connected with the area around me.”
Muhang Liu added: “As an international student, this project helped me build confidence in communicating with others and better understand local community culture. It was a valuable introduction to community music and encouraged me to take a more active role in new experiences.”
This project acted as a pilot to explore how curriculum-based opportunities can offer both experiential learning and valuable community benefit.
“Our students have gained such a lot from participating in this project. They learned so much about working in professional contexts from the mentoring they received; gained valuable skills of collaboration, communication and project management; and took such joy from interacting with the elders. This is an excellent example of the value of community-engaged learning!” - Professor Karen Burland, University Academic Lead: Student Opportunities and Futures
A collaborative musical journey
At the heart of the project was a strong emphasis on community voice. Early sessions focused on getting to know one another, sharing musical tastes and exploring how music connects to memory and identity. The diversity of the Elders Connect group, representing a wide range of cultures and experiences, shaped the musical direction of the workshops.
One song that resonated strongly across the group was Stand By Me by Ben E. King. From this shared connection, the group decided to make it the focus of their collaborative work.
Starting with the melody and lyrics, supported by piano accompaniment, participants gradually built their confidence week by week. Students introduced simple exercises to explore rhythm, pitch and group performance, with each session adding new layers to the piece. Leadership was shared across the team, with students taking turns to plan and facilitate activities.
The project culminated in a final group performance and recording, capturing both the musical progress made and the relationships formed throughout the process.
Creating meaningful connections
Across six workshops, the project fostered meaningful engagement between students and community members, highlighting the role of music in supporting wellbeing, confidence and social connection. The intergenerational nature of the collaboration created space for shared learning, creativity and conversation.
From Cardigan Community Centre, the impact of the partnership was clear:
“It has been inspiring to see young people taking such an active interest in our community and listening to our experiences. The students brought energy and creativity that helped us see new possibilities for our work. From our perspective, the collaboration has been mutually beneficial, providing students with valuable real-world experience while strengthening community connections and supporting positive outcomes for local residents.” - Abdul Hannan, General Manager, Cardigan Community Centre
Thank you
We would like to extend a huge thank you to all the members of the Elders Connect group who took part in the project: Hasumati, Malti, Angie, Elaine, Stephen, Rita, Rob, Teresa, Gogo, Mary, Andrea and Hasubon.
We are also grateful to Cardigan Community Centre for their continued partnership and support in making this project possible.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
We use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework to guide our activity. Our work on the Community Music Project is linked to the following SDGs:
- Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing
- Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Find out more about our impact on the SDGs.
