There’s everything from hip hop tirades to sweet lament amongst the eclectic tracks on the new Sounds of Street double-album, Head Game, out this week, which features the work of 18 young musicians and song writers confronted by issues from homelessness, to mental illness, abuse and addiction.
Head Game was launched at an all-ages concert at FraserStudios, Chippendale last Friday, with MC Mr Percival and live performances from the musicians featured on the album.
All the musicians on Head Game are graduates of the Sounds of the Street course at Mission Australia’s Creative Youth Initiatives (CYI) – a service that aims to support 16 to 25 year olds facing many and varied challenges in their personal lives to build self esteem and communication skills, offer them positive learning experiences and provide opportunities to gain formal music qualifications.
Students are tutored by professional musicians during the intensive six month TAFE accredited program before they record the tracks in the recording studio at CYI.
“These young people may be dealing with a few life issues but they get it all out via music - perhaps it's a hip hop tirade on the injustices of life as a young person dealing with substance abuse, or a sweetly sung lament on loves lost and remembered, or a billowing gothic industrial epic on what it's like to really live on the streets,” said Michael Hanlon, one of the course Coordinators and musicians who contributed to the album.
“Head Game doesn't hold back and nor should it. It’s a snapshot of the young and struggling but at its heart it’s a glorious and uplifting album.”
One of the students, Angie, who got involved in Sounds of the Street when she was suffering from depression and anxiety after a family breakdown said she could barely describe how much the program meant to her.
“Being here has given me back happiness in my life – CYI has kept us all from falling further into an awful place and has made us see that we do have good things to look forward to and that we can have a happy life,” said Angie.
Media contact: Patrick Flynn, (02) 9641 5031 or 0407 411 256
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