An estimated 312,000 children every year experience the imprisonment of a parent, the vast majority of which are fathers. 

In this podcast, we speak to Chris Atkins, father, filmmaker, author and former prisoner about his time inside and being separated from his son. We also speak to Sharon Berry, founder of charity Storybook Dads, about how their work supports fathers to maintain or establish relationships with children.

Inside Fatherhood

My first song out there in the ether*-_-*-_-*-_-* :) Exciting!/Anxiety-inducing hahahaha

Anxiety

A folk song created by a participant at Bethlem Royal Free Hospital using acoustic guitar and Logos pro x.

Winter Feeling

Listen to one of our past participants, Russ, being interviewed on what music and Good Vibrations meant to him in prison. This was aired on National Prison Radio's New Year's Eve Outside In radio show on New Year's Eve 2017.

Past participant Russ on the BBC's Outside In radio show

Making the Familar Strange

The Singing Stones of Blencathra, or the Cumbrian Gamelan

A track made from our DIY space workshop using iPads, Ukuleles and bass guitar. Some attendees had prior musical knowledge and other had none. The Results speak for themselves.

Diy Space Music Workshop

Second consequences,. 4 individual people improvising to gongs without hearing what the others are playing.

Consequences Two - 01234

Webinar: Sarah Hartley, rehabilitation through creative arts

This is an original track that Tony (service user) made with Loophole Music, at Bethlem Royal hospital in Beckenham September 2020.

Time

Alex explains how he created this track: 

"It was written on a program called Ableton, which I used to listen through one of the recordings of our (Nottingham) Gamelan session and from there I was able to slice the recording up into small samples that would loop nicely. 

I wrote all the drum beats myself from scratch in different layers and added some effects such as echo / delay and reverb to give them more room. 

The vocal samples were recordings of myself singing 'Om' on a loop on a few layers, and then a recording of myself singing parts of a vedic / hindu mantra with loads of echo / delay to make it sound a bit spacey."

Thank you to participants of Resonate Nottingham for playing and DJ Anu for the remix.

Shurangamelan

Of Metal and String

Ether (in mortal form)

Good Vibrations is a registered charity (number 1126493) that helps prisoners, patients in secure hospitals, ex-prisoners and others in the community to develop crucial life and work skills through participating in intensive Gamelan (Indonesian bronze percussion) courses. Since 2003 Good Vibrations has worked with more than 3200 participants in 49 different secure institutions. Gamelan is an extremely effective tool for achieving our aims:

- It is very accessible
- You don’t need to have any previous musical experience
- You don’t need to be able to read music
- It’s easy to learn the basics
- It’s a very communal activity - there is no overall conductor or leader and 
  everyone’s contribution is equally important
- You have to listen to everyone else to fit your own part in

A Good Vibrations project typically runs as a week-long course for a group of 15 - 20 participants. Most will not have done anything musical before. At the end of the week the group puts on an informal performance. Each performance is recorded and a CD is produced, a copy of which is given to everyone who has taken part. Participants will benefit enormously from the short but intensive experience.

Inside Fatherhood

goodvibrations.org

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