Amidst our riveting conversation about vampires and Spiderman…
“Why do you talk like that?” questions little boy 1 during a bus ride one day.
“Because she’s from her home!” little boy 2 cleverly asserts.
As the little boys pointed out, I do have an accent, so I’ll begin with a quick introduction. My name is Jessy and I’m currently completing an internship at Drake Music in the final stages of fulfilling my doctorate degree in occupational therapy from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. I had studied music at university prior to graduate school and discovered my passion for assistive technology during grad school. While completing an independent study in music and assistive technology, I was somewhat dismayed to discover the seeming lack of progress and effort taking place to break down disabling barriers to music in the States. So here I am at Drake Music! Having been here over a month now, my vocabulary is still transforming, I’ve learned to carry an umbrella with me always (even on days that seem sunny), and to enjoy a daily cuppa’ (or two or three).
Last week I had the opportunity to visit DM Northwest in Manchester (wow and I thought it rained a lot in London…) to see The Prospectors’ gig at Band on the Wall. I met the DM associates 3 hours before showtime to observe the setup. ‘Do they really need 3 hours to set up…?’ I initially thought to myself. Answer: YES – nearly every minute of it! I chatted a bit with the DM associates who were all very friendly and happy to answer questions, but figured it was best not to bother them too much and to stay out of the way, thus assuming my fly-on-the-wall position.
After setup was the soundcheck, at which point 8 musicians, 2 carers, and 3 DM associates cozied up on stage to make sure everything worked.
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holds breath
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SUCCESS (with only minor tweaks), which seemed a slight miracle to me considering all the equipment and cords and ever-present potential for technology to decide not to work! They played a bit of a song and I was beaming – couldn’t wait for the concert to start! There was a bit of time left, so everyone headed off stage for last minute preparations.
SHOWTIME!
Prospectors
Adam – Soundbeam
Anthony – DJX Scratchpad/Switches
Brian – Midi Creator
Joanne – Switches
Simon – Keyboards/Switches/Vocals
Steven – Vocals/Compere
Tessa – Soundbeam
Yaz – iPad/Switches/Vocals
DM Associates
Andy – Bass/Tech Control
Fil – Bass/Tech Control
Vicky – Keyboards/Vocals
They performed a few covers and one original song called Painkiller. The music had sort of a club vibe to it, with a track in the background, moments where everyone played, and lots of improvisation. The compere had a great personality, and it seemed that everyone really enjoyed themselves – both on stage and in the audience.
On another note, I was quite impressed with the Band on the Wall venue. There’s a social space when you first arrive, with ample maneuvering room, couches, chairs, tables, and a bar that also serves snacks – a fun space to connect before a show. The performance space was great as well. There’s a large room that can be accessed via stairs or ramp and rearranged as desired (open space or filled with tables/chairs), a balcony (though I don’t believe there’s lift access to the balcony at this time), and a raised stage that had off-stage lift access and could hold more than 10 musicians and equipment. The toilets were also accessible, with grab bars, room to maneuver, easy-to-manipulate handles, and lowered sink/soap/towels. Friendly staff as well!
Fantastic gig, Prospectors!
