Doncaster Stammering Association (DSA) has launched the first ever CD of music to raise awareness of stammering and its effects. BSA Education Officer Cherry Hughes reports.
(Hear two songs online, or buy CD...)

Participants included children who stammer as well as youth and adult self-help group members. Some are pictured here with Cllrs. Vic Bowden, Eva Hughes & Glyn Jones. Photo James Mulkeen

Lewis (right) launching the CD with BSA Chief Executive Norbert Lieckfeldt. The blank square represents the one person in a hundred who stammers. Photo James Mulkeen

Councillor Vic Bowden with Alan Whimp behind, cut the 'time2talk' cake. Photo James Mulkeen

Bob Adams (centre front), Hilary Liddle SLT (rear right) and others involved in producing the CD. Photo James Mulkeen

The CD was launched on International Stammering Awareness Day, October 22nd. The enthusiastic audience at The Point, home of Doncaster Community Arts, included children and adults who stammer, professional musicians, parents, members of DSA, representatives from the BSA, and local councillors. Bob Adams, (Chair of DSA) acted as M.C, and Hilary Liddle (speech and language therapist) supported by members of DSA acted as host.

Norbert Lieckfeldt, Chief Executive of BSA, 'launched' the CD and praised the work of DSA, the quality of the CD and the courage and commitment shown by all involved in it, particularly the children for whom it was a turning point in their attitude to their stammering, and probably life-changing, as they grew in self-esteem and confidence. The audience listened and applauded, as they heard the CD, and then talked to the children and adults who contributed to it, with the support of the professional musicians.

Making the CD

The CD was developed by DSA with generous funding from 'The Big Boost,' through the Scarman Trust. This was secured by Alan Whimp, a youth member of DSA. It enabled the group to employ professional artists and to hire state-of-the art facilities at The Point. As well as working with artists, the group also worked very closely with Hilary Liddle (SLT) from Doncaster & Bassetlaw NHS Hospitals' Trust.

The group felt that it was essential to involve children in the making of the CD, so 14 of Hilary's young clients, aged 7-12, were enlisted, The older children worked on the first track (S-S-S-S-Stammering is Cool) and the younger ones worked on the very heart-felt and passionate second track (Don't Finish My Sentence!).

"Don't finish my sentence
I don't want you to
Don't finish my sentence
'Cause I don't finish for you"

Nobody would dare to finish a sentence after listening to that track! The other tracks on the CD were all written and performed by youth and adult self-help group members.

Working very intensively with the professionals, the participants shared stories and experiences in order to develop the words for their songs. All the tracks draw upon personal experiences and offer words of advice, e.g. "Give me time" "Don't finish off my words". Some of the songs support people who stammer by speaking of common feelings, emotions and experiences e.g. "Tension, angst, guilt & shame, just when I tried to say my name".

Confidence boost

The participants felt that their confidence increased as a result of being involved in the CD. Talking and singing openly about their stammering helped them to feel less sensitive about it. Projecting positive messages about stammering helped to increase their own self-esteem. Parents and professionals alike felt moved to tears the first time they heard the children expressing their mixed emotions in 'S-S-S-S-Stammering is cool'.

"It makes me feel anxious
Like I don't count at all
But then I just remember stammering is cool"

The confidence and pride that they had in themselves, regardless of their stammering, was overwhelming. One young girl, after making the track, proclaimed that she no longer cared whether she stammered or not. (She previously avoided eye contact, hung her head and spoke in a whisper because she felt so ashamed of her stammering.)

Other children who were previously too embarrassed to talk about their stammering in front of their classmates were bursting with excitement in anticipation of their CD being aired at a school assembly. When it was played the other children were very impressed. I spoke to one little girl who had been teased by another girl in her school. She told me that girl now looked upon her with a different attitude after hearing the CD, and the teasing stopped. Anyone who has experienced the pain or fear of ridicule from stammering will understand the significance of this.

Parents also expressed their delight at how being involved in the CD had boosted the confidence of their children. One told me how he felt that his daughter and the others were shouting at the world about their feelings in the musical items, after suppressing them for so long.

Music with a message

The CD conveys significant messages about stammering in an excellent and varied musical context, reflecting many different styles. The musical accompaniments are creative and professional, unobtrusively supporting the singing. I particularly liked the blues item, 'Avoidance Blues', because of its authentic sounding blues rhythms and clear descriptions of how stammering can affect you.

"Went out the door to catch the bus to town (x2)
Couldn't ask for an eighty, so I just gave him a pound"

How many of us who stammer have done just that?

In the last track, 'Exercising the Exorcised', the singer uses metaphor and imagery to describe how it feels to stammer in an immediate and moving fashion that cues into your emotions, while absorbing and entertaining you.

"wandered lonely in the d-d-d-dark
L...Lost in a maelstrom of emotion when I talked
Tension, angst, g-g-guilt and shame
Just when I tried to say my n...name
Avoid the subject - it's not there
Conceal it like a dragon in its l...lair"

I think that this CD is totally inspirational and thoroughly professional. It deserves to be heard not only within the stammering community, but also wherever young people and their friends gather. The pack is colourful and visually attractive, while the musical items are catchy and rhythmic. It is fun to listen to, and yet conveys many significant messages about stammering that reflect the heartfelt concerns and experiences of all the children and adults who took part.

I do hope that BSA members will publicise it in their areas and draw it to the attention of schools, speech and language therapists and play it at local community events.

As Bob Adams, Chair of the DSA and Hilary Liddle both said, supported by everybody at the 'Launch':

Hear two of the songs online, or buy the CD...

From the Winter 2007 edition of Speaking Out, pages 4-5