Music Relief- Transforming lives through creativity

by Startacus Admin

Last month Magdalene Adenaike CEO and founder of Music Relief was recognised as one of our self-starters of the week, a weekly award given to a member of our community in recognition of their achievements, and self-starter spirit.  

 

We had the pleasure of meeting Magdalene at a recent event in London and were quite captivated with the story she had to tell, as well as with her organisation ‘Music Relief’.   This is an enterprise that offers empowerment training workshop within the education, charities, corporate and voluntary sectors. They take participants on a journey of discovery, aiming to transform their lives through creativity, in the same way by which Magdalene found her own life completely changed by music.

 

Over to Magdalene now, for some further insights into Music Relief and her journey to create it.

 

Magdalene, we know your background story, but for all our readers can you just briefly summarise it and what led you to start your own enterprise?

 

I was a teenage mum and have always been a musician, I have been singing for as long as I can remember. I went through a period of stigma, from family and community due to the shame I had brought into the family when I fell pregnant. I was depressed, isolated, disgraced and demoralised. However, music was the constant in my life that brought relief to me. So 4 years ago upon completion of my degree programme I decided to start Music Relief, a service based organisation that empowers and transforms lives, primarily our target audience women and youths, through creative training workshops.

 

It's an inspiring journey - how important do you think 'positive story telling' is in terms of inspiring others?

 

Positive storytelling is extremely important in inspiring others, due to the fact that you are telling others who may currently be going through difficult times or may have gone through difficulties in the past. You need to tell people that no matter what situation they may find themselves, if they can hold on and be strong even in the face of adversity, things will get better. You are basically encouraging others through your story to have hope and believe that things will also turn around for them.

 

You were recently awarded our Self Starter of the Week here on Startacus - what characteristics do you think make someone a Self-Starter?

 

I believe the characteristics that makes someone a Self-Starter are as follows;

• Having a strong sense of resilience,

• Hard-working,

• Determined,

• Purpose driven,

• Dedicated to the dream,

 

...and many more.

 

You cannot be an effective Self-Starter if you do not possess these qualities.

 

Tell us more about Music Relief - what's the grand mission and ambition for the business?

 

Music Relief’s grand mission and ambition is to build foundations globally in deprived areas helping women and youths. To empower, inspire, transform and build confidence creatively to enable them unearth their potentials and aspire for greatness.

 

How can others help you in reaching those goals?

 

Music Relief will definitely be interested in joint ventures with other organisations or charities working with our target audience within the UK and abroad.

We will also be interested in collaborating on running workshops on projects, co-hosting events or hosting events or projects for others.

 

Finally - with Arts budgets being cut right, left and centre - tell us why 'Art' is so important for communities and society as a whole?

 

I cannot emphasis enough on the importance of the Creative Arts, due to the unconventional way this industry teaches and enables inside out transformation. This means that the Arts has the ability of taking the individual on a journey of discovery, creating another identity and empowering the individual on that process of learning and developing.

 

Are you inspired by what Magdalene has had to say?  You can connect with Magdalene on Startacus and alsoTweet her directly.  

 

Do you think you have got what it takes to be our next self-starter of the week?  Don’t forget to join our community to be in with a chance!

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Published on: 8th July 2015