Starting up a group for sharing music with other grown-ups – and their babies – was a life-saver for Helena Perry and her friends during the first months of parenthood. Now their group is a regular fixture in the village’s calendar.
The feeling of desperation and loneliness during the early weeks of parenthood came as a total surprise to me. Getting to a baby group each day in order to get out of the house, speak to another adult and have a cuppa was essential for my mental health and I still remember the dark days of disappointment when a group was cancelled.
Beginnings
A friend in those early days had organised a new music group. The hall was booked, the session advertised but at the eleventh hour the teacher dropped out. My friend asked if I would run it, as I had been in bands, quartets and taught for many years. However, babies were quite out of my comfort zone, so I asked Clare, another friend, also a new mum and a music therapist. She said she would only do it if I did! I agreed, but only if Miranda, the violinist from my quartet and also a new mum would do it with us! Shake, Rattle and Roll was born.
Right from the start we wanted to make the singing engaging and absorbing for the grown-ups. I always felt that having a room of 12 or more parents singing could sound fabulous and uplifting, given the chance. Babies usually love any music so challenging ourselves with rounds, partner songs and lullabies in other languages makes it all the more interesting for us. As well as the regular nursery rhymes, we include all musical genres from The Beatles to Bach, Katy Perry to Purcell.
When we were starting out we often invited parents to bring along instruments and join in. We wanted the feeling to be a welcoming and fun singalong with toddlers running free and no pressure on parents to make their children do anything in particular but, rather, that everyone left feeling uplifted. Charlotte and Sharon, also multi-instrumentalists, soon joined the band and added flute, trumpet, cajon and beautiful harmonies to our band of violin, cello, guitar, ukulele, clarinet and accordion.
Going strong
None of us imagined that we would still be running 11 years later, but our weekly sessions are really as much for us as for the parents! A place where we park our lives and focus on the music, and which has carried the five of us (and many attendees who have since become good friends) through so many life events.
There is now much scientific research that shows the benefits of music, singing and being part of a community like Shake, Rattle & Roll; for postnatal depression, long COVID, strengthening the vagal nerve, improving mental health, general well-being and so much more. And even without the research, we know and have been told many times over, that it just feels good to share music together and with our children.
Over the years we have played at birthday parties for both children and adults, weddings, festivals, family days, school and nursery workshops, recorded two albums and adapted to continue running sessions right through lock down.
Over the last 3 years we have moved from venue to venue and we’re really pleased to have finally found a regular home in Histon. We run sessions every Friday morning in term time 10am -10.45am in Cambridgeshire Music Centre (the old Infant School site). Come along and give it a go!
Click here for booking details. Booking is recommended as sessions can get very busy and numbers are limited.
