Tuesday Tunes

Tuesday Tunes Program
Access Alliance, Danforth Location
My role: Lead Facilitator

Tuesday Tunes is a community-based music program rooted in collective expression among newcomers. Facilitated at Access Alliance as part of their broader mental health and wellbeing initiatives, this weekly drop-in invites community members to gather, share, and heal through music. The program emphasises co-regulation, belonging, and self-expression, aligning with Access Alliance’s commitment to trauma-informed, arts-based care.

Workshop Journal

First workshop

The session began with a guided singing bowl meditation, followed by name-sharing and a collective reflection where each participant contributes a piece of everyday wisdom. These offerings form the basis of a growing “wisdom board” that will eventually evolve into a community song.

Participants learned and sang “When I Rise”, a song inspired by Wendell Berry’s poetry and shared widely in mindfulness-based communities. 

As the program evolves over the next four weeks, Tuesday Tunes will continue nurturing musical collaboration and mental health literacy, aiming to co-create a song that reflects the voices and experiences of its community.

Second Workshop (5th August, 2025)

For the second week of Tuesday Tunes, I focused on movement and gesture. We began with a physical warm-up and meditation, then shared our names along with a movement expressing how we felt. As everyone repeated each other’s gestures, it became a kind of collective dance, which was exactly what I was aiming for.

We revisited the song When I Rise from last week. This time, after singing it twice at different tempos, we added full-body movements, turning it into a dance. I noticed the participants enjoyed this integration of music and motion.

Next week, I’m switching things up. Drawing from the wisdom board we created in Week 1, I’ve written a new song for the community based on what they shared. I’m excited to bring my songwriting and music production skills into the process.

Third Workshop (12th August, 2025)

For today’s workshop, I brought back the wisdom board and introduced the wisdom song. Leveraging community input to create a tangible piece felt important for both building and nurturing relationships. The song embodies individual wisdom woven into a collective expression.

Sharing the song was heart-warming, but teaching it had its challenges. I had never taught an original song before as previously I learned songs from others, so I knew how to facilitate those sessions. This time, using the same approach didn’t work. To adapt, I broke the song into smaller segments and employed a call-and-response technique. I also marked pauses where silence was needed so participants knew when to stop.

I realized that teaching the tempo was as important as teaching the song itself. Initially, some participants were ahead while others lagged, making the song feel offbeat. With practice and clear guidance on where to take gaps, everyone eventually synchronized.

I left the workshop feeling energized, a feeling echoed by the participants, which confirmed it had been a successful session.

Next week, I will continue to build the song with contributions from the participants.

Fourth Workshop (19th August, 2025)

This week, my plan was to expand on the song we created and experiment with singing it differently. Today’s session was indoors again due to the rain, and I brought back the singing bowl, which sounded richer than it did outdoors. Its resonance echoed through the halls, creating a soothing, zen-like ambience. I like to incorporate meditation early in the workshop because participants arrive with their personal lives on their minds, and meditation helps center them in the space. After the meditation and vocal warm-up, we sang the wisdom song.

Although the participants had learned the song last week, I facilitated it again, as I do every week, since there are always new members joining. Even if it’s just one new person, I teach it to the group so no one feels left out. We used call-and-response and then sang the song together.

Next, I divided the group into two, asking one group to sing one line and the other group to sing the next. This created a layered, textured harmony that made the song feel fuller and more immersive. Experiencing it this way was truly beautiful. One aspect that didn’t work as expected was that not everyone sings regularly, so dividing the group felt uneven as one group participated more actively than the other.

Fifth Workshop (26th August, 2025)

Our fifth Tuesday Tunes session was a vibrant and welcoming gathering. We sang Wisdom Song and When I Rise, bringing voices together in harmony and energy. Participants explored a variety of instruments, adding new textures and rhythms to the music.

It was especially encouraging to see new participants join while familiar faces returned. This mix of newcomers and regulars shows that Tuesday Tunes is becoming a consistent, inviting space where people feel comfortable returning and others feel drawn to join for the first time.

A truly positive session that reflects the heart of what these workshops are about: music, connection, and community.

Sixth Workshop (2nd September, 2025)

After three sessions indoors, it felt good to be back in the garden. With summer winding down, everyone appreciated the chance to gather outdoors.

This week we learned The Home Song. It's a piece much loved at Arts4All and one I was excited to bring into Tuesday Tunes. Alongside singing, we reflected on the meaning of “home,” sharing the places and feelings we carry with us. The stories and reflections were deeply heart-warming, making the session both musical and personal. We also welcomed more new participants, and with the returning group this became our second largest gathering yet. The growing energy shows how Tuesday Tunes is building momentum as a community space.

Next week will be my final session with Tuesday Tunes before I move into another program, Nesting Grounds, which will focus more on art making.

Seventh and final Workshop (9th September, 2025)

This week marked my final Tuesday Tunes session as facilitator. While the program will continue with new leaders, this week was a chance to reflect on everything we’ve created together.

We revisited all three songs we’ve learned, brought back the dance for When I Rise, and celebrated the journey so far. The new facilitators were introduced and even shared one of their own songs, giving everyone a glimpse of what’s ahead.

For me, it’s been amazing to see how Tuesday Tunes has grown, a mix of music, connection, and community energy that will continue to thrive. I’ll now be moving into Nesting Grounds, where my first three workshops will explore a new project: Roots, Stems, and Dreams.

Reflection on the experience

• What surprised me most was how willing participants were to join in, especially the men. Coming from a South Asian background, I’ve seen how difficult it can be for men to open up and express themselves. But in this space, everyone was willing to try things, even the “weird” ones. Maybe because I let myself be loose and unafraid to express, others felt safe to do the same. 

• One moment that stayed with me was people coming up to shake my hand after workshops. It felt surreal, like I was being celebrated, but in truth, they were the real stars.

• Facilitating indoors versus outdoors each had its value: inside offered focus, outside brought the beauty of the garden and nature.

• The biggest challenge was my own energy; on days when I wasn’t at my best, I could feel that reflected in the group. Still, the mix of newcomers and regulars created a welcoming dynamic; new folks felt comfortable when they saw others already having fun.

• Through this, I learned that communities are formed by sharing experiences together. Every session added another layer to our bond. I also learned that I can be overly critical of myself, I often focus on what I could have done better, even when workshops went well. I need to ease up and acknowledge the good.

• Musically, the group really loved The Wisdom Song, especially because they had contributed to the lyrics. That sense of ownership gave it depth and meaning. If I had more time, I would have liked to try more new songs, and even experiments with pure sound without words.

• What I hope people carry forward is the wisdom we explored together, and the sense of connection that music can bring.