There is no doubt that we are living through extraordinary times. Rising economic crisis, and global instability that reaches into every fraction of our lives is affecting everyone. Fear, anxiety and stress are hitting all time highs as unemployment soars, and many more vulnerable members of our community are left isolated and alone as local lockdowns drive a wedge between families. Children too are experiencing the impact of COVID-19 with access to education and health services vastly reduced by the lockdowns and enforced quarantines.

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As a professional musician i am well aware that music can play a huge part in alleviating stress and boosting our moods. A study in 2011, reported in Nature Neuroscience found that dopamine increased when volunteers were exposed to music they enjoyed  by 9%. In my early days as a musician i performed many times in hospital wards and dementia homes and have witnessed some remarkable reactions to the music I was playing. The Mozart effect is widely known to boost test results and help improve spatial reasoning. There is a myriad of ways that this beautiful art form can touch the human soul and express what words cannot.

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Muted Voice is committed to bringing music into the community, from schools and hospitals, to developing music with disadvantaged people and building inspiring partnerships between people from all walks of life . Muted Voice hopes to explore both educational and therapeutic relations within our Sussex community, as well as supporting local musicians with work at a time when the music industry is in challenging times. 

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I would like to dedicate Muted Voice to my brother Michael, who we sadly lost last October to anorexia and mental health issues. He embodied what it is to be an artist, to have an enquiring mind and never give up in the face of creative adversity. 

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'If your heart is broken, make art with the pieces'

-Shane Koyczan

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