The

Creativity

Issue NewsPod

This month:

• John talks about the importance of Ynot mu-

sic drop in

• Joshua on why we are the chil-dren of

destiny

• Bryony on Battle of the Bands and future

events

• What’s on at the chil-dren’s cen-

tre

• Editorial

Woking YMCA Ypod Centre

November Volume 1 Issue 2

Page 2 NewsPod

For the past 4 years

the Ypod studio has

given young people

the chance to express

there creative ideas

and to further there

understanding of mu-

sic production. It has

been a wonderful ex-

perience to see

growth in many young

people who have fin-

ished demos to take

away, written and

performed their own

music live at the Ypod

gigs, learnt music

production skills and

gone on to record

more of their own

material in setting up

home recording stu-

dios. I have often

been deeply moved by

what I have heard

from some of the

toughest young peo-

ple in Woking.

I would like to tell

you about one particu-

lar lad that has been

visiting us over the

years who has been

an inspiration to me.

He writes rap lyrics,

quite poetic ones. His

lyrics have a philoso-

phical quality, a won-

derful way of inter-

preting life around

him. I recall one time

when he came to see

us, he began to talk

about how life is for a

lonely old women. He

went on to talk about

the government and

the issues he felt they

should be addressing

in our community, and

how we can all help to

make this country a

better place. I was

gobsmacked by what I

was hearing! I've al-

ways been so im-

pressed by this lad’s

way of perceiving life

from another very

different person’s

point of view. He is

able to write about his

life issues with depth

and clarity at only 14!

This lad came to us as

a troubled young man

but I have seen him

change. One thing I've

learnt in my time at

the YMCA is that it is

through relationships

that we best grow.

We have had some

good bands record in

our studio recently. It

has been good to

have Damian on

board. A new member

of staff to help in re-

cording demos, he

has also done a mar-

vellous job in success-

fully organising Ypod

gigs. We are encour-

aging young people to

take the next step in

playing their songs

live at our Ypod gigs.

Young people that

come to the studio

are always encour-

aged to learn the ba-

sics of music produc-

tion. Also, if they have

interest in learning an

instrument we provide

help in that area too.

We have plans to up-

grade the studio in

the foreseeable future

and we hope to also

have a record label:

the music industry

could be changing for

the better now! A

YMCA record label!

Very exiting indeed.

The Y-pod Studio

“One thing

I've learnt

in my time

at the

YMCA is

that it is

through re-

lationships

that we best

grow”.

By Josh L. RichheimerBy Josh L. RichheimerBy Josh L. RichheimerBy Josh L. Richheimer

In 2009 30 Seconds to Mars won The

Best Rock Video for Kings and Queens

at the MTV VMA awards. Widely

hailed as epic and inspiring, the

music video fended off tough

competition from Paramore,

according to Kerrang!

Lead singer Lead singer Lead singer Lead singer Jared Leto said the

motivation of the music video was

“to tell a story; to further the idea of the

song. If you have the right image with the

right sound, they can elevate each other and

arrive at a place that they wouldn’t be able

to separately.” What becomes clear in

this video is 30 Seconds to Mars’ vivid

portrayal of a young generation

reaching for purpose and meaning.

An acclaimed actor, there is no

doubt Jared (Fight Club, Lord of War)

played a large role in producing this

winning piece.

For Jared, every music video is a

“opportunity for us to say something about

us as individuals, about the song, and

about the band.” (full interview @

ultimateguitar.com)

Kings and Queens Kings and Queens Kings and Queens Kings and Queens does exactly that.

It’s striking images show a young

generation roaming the streets for

something more whilst Jared

powerfully sings “We were the Kings

and Queens of promise..!”

I like the music video. It

appreciates that without exception

all of us want purpose and meaning.

And that every one of us has

struggled with feelings of loneliness

and abandonment.

However, today whilst some

have asked the big questions about

life and found answers, so many of

us still live with a sense of

hopelessness.

The Bible says The Bible says The Bible says The Bible says in Ephesians 1:11

that “we were predestined

according to the purpose of Him”.

Destiny is a big deal to God! In fact,

one of Jesus’ main focuses was to

challenge the lost and meaningless

attitude of his day, He said, “I have

come that you might have life and

have it more abundantly!”

Jesus wanted us to know we were

created for a higher purpose.

Destiny means you are not

alone! There is a God and He loves

you infinitely! How do I know that?

Because “His UNFAILING LOVEUNFAILING LOVEUNFAILING LOVEUNFAILING LOVE

toward those who fear him IS AS great as

the height of the heavens above the earth.”

(Psalm 103:11). That means God’s

love for you is immeasurable!

What do you do for someone

you love? You look after their

needs, you want to help them

achieve their greatest passions and

you are there for them through

thick and thin. If we love like that,

how much more do you think God

loves you? He who created love!

Destiny is the deepest longing in

our hearts. It says “you are not a

accident!”, it says “you are not a

mistake!”, it says “there is more!

There has to be more!”

Even the word destiny Even the word destiny Even the word destiny Even the word destiny is just

packed with possibility and hope.

The dictionary defines it as “the inner

purpose of a life that can be discovered and

realised”. That is amazing! You have

an inner purpose placed in your

heart by God that is going to be

discovered and realised, if you want

it!

TodayTodayTodayToday, know that you are a

child of destiny, because God, a

loving God, has placed eternity in

your heart. Live life on purpose

and live with a sense of

destiny.

“He has made

everything beautiful

in its time. Also He

has put eternity in

their hearts”

Ecc 3:11

FROM THE CHAPLAINS PEN.

Children of Destiny

Volume 1 Issue 2 Page 3

Page 4 NewsPod

“There was

one band

that I had

quite a lot of

interaction

in, Count

this Curse –

they came in

a couple of

times before

the gig, they

came in the

week before

to fill in the

paper work

and we just

got to know

them”

Battle of the Bands hit Ypod!

What role do you have on the events team at Woking YMCA?

Well in the events team we all tend to switch roles when we have a new event coming up so we do a group decision of who wants to be the co-ordinator or the event that comes up but for the past event that come up I was one of the co-ordinators alongside Damian

And what did that role involve?

It involved looking after the rest of the events team and making sure they'll al-ways busy and have something to do as well as co-ordinating the gigs; so getting the bands in, keeping in contact with them, making sure we had all the right equipment and everything was set up. It was a general overview of the whole event.

What kind of roles would you assign to people within the events group?

We had people doing promotion, I think that was you [Gerald] and Loz, yeah you two done the promotion. We had the budgeting because we had a nice ten pound budget for drinks: we had Charlotte on budgeting. Kevin was on facilities just making sure everything was tidy and looking spick and span for the gigs and then me and Damian were on sound and bands so looking after them, making sure they had everything they needed, contacting them and making sure they were still playing, filing in all the paperwork with them...all the fun stuff.

Gerald talks to Bryony Stanford about Battle of the Bands and our

new events programme

What kind of interaction did you have with the bands?

There was one band that I had quite a lot of interaction in, Count this Curse – they came in a couple of times before the gig, they came in the week before to fill in the paper work and we just got to know them. And then they came in the night before the gig to do the sound check and mainly we had interaction between those, we didn't have much contact with the other bands before D-day.

So, can you tell me more about the process on inviting bands to the YMCA?

Well we learnt the hard way the process this time around but it generally started off with a email to them giving them a brief overview that we had a gig coming up and it was Battle of the Bands: would they like to play? If so contact us. We gave them a contact number and then it was more phone contact with them and one member of each band popped in to do the paperwork and we had to get a lot of details on them through that like where they were from, how long the band's been formed, how many members but it was mainly phone and email contacts.

Can you tell me more about the event Bat-tle of the Bands?

It was a very very interesting event. It chopped and changed so many times in the week building up. We started off having a raffle, everyone that came got a raffle ticket when they got their wristband, and then the band picked the raffle ticket and they won studio time with the band, and then we had a band drop out which sounds bad but it actually worked out for the best so we had four bands play and then after the four bands played we had the good old cheer-o-meter and then whichever band got cheered for the most got the headline set.

Volume 1 Issue 2 Page 5

“We had four

bands play and

then after the four

bands played we

had the good old

cheer-o-meter and

then whichever

band got cheered

for the most got

the headline set.”

What was the purpose of the event?

We were trying to raise money to help make our music drop in and our studio... make it

more eventful and well equipped. Because even though we have the basics of everything it

still has a lot to be done to be able to be like a proper recording studio and to have proper

music drop in sessions.

Why do you feel that you need to raise money for the drop in sessions and

the studio?

I feel that even though we have it, its very much like the basics is what we have and I feel

like our music drop in could possibly be our most successful drop in session that we run.

So if we focus on improving it we can get better instruments, better software, we can do

the studio up so it actually looks like a recording studio and it would just, it would sell

itself really as well. So there's a lot of money in it cause you can also, instead of just us-

ing it for the music drop in session, you can rent out the studio for recording sessions for

bands. That'll have a very big income.

Page 6 NewsPod

“We were “We were “We were “We were

trying to raise trying to raise trying to raise trying to raise

money to money to money to money to

help make help make help make help make

our music our music our music our music

drop in and drop in and drop in and drop in and

our studio... our studio... our studio... our studio...

make it more make it more make it more make it more

eventful and eventful and eventful and eventful and

well well well well

equipped”equipped”equipped”equipped”

another course next term (time and date still to be confirmed).

Fridays 10.00am - 11.30am - Play & Learn. This is open to any families with children aged 0 - 5. We have messy play, stories and rhyme time and a wide variety of toys and resources. No need to book, just turn up! We also run other one off sessions.

On 4th November from 10.00am - 11.00am we are running an information session on meningitis with a free creche.

A normal week runs at the Children's Centre runs as follows:

Mondays 10.00am - 12.00pm Baby Cafe - breastfeeding sup-port. Open to any mum who is looking for support whilst breastfeeding and is a great way to meet other mums. We have health visitors and other trained experts here during these sessions.

Thursdays 10.00am - 12.00pm - Parenting Puzzle - this a prebooked 10 week parenting course. We will be running

On 5th November, from 11.30 to 1pm, we will fol-low on from our Play & Learn with a drop in ses-sion to see a health visitor with any concerns or ques-tions parents may have.

We are planning to put on a first aid course for parents (again with free creche) sometime in December.

What’s on at the Children’s Centre

Volume 1 Issue 2 Page 7

Why do you think the YMCA could benefit from this level of investment?

Because if they invest in the studio... like, it can, like I say you can rent the studio out and then get investments back cause you can charge about for a peak time session in recording in the evening for a studio for an hour you can charge at least twenty-five pounds an hour for them to use your studio. And then on top of that the sound engineer staff... so it’s a very good investment.

“you can “you can “you can “you can

charge at least charge at least charge at least charge at least

twentytwentytwentytwenty----five five five five

pounds an pounds an pounds an pounds an

hour for them hour for them hour for them hour for them

to use your to use your to use your to use your

studio. And studio. And studio. And studio. And

then on top of then on top of then on top of then on top of

that the sound that the sound that the sound that the sound

engineer engineer engineer engineer

staff... so it’s a staff... so it’s a staff... so it’s a staff... so it’s a

very good in-very good in-very good in-very good in-

vestment”vestment”vestment”vestment”

Consequently our pro-

grammes, from regular

drop in sessions run by the

Children’s Centre to the

music drop in sessions we

provide for young adults,

are all aimed at creativity

It is for this reason that

the YMCA is such a valu-

able part of the local com-

munity. The YMCA pro-

vides a centre where peo-

ple of Woking can come to

solve issues, learn new

ways of making the most

of their individual talents

Creativity makes itself

known in a multitude of

different ways. It provides

for us the ability to re-

assess situations and to

solve problems. It creates

culture, the vital part of

our community with which

we bring together people

from different back-

grounds and minorities.

Here at Woking YMCA we

promote a creative ethical

and holistic approach to

everything that we do.

and participate in a sustained supportive

environment.

In a way it helps the local community as a

whole, because we assist people who in

turn can provide ways of helping others.

Often society is talked about as if it were a

living, thinking entity. And different parts

of society are different components or or-

gans within this entity. If such a way of

thinking is deemed truthful for looking at

society’s trends and patterns, its issues and

its solutions then centres such as the Ypod

provide for us a place to think. The articles

in this issue then, help to indicate how

Woking YMCA can provide a place to en-

courage creativity. G

Editorial