Molly's Music

Black History Month Diversity Diversity, formed in 2007, is a British street Dance group who rose to fame following their win on Britain’s Got Talent in 2009. The group included a range of talented dancers including those who were still at school or university whilst others had jobs of their own. Diversity’s dances are choreographed by Ashley Banjo who also dances within the group.  More recently, Diversity performed on Britain’s Got Talent following the murder of George Floyd and the protests on the injustices in the system. Their dance on the Black Lives Matter movement was an emotive and clearly topic issue that every country is facing. It saw them pausing during the routine to take a knee, a marker that signifies support for Black Lives Matter.  Alongside the powerful dance was the moving words that could be heard in the song. It began with a voice over of a conversation between a father and son where the state of the world was being explained. It then zooms in to the curr...

Black History Month  A Letter to the World - Leah Music Leah Music at only 16 years old has moved the world with her powerful message on the injustices surrounding racial discrimination. Following the killing of George Floyd by a US police officer on 25th May, Leah Music composed and shared an original song in response to his death and the subsequent protests. The release of her song with a clip on Instagram attracted worldwide attention with celebrities praising her talent including Billie Eilish, Jorja Smith and Tion Wayne. Since its release on Instagram on the 11th June, Leah has received 21,889 views with nearly 8000 likes. All of the proceeds of her debut single is being donated to causes that support the current Black Lives Matter movement and she hopes to raise £10,000 in order to support the movement I urge you all to go take a listen to her song and really listen to the words and the meaning behind it. Everyone can learn a thing or two from this talented young singer/songw...

Black History Month  Stormzy Quick Fact File: Born: 26th July 1993 Years Active: 2010 - present Full name: Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. Occupation: Singer, Song Genres: British Hip Hop, Grime, R&B, Gospel Range: F#3 - C#5 Website: https://www.stormzy.com/ Childhood: Stormzy did not come from a particularly musical household with the exception of his cousin, Nadia Rose, who is also a rapper. He began rapping at the age of 11 and would often clash with older rappers at his local youth club. As a school child, Stormzy was a naughty child and was on the verge of getting expelled. He did well in his exams with results of six A*s, three As and five Bs in his GCSEs. He also received ABCDE in his A Levels. He followed school by studying for an apprenticeship in Warwickshire before working in quality assurance for two years. Stormzy’s Music: Stormzy began making videos on his Youtube channel in 2011 which is how he originally rose to fame. When he began sharing his Wicken Sken...

Black History Month   Whitney Houston I wanted to look at a range of artists during Black History Month including composers (both from previous eras and from today), singers who were influential in their day and those still successful and working today. I've already posted three blog posts on Black Composers and so today's post is going to focus on a more recent singer who rose to fame in her late teens and continues to be one of the most successful and well known singers in our society today..... Whitney Houston! Quick Fact File: Born: August 9th, 1963 Died: February 11th, 2012 Years Active: 1977 - 2012 Occupation: Singer, Actress, Film producer, Model Genres: R&B, Pop, Soul, Gospel, Dance Range: Mezzo-Soprano Website: whitneyhouston.com Childhood: Whitney Houston seemed to be a singer from birth - her mother and cousin were legendary figures in American gospel, soul and pop music showing skill through her family. Her mother was the choir minister at New Hope Baptist Churc...

  World  Mental Health Awareness Week Mental Health is a serious topic that I feel isn’t discussed as much as is necessary in our society. It is slowly getting noticed more and the importance of a healthy mental state is becoming more acknowledged but this progress is slow and it needs to change. To make it clearer in your mind, I’m going to start with some statistics to help you realise how vital mental health is and how much it is being ignored. Mental Health problems are becoming one of the main causes of the overall disease burden worldwide Mental health and behavioural problems (eg depression, anxiety) have been noted to be the primary sources of disability worldwide. Mental Health causes over 40 million years of disability in 20 - 29 year olds. Major depression is considered the second leading cause of disability worldwide whilst also being a major factor in suicide rates and ischemic heart disease. Roughly, 1 in 6 people in the past week have experienced a common menta...

Black History Month   Margaret Bonds Quick Fact File: Born: March 3rd, 1913 Died: 1972 Occupation: Composer, Pianist, Arranger, Teacher and Activist Most Famous For: Popular arrangements of African-American spirituals and frequent collaborations with Langston Hughes Bonds father was an active force in the civil rights movement as a physician and writer whilst her mother was a church musician and member of the National Association of Negro Musicians. Margaret was close to both of her parents and it is likely that they influenced her own work as a musician.  Childhood: When Margaret was four years old her parents divorced and Magaret grew up in her mothers home. Her house was frequently visited by black musicians of the era including Abbie Mitchell and composers Florence Price and Will Marion Cook. These visits became influential to her future musical studies and career. Bonds wrote her first composition Marquette Street Blues by the time she was five.  Margaret played the ...