Not only has the choir become a whole new "family" for Jessica, it has also helped her deal with other personal trauma, with the group regularly performing a song written by her and Kym in honour of a lost friend."I was thinking a lot about suicide actually, and just having a community around me that was like a family … having them in here every Monday night, it made me able to have a song that I was able to write and get out how I felt about her.
"So whether it was doing anything for my brain or not is irrelevant. Just the singing alone is enjoyable. The social connection helps a lot." Rory and the bass section get their time to shine at the end of each session, when they lead the group singing Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight.While older people often derive the most benefit from the social connection provided by community groups such as this, there are no age limitations at this choir.
"And I am a believer that music is the way the brain likes to communicate, and so if you're involved in music one way or the other, it is helpful to the brain.