"Rap has always been a part of my life, but when I got admitted to hospital I started to write to get away from what was going on," the 32-year-old said.Since 2019, Mr West has been part of the hip-hop program at Rely-Ability — a peer-led, community mental health service in Newcastle."I met my mentor, Daniel, and we started working on my raps," he said.
Rely-Ability provides creative programs to plan-managed and self-managed participants with the National Disability Insurance Scheme . Through their music programs, clients at Rely-Ability are able to write, record, and produce music through the organisation's registered record label."Our clients are producing music that is commercially competitive, and that's really exciting."Katrina McFerran, a professor in music therapy at the University of Melbourne, said the therapeutic benefits of music were widely known.
Though music therapy is different to participation in community-based music services, Professor McFerran believes arts programs, like those offered at Rely-Ability, play an important role. "That's a beautiful experience, which is equally valuable, but just a different way of framing music therapy."Mr West is currently working on his first EP under the stage name Marky Westy, alongside his friend and mentor at Rely-Ability, Daniel Hooker."In a couple of months, I'll also release a music video for my new single, Baiting a Tiger."