We’re delighted to share an update about our very first Lullaby Projects, which got off to a great start in early 2025.
Together with our project partners, Live Music Now and B3 – Bumps, Birth and Belonging, we ran two Lullaby Projects in Basildon and Tendring between January and March.
Taster sessions
Our Basildon project manager, Sarah Kholia, kicked things off with a taster session at Northlands Park Family Hub in early January. The session was run by the very talented musician, Maz from Live Music Now, with help from Nicole and Tobi from B3. It was a small but lovely session where the parents and babies all got involved in some singing and music-making.
Things were a bit busier in Tendring the following week. Our Tendring project manager, Emma, hosted eight families at the taster session at the St James Delivery Site in Clacton. This was a busy and noisy session led by musicians, Seth and Zoe. The parents who attended were really enthusiastic - there were some great voices amongst them and the babies were all happily involved, bouncing along and playing instruments. We ended the session with the parents coming up with some simple, but personal, lyrics, which Seth and Zoe put to music.
Project kick-off
We’re pleased to say that both projects managed to sign up full cohorts of eight families for their first project sessions, which started in the last week of January.
Both groups kicked off with in-person live sessions. This was a chance for all of the parents to meet with their musicians (Maz and Todd in Basildon, and Seth and Zoe in Clacton). The musicians discussed how the songwriting process would work, and explained to parents how they could write their lyrics. They helped to quell any nerves by asking the parents to come up with simple lyrics – for example, by asking them what their babies would ask for if they could talk – and then putting them to a tune that everyone already knew. This really helped the parents open up and feel more relaxed in the room.
Over the next four weeks, the musicians led one-to-one sessions with each parent, where they worked on creating their own personal lyrics and accompanying music. What they came up with was really personal and touching: some parents wrote about the simple things that happen in their day-to-day lives, others wrote letters to their babies about what they love about them.
"I wasn’t in a very good headspace with my first baby, so getting an opportunity to do something like this with my second baby has been really cathartic. They’re my safe space as much as I am theirs, so it’s nice to be able to get that into my lullaby."
- Emma, Basildon parent.
Celebration events
At the end of the six weeks of the project, each cohort gathered together one last time for the final celebration events.
These were really special sessions where parents could share their lullabies with the other parents in the group, as well as with partners and other family members. Lots of the parents were really brave and sung their lullabies out loud to the rest of the group, accompanied by the musicians on guitar.
It was amazing to see so many parents feel relaxed enough to sing in front of the group – and the babies and toddlers loved hearing their songs played out loud. Parents were presented with certificates and framed copies of their lyrics, and both groups were able to chat after the session over a celebratory snack and drink. We’re so delighted that all our parents and babies now have their own special lullaby to treasure forever.
Louise and her baby, Harry, at our Basildon celebration event, alongside Live Music Now musicians, Todd and Maz.
Our Tendring parents at their celebration event, alongside Live Music Now musicians, Seth and Zoe.
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Well done to Sarah K and Emma for their hard work promoting their projects, and getting the sessions up and running. And a big thank you to Nicole and Tobi from B3 and all the musicians from Live Music Now for their help in making the cohort 1 groups such a success. We look forward to hearing more of the lullabies as the projects progress throughout the year!