What is Community Music?
Community music is a type of group gathering where people make or listen to music together to enhance personal wellbeing and connection with others. These groups are open to anyone, regardless of musical experience or ability, and are guided by one or more facilitators.
Community music has many forms - choirs, jam sessions, drum circles, song circles. Some are structured (learning specific pieces over weeks), while others focus on improvising and creating music in the moment.
In our Lisbon gatherings, we focus on improvisation using voice and instruments, listening to meaningful music together, and collaboratively creating songs as a group.
What can Community Music do for me?
Making music with others is deeply nourishing - it gets you out of your head and into your body, helps you connect with people in a way that goes beyond words, and gives you permission to play without judgment.
You might find that community music helps you:
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Express emotions that are hard to put into words 🎭
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Build confidence in your creative voice 🌸
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Feel less isolated and more connected to others 🫂
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Tap into joy, spontaneity, and presence ✨
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Discover new sides of yourself 🌈
There's no pressure to perform or "get it right" - the focus is on the experience itself, not the end product.
What can I expect in a Community Music event?
Each session is different depending on the group's energy and what wants to emerge, but here's the general flow:
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🔥Welcome & warm-up: We start with some easy-to-follow vocal or rhythmic exercises and games to help everyone settle in and connect with the group.
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🗺️Exploration: We then spend the main body of the session exploring a particular musical theme, such as improvising freely together in a group, making a song or listening to our favourite music together and discussing what it brings up.
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🌊Reflection: We finish with a short musical 'closing' game, and a few minutes to share our experience (optional - no pressure to speak if you'd prefer to just listen).
Sessions last between 1-3 hours depending on the activity, and you're welcome to bring your own instrument if you have one, but there will always be instruments available to use.
🌴Low pressure: We have an easy-going vibe, and are conscious of not pushing people too far out of their comfort zone, so if there's any musical activity that you don't feel comfortable doing, you're welcome to just sit back and watch!
Who are these events for?
At The Happy Creatives, our events are for anyone curious about music, creativity, and connection - whether you're a professional musician, an enthusiastic hobbyist, or someone who just loves to sing in the shower.