PIPS Hope and Support is the leading, independent advocate in the Southern Trust and Newry, Mourne & Down Council areas on all aspects of suicide, including; intervention, prevention, postvention and trauma in order to reduce and prevent suicide, self-harm and emotional & mental distress.

Music has many great mental health benefits and so I've decided to make it a more regular feature of my life. I also want to use and nurture more of my creative side and skills as I've tended to neglect them badly over the years. That's not good! I love music and practically grew up with it. My Daddy is very musically talented but I have never dedicated much time or effort to actually learn to play or perform things myself. I joined a choir recently and that has done wonders for me!  Aside from the business of life itself, the main things that have held me back are a complete lack of confidence and a real fear of performing musical things in front of people. I'm not that way usually with most things in life....just oddly,  when it comes to music. Anyway that's not an option now! 

So, I've set myself a challenge that between now and Christmas I'll try to learn and play (on my high and low whistles which I bought last year and have been tucked away in the drawers) and where I can, to sing a wee bit of every song from the Planxty album. No better way to motivate me than to do it for a greater good!  This will keep me more determined as it will help others in need.

Some of these tunes are hard! I'll try my best though and it'll be something to focus on and achieve, whilst providing some light entertainment, even if that's amusing people with my woeful toots and gowls on Facebook where I've promised to post videos of my efforts! Haha!  

The aim here is not to perfect the tune (jeez I'd need a few years for that..these are talented guys, Planxty) but to get to a stage where I can play the tune so it's, at best, recognisable! However, after this I can of course work on perfecting the sound  - always good to build on what I've learned and improve! That'll  be an ongoing promise to myself! 

Please donate what you can. Every bit, no matter how small helps. There are too many suicides happening globally and particularly in this local area. We need to create hope and support those who need it. This year has been a very difficult one for many people.

Thank you

TRACY X