The Solways - DRA Family
Brothers Jamie and Nathan Solway, joined Dad Robert at weekly music lessons provided by charity, Dads Rock. Jamie was 10 years old when he started learning to play the keyboard, he then went onto learn the guitar, and sing. Younger brother Nathan was 8 years old and he took to the Drums, their Dad took on the Bass guitar and singing.
Jamie said ‘I loved getting to experience something new, and do it with my family. I enjoyed having time with my Dad. I loved being able to perform at the Ross Bandstand in town, and in the National Museum. My advice to other young people is to find something you enjoy from an instrument, find a favourite song, practice, practice and practice more.’
The Dads Rock music lessons are unique and the only lessons where young people and their Mums, Dads and other family members learn instruments together at the same time. The lessons have been running at Edinburgh College in Sighthill since 2012, with over 30 students each year.
Dads Rock won a national award for its inter-generational work this year, with students aged from 7 to 76 years old. The students learn Bass, Drums, Guitar or Vocals, in small groups and work towards an end of year show.
Dad Robert, a taxi driver, enjoyed playing together in the band with his sons. It brought them all closer together, and his sons developed a keen passion for music.
Robert said ‘I really enjoyed Interacting with the other musicians and spending time with my sons. I looked forward to it, as I was working night shifts so the lessons gave me time with my sons. Seeing my boys perform on stage, and being part of the band with them, made me so proud’.
Nathan was the youngest of the family when he started lessons, his advice to other young people thinking about learning is: ‘Just go for it and see what you can learn because sometimes learning the instrument is the good part, and it's the other stuff that you might learn that will affect you afterwards or you could just get a awesome new skill.’ The best thing about the weekly lessons for Nathan was when: ‘we all got to play a song together, we practiced and it never seemed to go right and then on stage it went perfectly. I had a moment where I thought "this is what i want to do" and so far i have continued that dream.’
Thomas Lynch, co-founder of Dads Rock said: ‘Making music helps so many aspects of our life, it’s great for self esteem and confidence. The sense of community is brilliant, we’ve got families from all over Edinburgh coming together to learn and play together. To see the young people perform onstage with their Mums and Dads, makes me so proud.’
Robert and his sons are still practicing and performing. Jamie, now 19, writes, and performs his own music. He also has his own band, with his brother. Whilst Nathan is in his last year of school and hopes to go into music.
Dad Robert said, ‘a music teacher told me, music doesn’t have an age, music has a feeling and it makes you feel alive. That’s stuck with me.’
This also featured on the Edinburgh Live page: Dads
To join Dads Rock Music lessons, and find out more click here: Dads Rock