Over the course of a year, 14 year old Leah blossoms into the budding musician she has always wanted to be - overcoming her obstacles on the way.

Leah first attended Jack Drum Arts one year ago as part of Carnival Club over the Easter holidays. Unsure and somewhat hesitant to take part, Leah tried her hand at drumming and dancing alongside her friend Megan and younger brother Jenson.

When Jenson decided to join Get Set Samba, Leah attended too. What was initially an attempt to support her brother quickly became something she enjoyed doing herself, a lot!

Leah’s first gig with Get Set Samba was for the Queen’s Jubilee in 2022, and she has recently performed again with the band at the King’s Coronation Gala.

Additionally, she has performed at Lambton Park for St Cuthbert’s Hospice, Jack Drum Arts’ youth festival BOP Fest and the NE Youth Burns Night Ball.

In October Leah was invited to join Runaway Samba, and performed with the band in the Winter Light Parade in Crook.

She is also looking forward to performing in the Durham Miners’ Gala as part of Jack Drum Arts’ Nordestinos project which fuses music and dance from the North East of Brazil with folk songs from the North East of England, and features more than 80 performers including drummers, dancers, singers and brass players.

In addition to drumming with Get Set Samba, Runaway Samba and Nordestinos, Leah is now the lead singer for Jack Drum Arts’ Youth Music funded rock back; Jazzy Dystopia, who recently recorded their original track Cookie Crimes at Wear Jammin CIC recording studio in Tow Law.

Leah shared:

“To be able to experience the things that I do, especially at my age, it really is so amazing because I’m presented with so many opportunities […] I do really really love it, it’s such an indescribable feeling when you’re there and when you’re in it.”

Leah’s mental health

COVID-19 significantly impacted Leah’s mental health. She said:

“I did nothing […] it was really bad, I used to sit in my bedroom and you know I just sort of sorrow with myself.”

“I struggled a lot with anxiety and putting myself out there. I dealt with panic attacks a lot, I still do, and being here it has helped me come out of my shell so much.”

By attending sessions at Jack Drum Arts and connecting with like-minded young people, Leah described:

“It makes you feel at home. It makes you feel like someone knows what you are going through and it’s a really nice feeling.”

“I’ve never really been a part of anything, like I went in and out of gymnastics a lot when I was little, I tried dance but it wasn’t my thing. […] I tried netball […] but nothing really compared to what I feel when I’m at [Jack Drum Arts] like I didn’t have what I have when I’m here in those other activities.”

“I feel like I’m wanted. I don’t feel like I’m coming because I have to, I feel like I’m wanted and people want me around.”

“To think like a year ago or two years ago I couldn’t even go into a shop by myself […] and now I’m out and I’m performing gigs in front of hundreds of people, it’s amazing.”

One year on for Leah

Leah describes how, one year since first attending Jack Drum Arts, she has “become much more myself”. She said:

“I know what I want completely”.

Leah is currently studying for her GCSEs, and in the future would like to become a musician or an architect.

She is looking forward to more gigs in the future, and although enjoys drumming, she describes how singing is where “it all started” so she is particularly excited about performing with Jazzy Dystopia.

She is also enjoying leading in Get Set Samba, and would like to follow in the footsteps of many others and become a young leader at Jack Drum Arts.

She describes:

“It’s a part of me now, I don’t think I could live without it. Its like glue, it sticks to you”

“No-one ever makes you feel like a burden [at Jack Drum Arts], no-one makes you feel like you don’t belong there. Once you’re there, you’re part of the family.”

“I do really think that nowadays […] everyone is like ‘oh yeah like troublemaker this and that’, and then you have your young people that aren’t, and the people that just want to be seen and heard. And it’s so difficult to be like that when there’s this whole stereotype to every single young person. So I'm glad that I’m here. I’m glad that I’m heard. I’m seen to be like everyone else.”