A stage, and a room full of strangers
For many women, music is something written alone, in private, carrying feelings that aren’t easy to say out loud. But what happens when that private work has to become something shared? The Loud and Clear sessions set out to find an answer and in doing so, brought a group of women together, and brought the wider community together with them.
The Loud and Clear sessions not only brought a group of amazing women together but also helped the community come together, and let people witness what women’s hard work looks like on a stage.
Strangers, grouped by sound
Loud and Clear is a small, independent promotions company run by a woman named Eve. Eve put the women into different groups based on the genre of music they tended to write in, or where the different women lived.
The project itself was a songwriting project, as each of the women wrote music on their own, all working hard to make a career out of the music industry which is not an easy thing to do alone.
The women in these photos are Becca Hunter, Erin O’Callaghan, Cici Chen and Corin McDonald.
The project meant the women in the group had to work together to write a set, which would be performed at a gig once the project had ended.
Strangers learning to write together
These women were mostly strangers to each other, and writing music is full of personal emotions and experiences. So beginning to write together felt awkward at first.
Time is an important thing. The more time the women spent sitting down together, learning about each other’s views, opinions and life stories, the more it built a connection that will last into the future.
A lot of effort went into preparing for the end gig, as rehearsals progressed from writing sessions to arranging songs. When women work together like this, each putting forward their own special talents, so much can be achieved.
Mind, body and soul
One of the band members has an acting degree, showing that women don’t have to stick to one specific career path — working hard in different areas is very possible, as long as one understands their own limits, by knowing when they need rest and when something is simply too much.
Her acting degree allowed her to bring an important exercise to the group: mind, body and soul. This involved taking a moment to understand how each band member’s mind, body and soul was feeling, so they could effectively support and understand each other throughout rehearsals.
The band members felt they worked very well together, thanks to the excellent group placement from Eve — personalities blended well, and so did music styles, leading to fewer disagreements as they all had similar ways of working and thinking.
Learning the importance of rest
However, there was a lesson these women needed to learn about the importance of rest. One rehearsal went on for too long; the band had a lot of work to do and pushed their limits by not allowing for proper breaks. This makes focus much harder when a person is tired — to work to the best of their abilities, the band needed to take care of each other through breaks.
It can be difficult for women to take breaks when the workload feels overwhelmingly large. A break may feel “undeserved,” but a break isn’t something people need to deserve, or do a certain amount of work to have — a break should be taken when it is most needed.
New friendships, lasting bonds
For these women, working together in this band opened up new, supportive friendships, with some members wanting to perform together at future gigs, or simply go along to watch each other’s individual shows. The band members now have people they can ask for help from in future, with this newly gained understanding of each other.
Writing together allowed them to share personal stories that cannot be forgotten. These moments of vulnerability bring these women together and form a lasting bond.
“When it’s all women, there is a sense of unity”
A quote from Corin McDonald, my own sister and one of the amazing songwriters in the band: “When it’s all women, there is a sense of unity.”
I believe this is a very true statement — working together with women can be completely different to working with other genders. Women naturally come together.
The night of the gig
When the time came for the main gig, band members invited their own friends and family, expanding each band member’s audience as new people got to see them perform.
Leith Depot is the venue where the band performed, and it is a very community-driven venue — a place for community members to come together and spend the evening with entertainment and friendly company.
The band encouraged the audience to sing along to certain parts of the songs. Many people feel vulnerable singing out loud, so this brings the audience together as they overcome their embarrassment together and become one with the singing crowd.
The band members wanted to recreate the atmosphere they felt during rehearsals — a cosy, open environment where everyone can feel safe and at ease.
More than a gig
The Loud and Clear sessions not only brought a group of women together and showed how much they could achieve as a group, but also let the audience experience the talent of female musicians, and gave them the chance to support smaller artists.
The women in these photos are Becca Hunter, Erin O’Callaghan and Cici Chen.
If you know a woman with a story to write, a stage to find, or a community to build — platforms like this are how it starts.
This is part of how Adelphe Connect champions community projects that enhance women’s lives. We share real stories from the women and communities we work alongside.
🤔 What kind of community story would you like to see next? Let us know in the comments.
You can follow Corin’s instagram here: @this_is_corin
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