Thanks

Ryan McGhee
The Mile Low Club

Of course I will Ryan!

Imagine the TV room of an ageing psychiatric ward. The patients sit slumped in worn easy chairs spaced out and doped up on their medication. The care workers are clustered around a table at the back of the room smoking cigarettes and gossiping. A young woman walks in. Pretty and enthusiastic she turns the TV off and begins to ferry a variety of musical instruments into the room. A bass guitar is set up next to a humming 50-watt amp; percussion instruments are laid out on a table before the young lady goes about erecting a three-piece drum kit. The care workers look on suspiciously as keyboards and a microphone and amplifier join the array of musical instruments.

The young woman is a music therapist. She wants to make music, a special kind of music for special people. Suddenly her mobile phone rings and she leaves the room to take the call. The care workers get back to damaging their lungs and minding other peoples business as the patient’s stare at the now blank television screen. But then one of them moves. A skinny autistic young adult slowly exits from the soft urine proof confines of his chair. He shuffles towards the bass guitar drawn by the amplifiers faint low hum. He picks up the bass and tentatively plucks at the strings. The low resonant sound rouses others from their drug-induced coma. A woman in the latter half of middle age jumps up clapping and goes to position her self behind the drum kick. She begins to band out an odd rhythm to match the unconventional bass notes. A balding man in a food stained sweatshirt two sizes too small picks up one of the battery-powered keyboards and turns it on. He strokes and stabs at the keys a smile spreading across his face at the sounds he is manufacturing. Very soon all are making music; all except one. With spastic movements and flickering eyes the last of the patients rises from his chair and takes the crowning position behind the microphone stand. He begins to rant putting words to the collective musical expression of dilapidated mental health. The care workers have stopped gossiping. Instead they are staring open mouthed at the musical spectacle in front of them. As the music reaches an organic climax the music therapist re-enters the room. She watches her prodigies with a broad smile on her face. Then as unexpectedly as it started the music ends. The orchestra bows and the MC speaks.
“Welcome to the Mile Low Club!”

Download a 30 second sound bite of Rinky Dink from their album " Special Records for special People".

To contact the Mile Low Club write to:
Ryan McGhee
5 Ashbrook Avenue
Borrowash
Derby
Derbyshire
DE72 4JE
UK