12 Oct 2025
LOUD & PROUD offers band mentorship sessions at a music venue in Hawkes Bay. The sessions are a place of connection and joy for people who might not otherwise have an outlet for their musical talent and aspirations.
Music therapist Sinead Hegarty is the driving force behind LOUD & PROUD. The idea sprang from her research interests and working at a community center for adults with disabilities. She recognised how important music was to people’s lives.
“They'll be listening to music all day, or they'll be dreaming about buying an electric guitar, and that's all they talk about, you know?” Sinead says.
Eskavan AKA 'Esky E' says music is one of his favourite things to do. LOUD & PROUD is a place where he can show others what he is capable of.
"Music means to me everything... I do music of my own, because that's how I feel. And my entire family will help me and will support me for my music. And the album I am doing with Sinead and my album is like, I have to do it, because I want to be a world-famous celebrity because that is my dream,” Eskavan says.
Sinead recognises that Eskavan’s feeling about music is uniquely his own and is also typical of those who gather at LOUD & PROUD. Many face attitudes and barriers that prevent them from expressing their desire to be musicians.
"I’m not creating participants’ musical identities – the musical identities are there – I’ve been able to make a space where that can be expressed. I’ve been really inspired by community-centred approaches to addressing issues of social justice. I’ve seen that building networks is a powerful way to shift people’s perspectives and address those barriers,” she says.
Her response was to connect the music therapy participants she worked with to the local music community.
“I contacted my friend Campbell Burns, a local musician, sound artist and adaptive music specialist. He has experience supporting individuals with physical impairments to access music using adaptive technologies. Campbell was really excited to bring his expertise into the community space.”
Nicholas Lopez and Richard Gannon also support the programme. Both have studied music at the local polytechnic and had been involved with Star Jam (a charitable trust that offered music, dance, and performance workshops for people with disabilities – now liquidated).
“Nico’s from Colombia, and he has a real passion for world music, so he brings a lot of cool cultural experiences for the musicians that come along. And he is very skilled at dance as well, so he brings a lot of movement-based musical experiences.”
Richard is a rock guitarist, a genre that is big with the LOUD & PROUD attendees.
“Nico and Richard bring a great presence, and I said from the start that the more we're ourselves as musicians, the better. We nurture a sense of belonging for musicians and the wider Disability community, and we’re committed to helping people engage in ways that honour who they are,” Sinead says.
That commitment is evident in feedback, both from participants like Eskavan and their whānau.
The whānau of one of the young men who attends LOUD & PROUD says the opportunity to be part of a group has been powerful.
“Our son can express himself through music while having social interactions with peers in a safe and secure environment. He is a very high needs young man with many complexities, making it challenging for him to be in school or visit places. [...] The classes are planned out and structured yet allow free flow to suit his changing nature and needs.”
Sinead says the participants each have different aspirations; some really enjoy performance, others are content to play a small percussion instrument, and some are very happy in the audience. For those who do enjoy performing, being in a performance venue has been incredibly affirming.
Music venue Paisley Stage is a crucial part of the programme, making space available once a week. The regular audience is mostly whānau, friends and support workers, and that’s good practice for bigger gigs. As the reputation of the LOUD & PROUD performers grows, invitations have come in from community events including Fringe Festival, local Children’s Festival Lift Off and, this year, International Day for Persons with Disabilities.
With a second year of successful delivery now underway, the search is on for ongoing partnerships and funding opportunities for the programme to continue in 2026. Sinead is also starting to think about what has led to LOUD & PROUD’s success and how she can document the key elements of the programme.
“I’d like to work with all the people who contribute to this work to generate a best practice model for community music and inclusive band mentorship that we can share at conferences and with communities. Honestly, it's about honoring the aspirations of each of the musicians that comes along.”
LOUD & PROUD has received support from the Creative Impact Fund in 2024 and 2025
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