About Us
Catch Music is a network of people who love music and want to help build a more inclusive and friendly community. Our goal is to support people with a disability or mental health illness to pursue their love of music, and in so doing to meet and connect with other members of the community. We run a number of inclusive music activities across Perth designed for musicians of all ages and abilities.
Our Philosophy
At Catch Music we believe the best thing about music is the joy and fun that comes from playing music with other people. Music is wonderful in all its forms, but nothing beats the experience of playing in a group - it gives you something to work towards, it improves your playing, and it's a great way to meet other people.
Catch Music is a place where anyone from the public - no matter what their age or abilities - can find other people who share their passion and start making music.
How We Operate
Catch Music runs regular community music sessions across Perth. These sessions are held weekly, usually on a weekday evening in a local community centre.
Our sessions are run by a music facilitator whose job it is to lead the session and to make sure everyone is included and feels welcome, even those with limited musical skills. We find the biggest obstacle to people not playing music is the fear and intimidation of people thinking they're not good enough, so we try to make our sessions as informal and friendly as possible. We make a particular effort to welcome and include people with a disability, people with a mental health illness, and people who are marginalised or socially isolated for other reasons.
Typically each of our sessions includes 20 to 25 regular musicians. People bring their own instruments. If someone doesn't have an instrument we provide basic instruments or people share. We also have slots for general members, people who are complete beginners, and of course our roadies and groupies! - people who contribute in other ways.
Our sessions each have a unique feel and flavour. Some groups are more rock orientated while others are more pop or folk orientated. What Catch Music does is to provide a location and a music facilitator to lead the session - the group itself chooses the music, decides if they want to give any public performances, and works out how best to organise themselves.
About The Organisation
Catch Music was formed at the start of 2007 and became an official not-for-profit incorporated association on 23 May 2007.
After a few pilot projects to test the waters and get a sense of what we wanted to do, we launched our first Catch Music session at the Loftus Community Centre in Leederville in November 2008. That same Leederville session is still going strong, and we have since started many other sessions.
One of the things we are most proud of as an organisation is our commitment to welcoming and including people from all walks of life, particularly people with a disability or mental health illness. We pride ourselves on the inclusive nature of our sessions.
Catch Music is run by a team of dedicated volunteers who make up the organisation's Board. The responsibilities of the Board are outlined in our Catch Music Constitution. At any given time the Board must include at least five people, including a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary, who are elected at Catch Music's AGM in September each year.
Currently our Board members are:
- David Colvin (Chairperson)
- Sebastian Kane (Vice-Chairperson)
- Corinne Mercer (Treasurer)
- Neil Francis (Secretary)
- Claire Coleman
- Valerie Lang
For more information about Catch Music, feel free to contact us at any time.
