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The Jamming Station Story

EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH MUSIC

Jamming Station is a hub where artists can connect and grow creatively through crafting ideas, making music and performing. Exciting projects support young people to strengthen their voice and expression, helping them to step up in their lives with greater confidence and resilience. Whatever the ability or background, we offer young people the opportunity to develop core skills, gain valuable experience and find the inspiration to reach high in their lives. The organisation is founded on the understanding that engaging in music can be transformative and empowering, can inspire social change and create a culture of respect for individuals and communities.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Having two drummers in the family Jacqui Perks was accustomed to noise! But it was only when her son kept bringing home a gang of friends who crammed themselves into a very small attic room to ‘rehearse’ that Jacqui realised that there was nowhere in Totnes for kids to get together outside of school to chill and make some music. So she set her mind to find somewhere that she could hire. Along with mothers, musicians and local music teachers Lee Friese-Greene and Beth Coombes they loaded up their cars every week with drum kit and amps and ran sessions from the local Youth Club. Jamming Station grew as a grassroots community based project that engaged young people in all aspects of the organisation.

13 years on and Jamming Station has grown into a highly respected and much loved youth music project in the region.

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Meet the team

Jacqui

JACQUI  PERKS

Jacqui Perks, the daughter of Italian and Irish immigrants, is the Founder and Co-Director of Jamming Station. She was born in Liverpool in the ’60’s. Her father’s love of Country music, in particular Johnny Cash, still influences her passion for close harmony work and a song that tells a story. 

In her early 20's she graduated from Dartington College of Arts and spent the next ten years searching, like many, for that elusive 'deal' gigging in various bands and later, as a solo artist, across the London venues such as the Rock Garden, Powerhouse and Mean Fiddler.

She moved back down to the South West to raise her family feeding them on a healthy diet of Joni Michell, Bob Marley, Alison Krauss, U2, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, Blondie, Talking heads and Soul music. They in turn have nourished her on Kanye West, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Grohl, St. Vincent, Christine and the Queens and Billie Eilish. Songwriting continues to be her main joy working solo on crafting "beautifully miserable songs" and co-writing with those who can challenge her obsession with a 6/8 rhythm and an A minor scale. 

Jamming Station has been her unexpected offspring growing out of the need of her 12 year son needing to make some big noise on his drums with his mates. She feels blessed to have nurtured the project with her fellow director Beth. She continues to find young people inspiring and is passionate about helping them break ground, stepping out of their comfort zones to take creative risks, discover their own voice and to accept imperfections.



BETH  COOMBES

Beth Coombes is a coach, musician and Co-Director of Jamming Station.
Beth has been teaching piano and vocal skills for decades, helping young people to find their voice and passions for music, sing in harmony and perform their favourite music.

Beth chose to dedicate her free time to music at the age of seven. It gave her a structure and emotional language that was needed amidst the chaos of life. She worked with the Suzuki Method and through the grades, and composed simple pieces. Her teenage years were vibrant yet tough as she faced challenges with breakdown in the family bullying at school and living in a multi ethnic part of the city where there was racism, drugs, violence and a lack of safety particularly for young women. Life would been amazing for her as a teenager with a supportive social musical environment. This gave her the impetus to work with other young people.

She began mentoring in her 20's, helping others to create music from scratch and in her 30's with 7 year of teaching behind her she trained as a music leader and was inspired to develop a platform for young people to meet. Then she met Jacqui and joined the Jamming Station platform soon after it had begun, to help coach young people, fundraise and bring creative thinking to the organisation and her music training to the sessions. Her areas of work are: Strategy, partnerships, finances, team support, evaluation, safeguarding and sometimes content. Her passion is really with singing and piano composition and looks forward to recording this year.

Beth


Cara

Cara Walker

 

Cara Walker is the Project Manager for Jamming Station, coming from a background in Film and TV Production she is well versed in the creative industries.

Cara moved to Totnes at the age of 11 and spent her teenage years growing up here. She well remembers the limited “cool” options for young people and a strong feeling that young people were not really welcomed in the town. She is thrilled to be part of one of the organisations in Totnes working hard to change that and give creative, constructive and positive outlets to the young people in this town.

Cara has always had musical leanings, growing up playing the flute, guitar and singing in choirs. Her plan was to be a rock star but life took her down the filmmaking road instead. Cara studied a Foundation Diploma in Lens Based Media at Exeter College followed by a degree in Contemporary Media Practice at the University of Westminster in London. Remaining in London after graduation, Cara worked freelance in film and for the Directors Guild of Great Britain. Finally fed up of being hemmed in by the M25, Cara returned to the countryside and Totnes in 2009. Cara finally moved away from the fast paced environment of TV production in 2020 to join Jamming Station.

Although a punk at heart, Cara has a love for all musical genres and loves watching live music.

 

 



Lotti Jullien
Administrator

 

Lotti moved to Devon in 2003 and graduated from Dartington College of Arts with a BA in Music Composition in 2006. Since then she has composed and performed a variety of music and theatre productions, as well as working as a producer for local community radio. Lotti is quite new to the Jamming Station family, but loves the organisation’s ethos and only wishes she had had something like this growing up!

 

 

Lotti


        
YOUTH-LED APPROACH

“I particularly like Jamming Station’s youth-led approach. Listening to where they’re at, what they want and then helping them to achieve that”
Amy Bickford, parent & officer for Devon County Council

Brilliant!

"It was brilliant. People really enjoyed seeing the young musicians having the chance to perform on the Barrel House Ballroom stage. I hope these evenings will continue to happen"
Mike, Audience member, Ashburton.

Support Us

Become a patron and make an impact. Every penny donated goes to supporting our young people from as little as £5 a month or a ‘One off’ gift.