Posted on: 12 June 2025
Service users on Pine Ward at Park Royal Mental Health Centre have written and composed an original album as part of a psychology group collaborating with Finding Rhythms.
Finding Rhythms is a charity that has collaborated with CNWL to deliver creative workshops that help patients use music to express themselves and connect with others. This was their very first time delivering a programme inside an inpatient mental health ward.
The programme began in autumn and wrapped before Christmas. Around 15 people participated over the weeks in a flexible drop-in format. All of them feature on the final album, alongside a special Christmas track that includes contributions from staff.
Patients worked with professional musicians and producers to write, record, and produce the songs in a small, makeshift recording studio on the ward. Every lyric, beat, and vocal was created from scratch - often using everyday sounds from the room itself. A powerful 19-track album was created, titled ‘Pine’.
You can hear the full album on Bandcamp here.
Tracks like In My Zone and Front Door Key came together in under an hour, full of freestyle verses. Others, like Light in the Dark and Seasons, grew over time with many voices adding layers. Every song tells a story of faith, identity, resilience and finding light in difficult places.
Cleo, a facilitator from Finding Rhythms, said:
"We wanted the project to be accessible to all of the residents, so we welcomed people to show up however they felt that day and that was always enough. They led all aspects of the project and at the heart of the sessions was the idea that people could tell their stories in their own words, however they wanted to. The project provided an opportunity for residents to explore their creativity, engage in something collaborative and leave the sessions feeling better than when they arrived."
Staff described the project as “one of the most creative” they’d ever seen. One participant who didn’t want to sing instead contributed stories from his life, which became spoken-word poetry, and another helped build a house track.
To launch the album, Pine Ward hosted a listening party in their dining room, transformed with decorations, inflatable instruments, and a record player-shaped cake. Staff, patients, and the Finding Rhythms crew came together to celebrate.
Katie Weatherall, Finding Rhythms Business Director said:
“We are proud to have delivered our first project within acute mental health services in Brent. In partnership with CNWL, this project demonstrated just how powerful music is in engaging and empowering people facing barriers. Huge thanks to the staff at Park Royal Mental Health Centre for making this happen."
Dr Tracy Chotoo, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Lead Psychologist for Brent, said:
“It was incredible to see service users share their stories in a different way, outside the usual clinical models.”
