Striking the right note

Schoolboy Ethan Lawlor’s ‘happiness campaign’ will culminate this weekend with a music concert, says Louise Roseingrave

A Think Big mental health poster inspired 17-year-old Ethan Lawlor to start a ‘happiness campaign’ that culminates this weekend with a gig at the Connolly’s of Leap pub. Cork band Fred headline in a pub famous for its posters of musicians, part of the late proprietor Paddy McNicholl’s collection of memorabilia.

Ethan saw the Think Big poster at Schull community college. A joint initiative set up by O2 and Headstrong (the National Centre for Youth Mental Health), Think Big funds young people (14-25) to undertake projects that positively impact on the mental health of their peers. Some 160 projects have been approved nationwide to date.

Ethan teamed up with classmate Ryan Crowley (17), from Ballydehob, to stage ‘happiness day’ at their school in Mar 2011. They placed ‘feel good’ slogans on all 24 classroom doors and had activities, free chocolate and a break-dance performance. “The atmosphere was electric. Everyone was happy, dancing and having fun — even the teachers,” Ryan says.

Ethan attended Think Big training and workshops.

For his follow-up project, the Think Big gig, he gained a mentor, Nicola Mortimer, of the ICT department in O2.

Ryan shares a story of a Think Big representative addressing 400 girls at a Dublin secondary school. Asked about their mental health, not one girl raised her hand in response. “For them to be so unaware, it really shows the lack of understanding of what your mental health is. People don’t take their mental health seriously.

“It’s basically what made you happy or sad today. It’s just emotion. It’s projects like this that bring it to the forefront and let people know,” he says.

Ethan says it’s important to take five minutes daily to process events. “Cyberbullying is an issue, it happens anonymously and people don’t talk about it. But one of the biggest things is the Leaving Certificate system. It’s outdated, it doesn’t cater for students and it puts too much pressure on them,” he says.

The Irish tendency to mask difficult emotions and topics hinders young people. “One of the big problems is people don’t talk about how they feel. They bottle it all up and then something happens that makes them snap.

“It’s as if you shouldn’t need to talk about it, or ‘no one wants to know what I am thinking’, when, in actual fact, everyone wants to know because they love you and they want to help you,” Ryan says.

With his training, Ethan is helping his peers develop coping mechanisms, such as music. “It’s the opportunity to grow ourselves, to help others understand the concept of mental health, to change the stigma attached to it and to make people happy,” he says. The World Health Organisation defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual recognises their own abilities and is able to cope with normal daily stresses in life.”

A survey of second-level students carried out by Headstrong reveals worrying trends: 25% of fifth-year students are problem drinkers, and 34% are by sixth year. School, family and friends are the top three causes of stress for second-level students.

Headstrong say music is critical as a release for young people. “Music and emotions are intricately entwined: both performing and listening to music helps us to relax, connect, feel soothed and be inspired in its expression of joy, hope and melancholy,” says Nuala Smith, Think Big coordinator at Headstrong.

Thousands of music fans who attended gigs at Connolly’s might agree. Paddy was dedicated to live music. He died of cancer in 2010, but Sam McNicholl (21), his youngest son, says the venue is coming alive again through a progression of private parties and gigs.

“I was the person closest to dad in terms of music, helping the bands set up since I was young. After his death, the emails and stories came flooding in and it was then I realised what an amazing impression he made on the place, how important to people it was,” Sam says. The return of Connolly’s as a ‘BYO’ (bring your own drinks) venue for live music has been “a natural progression that people are responding to”.

When he heard Ethan and Ryan wanted to stage a Think Big gig, Sam offered them the use of the best venue they could imagine.

“There is something about the atmosphere there, the acoustics are naturally phenomenal. The character of the building makes you feel warm and welcome. We wanted to stage this event in a positive environment and we can achieve that perfectly in Connolly’s,” Ethan says.

The Think Big gig at Connolly’s of Leap is a (free) ticket-only event this Saturday, Jul 14. Doors open at 1.30pm.

Tickets are available through the facebook page: www.facebook.com/ThinkBigGig. Buses will run from Cork to facilitate the gig, featuring headliners Fred, the B-positives and W!LD.

Fred will play a second, evening gig at Connolly’s at 9pm (tickets sold separately).