The beats of Zoe’s version

Many people experienced a downturn in productivity during the last COVID-enforced lockdown.

In Zoe’s case, she found an outlet that took her passion for writing from strength to strength.

Making the most of her time in lockdown to put lyrics to tracks using the Rap Fame app on her phone, Zoe has been able to turn her raw demos into a fully realised hip hop track with the support of the staff at the Ozanam Learning Centre.

“If you listen to the Rap Fame app version, it’s just a jazz sample repeated three times – lyrics to some nice beats,” Zoe explains.

“Then we came in here [to the studio] and Omar’s made it a beautiful hip hop track.”

Drawing on her interests in jazz, blues, rap and hip hop to create ‘Honeypie’, Zoe is one of the artists featured as part of “Songbirds”, an album of original music written and recorded by members of the Ozanam Learning Centre community.

First coming into contact with the OLC while bringing up a child in Woolloomooloo, a return to the area many years later brought her back into contact with the service operated by the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.

Having recorded at the OLC music studios years earlier while volunteering with Hope Street, the opportunity to build on the demos recorded during lockdown saw Zoe take part in “Songbirds”, a song writing course where participants can tell their stories while gaining a greater understanding of musical and lyrical structure.

“I’ve always written… poetry, journal entries, quotes.”

“I think I’ve come to a really good time where my poetry is paying off and I can now put melody to it, and with assistance put music to it, which is fantastic.

Aspiring to return to study in order to become a teacher’s aide, Zoe is continuing to write and find connection at the OLC through a shared love of music.

“I think it’s great here – they are delivering such good services – it’s really fulfilling.”

The St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, in partnership with the Community Restorative Centre, has released Songbirds, an album of original music written and recorded by members of the Ozanam Learning Centre community.

Songbirds is available to stream/purchase on bandcamp.