“Music is the answer: everyone I have ever worked with feels better after they engage in music.”
This February, Last Night A DJ Saved My Life Foundation is taking an all-star cast of artists, educators, and facilitators to Tanzania to deliver our music education programmes Get Equipped and Street to Street – using music to build skills, confidence, and hope.
Joining us on this journey is Jane Reeves, an artist and community musician who has spent her life creating connection through sound. Born into a touring musical family and performing professionally from a young age, Jane’s path has led her far beyond the stage and deep into communities, where music becomes a shared language rather than a performance.
With years of experience working across prisons, mental health services, and community spaces, she uses singing and music as powerful tools for wellbeing, expression, and human connection. Alongside this work, Jane is an accomplished musical director, arranger, and educator. She has founded and led multiple award-winning community choirs and co-created Choir Player, a global platform supporting choir leaders and singers around the world. Her practice is rooted in accessibility – removing barriers to participation and proving that musical excellence and inclusivity can exist side by side.
Open, sensitive, and unapologetically warm, Jane’s approach is informal but deeply informed. It’s not about performance or perfection – it’s about participation. In Tanzania, she’ll be delivering Get Equipped sessions, sharing musical joy and creating space for young people to discover what they’re capable of together.
Ahead of our adventure in Tanzania we caught up with Jane to find out why she served a massive YES to joining us this February…
What motivated you to volunteer with Last Night A DJ Saved My Life Foundation and participate in this experience?
“I am extremely fortunate to make a living doing the thing I love. The last two years have been really difficult – but the result is that I have even more focus. When this first came up, during a dark time last year, it seemed like an insane proposal.
When it came up again recently, I knew it was time. Music is what communities need. It is the answer to so much human suffering. It doesn’t solve problems, but it brings connection, peace and love wherever it is shared. This purpose and expression brings healing that I have first hand and professional experience of. I have never met a human that didn’t benefit from sharing musical joy.
Doctors are now allowed to prescribe joining a choir – it literally has a positive effect on your mental and physical wellbeing. I could wang on for ages about that!”
Whether it’s music, art, connection, teaching, or energy – what do you hope to share with the young people we’ll be working with?
“I have been facilitating and leading all kinds of groups in all kinds of places. From prisons, to Mental Health Services I have devised, run and prescribed all kinds of engagements with groups and singing for wellbeing. I’m so lucky to find the thing I’m supposed to be doing. Once that happens, there’s a synergy between you and the people you work with. I hope to share my own rather informal, yet informed, approach to music and singing. I have tried to be a ‘scholarly’ teacher but my specialty is putting groups at ease, and showing them what they can do in the most unserious way.”
What do you hope to gain personally and professionally from joining us in Tanzania?
“I am learning to accept that, one of the reasons, why I am successful in my job is because I am sensitive to the point of pain! As much as it frightens me, I need to seek as many opportunities to embrace that fear. I want to connect and share the musical magic – it flows between people, as they lift each other – I can’t wait to bring a little authenticity and see what comes out. (Scary shit – you have to be a bit vulnerable).”
Why is our organisation important to you?
“As I said, music is the answer: everyone I have ever worked with feels better after they engage in singing or music in some way: and anyone can do it. I can’t wait to share some of my skills and bring my kind of joy to the community. I am a facilitator I think – using my skills to bring joyful, musical experiences to people, who in turn shine their joy right back at me. A synergy that I am driven to share with as many people as possible. I’m not cool at all. I’m warm as f*^k.”
Our charity’s mission is centered around building hope through music and unlocking all the joy that comes with creativity. How do you see yourself contributing to furthering this mission during the experience?
“It’s not just important: it’s everything. There’s a George Bernard Shaw quote about the true joy in life. The first time I read it, I realised that it was how I felt about life.
Give. As much as you can. People can help others in different ways and it all matters to others and makes a difference. Both to the receiver but also to the giver. First time I felt it was when I had kids – it was a relief to have something more important than me to look after. They’re grown now…”
“This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake.
Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”
George Bernard Shaw
What do you love about LNADJ and the work we do?
“You are working to supply joy where it is needed through music. It’s my mission too.”
Can you share one record that changed or saved your life?
“The first song that I ‘felt’ was Breakin’ Down (Sugar Samba) by Julia & Company. It was featured on Now That’s What I Call Music 2 so I was ten. It was the delicious groove and tasteful vibe. I know that now, of course, but at the time it just captured my heart and made me dance which gave me a little hope.”
From all of us at LNADJ, Big Love and all the smiles to Jane for joining us on our mission to build hope through music. We are excited for you to see your energy shine through and cannot wait for you to join us.
If you’d like to learn more about Get Equipped, head here.
Please head to Jane’s Just Giving page here to support Jane and help fund this pioneering music education project.
Thank you, and as always, Big Love
Team LNADJ x
