I take pride in my works as an embedded composer within the community, and enjoy bringing music to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. I am a professional Musical Director, Choir leader and Sound and composition workshop leader. Between 2015 and 2018 I worked for CRISIS SKYLIGHT EDINBURGH delivering music workshops for homeless people in Edinburgh. I have also worked on songwriting projects with Edinburgh Women’s Aid, The Rock Trust and co-directed the BETHANY MALE VOICE CHOIR in 2018-2019. In Winter 2020 I delivered a series of workshops to CREATIVE SUPPORT - an organisation supporting people with learning needs in the UK.

rail 200 composition 2025- working with communities to create soundworks around the history of railways

Hailing from Shildon Co. Durham, the first town to host a passenger rail vogaye in 1825, Deborah partnered with Stockton and Darlington 26 Miles Fund, PRS Foundation, Tanfield Railway and National Railway Museum. As part of this composition Deborah composed new sound works and music, delivered workshops in local schools and communities, and worked with the community to collect oral histories about working on railways. The work will soon be installed as a sound walk around SHildon Co.Durham.

THE CHIMES PROJECT 2023- Sound and songwriting project celebrating the restoration of Paisley’s Carillon (clock tower)

A historic environment scotland / one ren council funded project

Deborah was commissioned to compose a series of brand new ‘Chimes’ for Paisley Town Hall’s Carillon - woking with community groups to write songs. Deborah worked with primary aged children, teenagers, a goups of learners with autism, a refugee group and local folk group to compose chimes which now play every week in Paisley on the Carillon bells!

To add further legacy to the project Deborah spent 2 days in the tower collecting sounds from the bells using beaters and hands, to create two soundscapes - Listen below.

seaverb - sea rising festival - commission from poRtobello community energy

Earth In COmmon - COmposer in Residence 2023/23

As composer in residence for environmental charity ‘Earth In Common,’ https://www.earth-in-common.org

I delivered a series of composition, sound and nature workshops within the community. The purpose of this residency was to raise awareness within the community of climate change, through engagement. I will present a series of compositions created by the Gaelic community in Edinburgh in May 2023 to showcase the results of the work carried out and present the community compositions.

As part of the residency I worked with young people to:-

• Write short songs about the environment / climate crisis

• Make musical instruments from recycled objects (shakers, mini harps, percussion instruments)

• Recorded sounds of nature using handheld recorders - birdsong, trees, insects)

• Making sound art - creating instruments that sound from the natural elements eg shell chimes, wind chimes, wind harps.

big picnic - people’s Food stories

Inequality, culture and knowledge all create barriers to accessing nutritious food, but many communities and individuals are striving to overcome them.

The EU has funded the BigPicnic project to explore the global challenge of food security using participatory methods to co-create resources.

As part of this project the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has been collaborating with local food initiatives to give a voice to people. Using digital storytelling, a quick and easy video making method, people have been able to develop and record personal food stories.

Musical Director / Composer - The welcoming choir

I am currently the MD for The Welcoming CHoir, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Welcoming is a charity welcoming new scots to include refugees, migrants and asylum seekers to Edinburgh. RThe choir is multicultural, and also a group where newcomers can imporve their English.

In December 2020 I was asked to write a song for the goup, comissioned by the charity. I wanted the song had to be e accessible to all levels of singing, all levels of English and to be free from religious references. Below is a recording of the final result:-

ONLINE SINGING SESSIONS: LOCKDOWN

For many years I have worked as a choir musical director, running choirs for all ages and abilities. Since the UK lockdown began in March 2020, I have moved these singing sessions online and continue to deliver virtual workshops to choirs and other groups. Recent clients include ‘The Welcoming ‘ Charity for newcomers to Scotland, based in Edinburgh and ‘Crisis’ The national charity for homeless people. I also run drop in sessions.

I also deliver sessions for companies who would like to increase the health and well being of their workforce, particularly those working in stressful jobs, or who are working at home. These are designed to lift morale and mood amongst workers, and provide an alternative online activity.

Over the festive season I am also offering Christmas sing alongs / celebrations, for teams who for social restrictions are finding it difficult to imagine a way to celebrate, in the absence of the traditional Christmas party. Please email debbie@shawmusic.co.uk for more information

edinburgh women’s aid - composer / musical director

I was comissioned by Edinburgh Women's Aid in 2018 to work with their members, to co-write and present a song marking 100 years since women were able to vote in the UK. We performed this at the Women's AId Scotland annual conference celbreating alo 45 years of Women's Aid. The project was challenging as many of the women had multiple complex needs and were or had recently saught refuge frowm abuse.

We reflected on the WOMEN's MARCH - a song Sang by suffragettes, what the words meant, and how this transtales to being a women in the 21st Century.