New music program helping with dyslexia

AN inspirational initiative is helping community members in the Tweed and Gold Coast regions with dyslexia learn through its free, bespoke music program.

Unlocking a love of learning with the power of music is the central tenet for Sexceed, developed by musician Martin Way and his brother-in-law Allan McGregor.

Now 65, McGregor said that as a child, he loved nature and had a curiosity about the world, but school was a world where words didn’t make sense, and reading was a puzzle.

“Children who learn differently can be labelled as lazy or slow, when in fact they simply process information in unique ways,” he said.

“When a dyslexic child is confronted with a problem they can’t solve, it creates anxiety and blocks further learning.”

The statistics and impacts of learning challenges are long known, yet they remain nonetheless startling.

More than 49 per cent of rough sleepers are dyslexic.

Over 48 per cent of prison inmates are dyslexic, as are around 31 per cent of children in juvenile detention centres.

“They’ve all been through the school system, and the system is failing people,” McGregor said.

“Before I understood my dyslexia, I found music was a tremendous help in stimulating my brain and calming my mind, and it helped me overcome the mental block caused by unsolved problems.”

McGregor said Sexceed wasn’t just a name but a mission.

“Being dyslexic, you take note of when people say the word succeed,” he said.

“A lot of time they’re saying ‘sexceed’, not ‘suck-seed’.

“It started with me wanting a personalized plate for a racing car, and succeed wasn’t available, but sexceed was, and I could see the meaning.”

McGregor always knew it would be controversial but went with it and said people love it or they don’t.

“I’ve had 70-year-old aunties say, I love that word – I’d wear it on a sweatshirt,” McGregor said.

“There is a barrier there, but I’m trying to break that down.

“I’ve always believed it would work – look at the likes of Virgin and Spanx; they’re all common names we don’t think twice about.

“At the end of the day, it’s about language and learning, and music can help you do that.”

For more information, visit sexceed.com