What Not – Music n What Not

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

3rd December 20223rd December 2022 Music n What NotLeave a comment

Today is December 3rd, which is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. A day I have always found important but more so since family members have been diagnosed with disabilities, I myself have and becoming an adult. It has become more important now because I have had first hand visibility to the lack of inclusivity out there for those with disabilities! It’s slowly getting better, but there is so much more that can be done…

This years theme is;

This focus allows employment, both accessing and remaining in, to be improved whether with technology and/or innovative solutions supporting with employers increasing their hiring for those with disabilities. It also will help to support those with disabilities in obtaining/remaining in employment by paving a way for new ideas to be really investigating the current support “options” improving them and removing insufficient ones. All in all this is providing a stepping stone in the pathway of the right direction to massive inclusivity for disabled persons.

For more information about this theme and events around it head to https://idpwd.org!

Whilst discussing inclusivity related to disability i’d like to share a little reminder of ways we can be more inclusive on a daily basis, especially with social media. So i’ve put together a little list below to start your inclusivity of persons with disabilities journey! These are all ones I try to be mindful of and include in my personal and work life too;

Thank you as always for reading! Remember that this post is written with love and the intention of raising awareness and resources. Please add any resources you may have in the comments below xo

My diagnosis journey with Autoimmune Disease (Coeliac Disease) and Disabilities

Relax don't…. Wait what's your arm doing?

13th July 201813th August 2022 Music n What NotLeave a comment

Firstly, thank you for your patience with my absence. Secondly, blogging for me is about being honest. Sharing with you how things like music make me feel, experience and my general thoughts/opinions. Therefore this post is me being as honest as I can about why I’ve been distant from blogging and reviewing for so long. And to explain what’s been going on since December 2017.

So in December 2017 I plucked up the courage to go to the doctors, to try and get them to understand what I was dealing with. At 22 years old I had been living every day for the last 9 years with chronic pain in my knees. A chronic pain which had spread to my left shoulder, hips, wrists and fingers, ankles and toes, elbows and lower back. I am suffering with joint movement, where often my knee cap wouldn’t be in the right place, and could be visibly seen. My left arm would be much longer in appearance as my shoulder would partially dislocate. My hips would move around often resulting in serve pain. And finally they listened and referred me to a Rheumatologist!!

Along came the appointment in January 2018, where I was asked questions that if it wasn’t a doctor I would usually lie about. Had to do things like touch my toes, stretch my arms out and show how close my thumb can get to my wrist. Then the Rheumatologist confirmed I had scored 8/9 on the Beighton Score, I had severe Hypermobility and would need an Echocardiogram, MRI of my lower spine and pelvis, blood test and would be referred to a specialist Physiotherapist.

In February the results of my blood test where back. Low vitamin D levels and Coeliac Disease. That was the biggest shock, as I didn’t know it was being tested as I only knew about my Thyroid being tested. This meant a Gastroscopy was now needed and I must live a Gluten Free life. But the best news from that was no sign of any arthritis kicking in yet (as I am prone to getting it at an early age). Buzzing! Then I had my MRI & Echocardiogram done.

MRI results weren’t the best as they showed problems with discs in my spine, meaning I have things to look out for which could mean an A&E trip. But on the flip side my pelvis was okay, which was great news!

So April lead to another doctor’s trip as now my right foot was turning in. With anticipation I explained what was going on, and after an examination was referred again to another specialist who then referred me to Podiatry.

Roll on to May and I’ve had the Gastroscopy test (sedation is a very strange experience I must admit), and the results are back confirming I must live a Gluten Free diet due to having Coeliac Disease – 100% confirmed. It is great to have confirmation that I am doing the right thing by eating Gluten Free, but even better results came back for my Echocardiogram! The results showed no problems with my heart, so at least my heart is behaving!

Physiotherapy sessions are going well with each one so far focusing on different areas of my body. There are talks of moving from exercises to physical activities to try and feel more active and like my old gym going self before the pain and dislocations got too much.
Podiatry have told me no more Converse (but I can’t part ways yet so still wear them but not as much) and high backed supportive shoes are a must! I’m still looking for a pair that I like and can wear at work as I work full time in an office and I need the support as I can often be on my feet for long periods due to being a trainer. More so I need the high back and support because I have to wear an insole in my right shoe, which makes me look wonkier than normal which is a little bit funny lmao.

With all this I have had to come to terms with a lot of things the last few months however I am now in a good place. With all these tests now nicely finished, and only regular trips to physiotherapy and podiatry, I am getting back into my routine. I am doing yoga, and looking to start cycling again (as advised by my physiotherapist) and getting back into writing. Which has all contributed to me being ready to get back to what I love; blogging, reviewing and sharing my thoughts/opinions with you all. I’m looking at music and adventure posts like before, but now looking at food and hypermobility posts too! I have found my silver lining…

So… I am 23 years old living life with Chronic Pain, Severe Hypermobility Syndrome and Coeliac Disease. I am learning to be open about things, to be realistic and to let go of feeling ashamed that I will not be able to do everything without help – when I said learning I definitely mean it with that bit as I am so stubborn aha. As well as learning to listen to my body and trying very hard to not see my conditions as massive negatives.

My advice to anyone regardless of age or how you feel about what you’re going through, make the doctors listen! Listen to what your body is telling you. It knows you better than you know you!

If you have any questions please feel free to get in touch in the usual means!

Thank you all again for your kindness during this time of disappearance xo

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my post filled with my opinions and thoughts. I honestly means more than you could imagine!

If you’d like to leave any feedback or comments, please do so in the comments box below.

Thank you,

Leanne xo

Hello. It’s me… The creator of Music and What Not

8th April 201713th August 2022 Music n What NotLeave a comment

So a little bit later on in the year it’s been two years since Music and What Not became a thing. Over those two years there’s been some guest posts, some editing help and the introduction to What Not posts, building the blog up to more than just a Music blog and fitting the name more. But something I haven’t really done is truly introduce myself or what Music and What Not is here for. So I thought why not do it now!

So here we go, the mask is being removed!

My names Leanne and I live in Birmingham in the United Kingdom. I am the Creator and Writer for the blog Music and What Not and now the one and only Editor (scary I know). I started the blog back in 2015 after realising how much music affects my life, how passionate I am towards it and well I missed my old blog and felt I had a lot more potential now I’ve grown and matured. I will be the first to admit I’ve had some help on the way, and after a serious ego boost I realised I am capable of producing some amazing things. In 2016 I made the decision to take on the What Not side of the blog and dabbled with posts that aren’t music related, but things that interest me and i’m still passionate about. I also got to do my first ever sponsored blog post and boy was it amazing to do! So I can honestly say you can expect a lot more from me over then next few years as I bring more music posts, definitely some more What Not posts about all things from books, films, tattoos and art.

Now that’s the blog side of things, here’s the nitty gritty…

… My original welcome/about me post was vary minimal but I can confirm that I do still love animals, Tim Burton and I still would love a Raccoon! Now I wish I could say I was lying when I said this next sentence, but honestly I’m not and truthfully I love it! I am a massive nerd. I studied science at college for three years, two of those years being Forensic Science with hints of Medical Science. I was prepping to go to University to study Radiotherapy when I realised I’m still an absolutely baby and didn’t want to leave home after being declined by the University of my dreams (okay maybe that’s a bit dramatic, I didn’t really dream of University). Before I found Science I wanted to be in the Military, but with my lack of understanding of Physics I went on to what I understood best, Chemistry and Biology, hence the college studies. So from deciding University was a no no, I searched endlessly for jobs and apprentices which resulted in applying for an Apprenticeship in Business that I was adamant was not for me and I was never going to work in an office. I got that job and its safe to say that was the making of me! Three years later I’m still working in an office and still loving it! And office work has rekindled my love for numbers, I mean I did say I am a massive nerd, which has resulted in me taking further studies. So career wise, that’s pretty much as nerdy as it gets. Life wise however, it gets a little bit more in depth…
I am a massive fan of Tim Burton (as I just mentioned, told you its a massive obsession), Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, Big Bang Theory and crime programmes. Literally any crime programme I will watch. Oh and period dramas, I am a sucker for period dramas such as Little Woman and Pride and Prejudice. Oh and I am also in love with Halloween!

Now asides from the blog I’m a pretty boring person to be honest. I love tea, I love sitting in my bedroom away from the world and well either listening to music or listening to music and doodling in one of my many sketch books. Oh that or getting tattoos. I currently have two sleeves in process, one a lot closer to completion than the other and that one being my arm. I have 11 tattoos in total however 2 will become 1 (I hope that was sung like the Spice Girls) when my arm sleeve is completed over the next few months. Another importance for me is spending time with my family and friends. Now I’m not the best at that as I am very much good at being a loner, but they are all very important to me. Including our family pet, who is a beautiful English Springer Spaniel who is absolutely bonkers and built like a tank! I swear if this guy runs at you in excitement, prepare to hit the ground he is solid!

So there you have it, if I’m not blogging/updating social media for the blog, I’m either submerged in; numbers, family time, wrestling the Springer, working, art’ing (including making up words), attempting to socialise or binge watching LOTR or singing along to The Nightmare Before Christmas for the 1081232 time.

Besides all that I am very passionate about raising awareness for Autism and Cancer research. Both of which are very important in my life. I have a younger sibling who has Aspergers, and they are simply the best and I don’t think I could love anyone more than I love them. I also have a few cousins who have Autism too, however they each individually appear on different sections of the spectrum. So knowing the struggles that Autistic people go through on a daily basis has meant I was absolutely shocked at how many people don’t know about it! For example, that ambulance going down the road may sound loud to you, but to someone with Autism who has hypersensitive hearing, that may sound like the siren itself is directly next to their eardrum, which is extremely painful. And if you weren’t aware of that, imagine how that same Autistic man feel if you are calling them weird or laughing at them as they have a meltdown in the street over that noise.So my aim is to spread as much awareness about that as I can, even if it means I’m only helping to educate a few people!
Now Cancer research is a massive thing to me because that’s what I was studying into. I wanted to help people throughout their treatment of Radiotherapy. Now I’m no longer pursuing that, my aim is to continue to give money to the charities, who are helping with the funding of the research to help find a cure, as I always have done. This has always been something I’ve been passionate about however, its also a hard reality I’ve had to face many times over the years that I’ve been alive. I have lost many loved ones to this disease, one more recently than I would have liked, so my desire to help fund that cause is amplified more and more as each day goes by. So much so I am looking into entering a few fund raisers myself, so watch this space!

Now this may not have been the most exciting post out of all my posts, however I hope now these posts will feel more personal and more relatable, as you have a bigger insight to who I am as a person and not just Music and What Not. As my aim with this blog is not to just express my opinions, but to connect with people and remind at least one person how powerful music is and maybe even that its okay to not dig that number 1 single from the UK Top 40 chart. But to also remind people that music is the biggest connection in the world, that it generally doesn’t have any judgement attached to it. For example there will be someone 4000 miles away that is equally in love and touched by that Lana Del Rey song you are, and you may both comment on a blog post wrote by someone else who is a further 4000 miles away from you both. Which results in all three of you communicating and have a great conversation whilst being completely oblivious to what each others race/religion/sexuality/class is. And to me, that’s beautiful and what music is all about!!

Its expression, its an escape and its a unity!

Now lets get back to Music and What Not shall we?

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my post filled with my opinions and thoughts. I honestly means more than you could imagine!

If you’d like to leave any feedback or comments, please do so in the comments box below.

Thank you,

Leanne xo

Casual dip into Merseyside

31st October 201613th August 2022 Music n What NotLeave a comment

One of my deepest and greatest loves is exploring, and another is architecture. But then again I am a massive nerd, so when its the history behind a city or cute little village it always has me drawn in further. With that being said, I decided it was about time I wrote another What Not post. So I thought what better way to write my second ever What Not post, than combining two of my favourite things (outside of music)? Now I am from England, in the United Kingdom, and like many countries it is full with iconic and historical cities. However, there is one city that is beautiful, musical and well just beaming with history. Intrigued? You better carry on reading then…

… There’s a beautiful city that’s filled with both old and new architecture. A city that is also full, and I mean full, of musical talent. A city that’s well known for its accent and its people, but also for its iconic docks. I have been incredibly lucky that within the last 12 months I have had the pleasure to visit this city three times. And each time I have fallen more in love than the last. Although my last visit saw me become absolutely smitten, due to the fact that every time I have visited I have saw a little more. But the last time I went, I was graced with a lot and boy was it beautiful. So now here I am, as already mentioned, absolutely smitten and writing about my last trip there. I’m going to talk briefly about what I did there (as the trip had some personal aspects I wont go into too much detail) and the amazing experiences I got to have.

Now if you haven’t worked it out already, I am of course talking about Liverpool.

Liverpool, is a maritime city that worked as a key trade port (up until early 20th century), and has a direct line ferry wise to Ireland, with its docks being a very famous historical feature and well a great tourist attraction. It is also famous for its musical talents such as Cilla Black and of course The Beatles, but also houses talent that hasn’t yet been discovered! Literally there are performers everywhere you turn its amazing to witness!I was lucky to go and visit the docks during my last trip there, as well as explore Matthew Street which is home to The Cavern a worldwide famous monument. However, Liverpool also houses some stunning pieces of architecture that I also got to see due to being able to explore just outside of the town centre.

The buildings that surround Liverpool are a large mixture of old Victorian styled properties, buildings with beautiful carved columns and gargoyles. But also big towering modern day pieces filled with glass and chrome. I cannot put into words how beautiful the buildings are there, I can however explain the beauty behind the contrast and mixture of modern meets old, and how it truly amazed me. What was the key attraction to this mix was that the modern buildings didn’t overpower or undermine the older ones. Somehow the older ones stood prouder and more pronounced, but they also work with the modern builds, breaking down the harshness of the chrome and sharpness of the glass.

Now when it comes to Liverpool’s fascinating history, I don’t feel I know quite enough to be able to talk about it. So I utterly suggest, if the history of cities fascinates you, doing some research into this lovely place. I was lucky in that the personal aspect of the trip allowed me to speak to someone who generally loves the city in which they live, and having them provide me with some of the vast amount of historical knowledge they had was just absolutely amazing. Liverpool is more than its music, it is more than its university and hospital, it’s about its docks and trades.

Now besides all the architecture and history of Liverpool, what surprised me the most was how friendly everyone there seemed to be. There was no animosity towards tourists, taxi drivers were chatty and cheery and well the night life there is surreal. It’s so vibrant and so full of energy, literally everyone was there to have a good time and that was it. I mean a good example of how different nightlife is in Liverpool to what I am used to in the city I live is that I was accidentally clunked on the head with a pint glass. Now this didn’t faze me as I knew it was an accident, however the guy who did it was extremely apologetic straight away even providing a comforting shoulder tap. This is just unusual for me as normally that happens and you get ignored, so much so that I think my shock at his apology was visible to the poor guy.

Now I mentioned how everyone is there to have fun, well the biggest showcase of that was everyone dancing, singing and well not caring what they looked like! Also no one cared how drunk or even how sober they were, they were there to enjoy the night and listen to the beautiful live music that was being performed. And honestly, that was probably one of my highlights of visiting Liverpool. Like for me seeing visually people enjoying themselves and having fun just makes the environment just that extra bit pleasant, and with some of the night life experiences I’ve had over the years it was just perfect. I mean being able to dance to live music and not having a single thought of what I looked like floating round my head was just pure bliss.

Now I could go on forever about Liverpool and its people and history and architecture, but I will stop here. I will however, recommend strongly you go visit this beautiful city! I can also state that I cannot wait to go again!!

P.s. look out for something new up and coming very shortly… xo

I just want to take this time to say, that the moments you take out of your day to read my opinions and thoughts mean a lot to me. So from the bottom of my heart thank you! If you’d like to leave any feedback or comments, please do so in the comments box below.

Thank you,

Leanne xo

Graphic minds

18th October 20156th August 2022 Music n What NotLeave a comment

So this isn’t actually a post about music, but more about graphic design and the revamp of this blog!

We see graphic design work everywhere; from every day logos, to car designs, to account profiles/avatars such as YouTubers profile pictures. Why am I talking about graphic design? Because I’ve recently had some work done to the blog, by a very talented graphic designer, who also happens to be one of my closest friends. I’ve known him for many, many years; he is super talented and incredibly sweet. Ladies and gents, for my new title, header and background (plus all the finishing touches done throughout) a HUGE thank you to Adam. I honestly can’t thank him enough, especially as he’s busy with university, work, band life and much more.

He has a graphics blog up and running, so head over to it now >> vvooreviscom.tumblr.com . Also you can access his portfolio which is here >> www.behance.net/vvoore

So, I just want to say thank you Adam for sorting out my blog. Keep up the good work and I can’t wait to see more.

As well as graphic design, Adam also plays guitar (very well) in a band called Sextapes so check them out on YouTube, or even try to get down to a gig!