Jordyn is a 16-year-old singer-songwriter from Warrington. Jordyn is transgender, and had a really tough time in school. Things got so bad at one stage that they attempted to take their own life. But being part of a music project has transformed their confidence.
“I was always kind of a tomboy growing up,” explains Jordyn, who lives with their mum and their two sisters, “and I just thought that was normal, but when I started going through puberty I started feeling really uncomfortable and having panic attacks. I’d get offended and really stressed out if people called me ‘she’.”
After doing some research, Jordyn realised they identified as non-binary – in their words: “not a boy, not a girl, somewhere in the middle” – and felt most comfortable being referred to as ‘they’ rather than ‘he’ or ‘she’.
People didn’t understand
“I’m comfortable with [my gender identity] now, but it definitely took a while to settle down with,” says Jordyn. Unfortunately, not everyone at school understood. Jordyn had particular issues with one teacher.
“I told the teacher that I didn’t feel comfortable using the girls’ changing rooms and they weren’t a fan of that. They constantly referred to me as a girl and I’d always correct them. I tried to explain so many times. Eventually I got fed up. I just said ‘I’m not a girl’ and then they said it again and said I was causing a scene. I was very offended by that, and I just said ‘until you respect that I’m not a girl I’m not going to listen to what you say’. They started screaming loads of horrible things at me.”
Jordyn faced bullying from other pupils too. “People just weren’t listening to what I was saying in lessons. I’d get people shouting ‘tranny’ and ‘faggot’ down the hallways at me.” Eventually they decided it’d be better for their mental health to leave school.
Finding support
For any young person, being educated at home can mean that opportunities to socialise with your peers are limited. Happily for Jordyn, taking part in activities at Warrington Youth Café – including the Music Blast project – has transformed their social life.
Jordyn first got involved through the venue’s weekly LGBT support group, where they met a number of other young people dealing with similar challenges, and made lots of new friends. Since joining the music sessions in January 2016, Jordyn’s confidence has soared – both musically and socially.
I’ve started playing a lot more shows, I’ve started songwriting a lot more, I’ve become more motivated in general because now I know I have this group of people that are stood behind me that want me to do well.
Guitars, gigs and GCSEs
Jordyn now performs live almost every week (and sometimes even more often), singing and playing a mix of originals and covers on acoustic guitar. Their biggest gig so far was at the Liverpool Pride Festival, where they performed in front of around 500 people.
They’ve also busked in Warrington town centre, given presentations to schools and conferences about their experiences, and even organised their own live music event: a fundraising concert for a young suicide prevention charity. Jordyn describes this achievement as “a massive thing for me.”
Jordyn’s also much happier on the education front now. They’re preparing to sit GCSEs this year, and have a tutor for Maths, English and Science, as well as teaching themselves Religious Studies and French.
Alongside their studies, Jordyn is planning to train as a mentor with another weekly music group at the Youth Café, teaching foster children to play instruments. Jordyn also hopes to become a group leader at the Music Blast sessions and has an eye on a music career in the future.
Cool Kids (Don’t Go To Prom)
Watch the music video for Jordyn’s debut single.
Giving back through music
“I think Jordyn should be commended for overcoming so many obstacles,” says Jean, a youth worker for Warrington Council who runs the Music Blast sessions.
“I remember Jordyn was initially reluctant to sing and play in front of everyone else, and that to me is the biggest transformation – they’re now a confident performer. Being able to express thoughts, emotions and ideas through music – I think it’s part of a healing process.”
Jordyn feels the same way about music and hopes their songwriting will help others too. “As soon as I learnt how to speak, I learnt how to sing, so it’s been the one constant in my life. Whenever things have been going a bit sideways in my life, I’ve always listened to music or written music to help, so I just want to be able to give something back.”
I’m using other people’s work to make myself feel better, so I want other people to be able to use mine.