00:00I always go anywhere with Simon and with Lauren.
00:03Think about which direction Rob's life could have gone if he didn't have music.
00:07I think it's just a wonderful thing to be able to support a friend.
00:18So I really wanted to get involved with the charity, not only because it's something that
00:23I'm passionate about. Music is something that I, from a very early age, I've always loved.
00:27But of course, you know, fitting in with what Simon does and me wanting to support his career
00:33and what he strives to do, which is to give children opportunities.
00:37For me, this is really important. It's about the social aspects and the mental health.
00:42A lot of stuff and a lot of research now, which is talking about kids and, you know,
00:46smartphones and iPads and tablets and social media and how that is literally destroying kids' childhoods.
00:54And obviously, with this charity, these kids, they can't afford to buy a musical instrument.
00:58They can't afford to take a lesson. They can't afford to be taught.
01:00And we have the opportunity and the privilege to be able to do these things.
01:04So I just wanted to really do this and help Simon to get back to this incredible cause.
01:11Does Eric play any musical instrument?
01:13He does!
01:14Drums!
01:15Did you guess that? Or he told you yourself?
01:17He does. He plays the drums.
01:19And let me tell you, drums or any instruments are really expensive.
01:23Yeah.
01:23Right?
01:24So to the point of this, yeah, it's like you've got to think, you know, this is really giving him
01:31confidence
01:32and he's happy and he enjoys it.
01:34And I love that he comes home from school and the first thing he wants to do is run into
01:38his bedroom
01:39and play the drums. And that, to me, says it all.
01:42Doesn't say hello to us.
01:43No.
01:44Goes upstairs and plays the drums.
01:46But wouldn't you rather that than playing stupid video games or being on an iPad?
01:49Yes.
01:49A hundred percent.
01:50Yeah.
01:50I always go anywhere with Simon and with Lauren when they ask me. We both, we've always supported
01:56each other.
01:57Yeah.
01:57Simon has always been incredible.
01:59In 2010, he said, don't worry about anything. We're right here for you and we'll always be
02:05by your side. And I won't ever forget that. Never. Never.
02:09So you want to support him and the son?
02:11Well, I want to support Lauren and Simon.
02:15If you can get a child to play music, the child will grow within its own ability of
02:21its own music within itself. So music is like creativity or colouring or finding that in
02:27your voice through a musical instrument or singing or anything to do which is creative.
02:34I think it's amazing what Simon and Lauren are achieving and they've been such incredible
02:38supporters of music, especially in the UK.
02:43I'm learning a little bit about the charity today and I think that's really wonderful.
02:47When you think about the power of music to unite people from all different walks of life,
02:53I think it's incredibly how important it is to inspire empathy and kindness and collaboration
02:58in people.
02:59Well, I mean, even in our own house, if I think about which direction Rob's life could
03:03have gone if he didn't have music, you know, and how that's been a savior. And also for Teddy,
03:08you know, my daughter, she's dyslexic and music is her great escape. And I think every child should
03:14have the ability to have that passion, have that vocation, and have that ability to be exposed to
03:20that because I think music's a great healer of a lot of things. And a lot of people who
03:23suffer on many levels, you know, get better and have a strength and empowerment in music. You know,
03:29the arts are a beautiful thing when it comes to self-empowerment in situations where you might not
03:34feel empowered. And I feel like everyone has the right to that.
03:37I wanted to come along today to support Lauren and Simon and their endeavours to show how important
03:42London Music Fund is for people coming up in music, people learning about music and getting opportunities that
03:49they wouldn't have necessarily had before.
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