Getting to Know Francesca Dimech!

….Do you have a nickname?
I have loads – Franchie, Frantic, Franoir to name but a few. My favourite one is ‘Auntie Witch’, coined by my friend’s four-year-old daughter. I really don’t like being called Fran though – although it’s a losing battle trying to convince people not to.

Where are you from?
Caaaairdiff bruv! I live in Splott now but was born and raised around Grangetown and Penarth. My enormous family hail from Italy and Malta but many of them emigrated here so we’re quite the clan.

What would you name the autobiography of your life? 
In a few years’ time, I’m hoping to write my memoir: ‘From Splott to Eurovision’ (It’ll happen, just you watch!)

What’s something you think everyone should try at least once?
Take a drive through the ancient, enormous sequoia ‘Redwood’ trees on the Avenue of Giants in California really, really slowly. Breath-taking…

If you could meet anyone, who would you meet?
I would like to have met my great-grandfather. He was a hero in WW1 and rescued 40,000 men in a famous battle in the Alps, after which he was awarded the Italian equivalent of the George Cross.

What is the greatest song ever recorded and why? 
This is the hardest question ever! I have about four hundred joint-favourite bands/artists and among those, too many songs to choose from…’The Skye Boat Song’ has one of the most beautiful melodies to my ear, ‘Extraloveable’ by Prince has the best rhythm and production, lyrics-wise, nothing moves me more than ‘All the Things You Are’. OK, scrap that, I’m choosing Jo Stafford’s ‘No Other Love’. I’m a hopeless romantic and love, love songs. The melody is Chopin’s Études, which is so incredibly moving. The simple and calming instrumentation and her rich voice on this recording is pure perfection. Also, have you noticed that Radiohead have never recorded anything below 6/10?

What is it about music that sets your heart racing?
Words carried by simple melodies conveying honesty and emotion, whether that be humour, sadness, happiness, hope, loss, or love. I love to dance too. Something with a strong beat and a lot of horns gets me throwing my body around my kitchen every time.

How do you think music can help a community?
Music combines and transcends all the things that make up a community – language, movement, collaboration, freedom, shared experience. It can be a bridge unaffected by language barriers, class, and status. Communities are brought together through sharing music in a variety of ways, whether that’s actively participating, shared culture or consuming.

What do you hope to get out of Cornerstones?
I have been running community music projects for a few years and wanted to improve on several aspects. I want to learn more about more effective planning and marketing strategies, how to connect with more participants and learn some new fun activities to put into my sessions. I also want to learn more about methods of working with disabled and neurodiverse individuals to improve my teaching and outcomes for the participants.

Music matters to us all because…
It simultaneously belongs to nobody and everybody. It can be found everywhere, from the rhythmic gurgle of hydrothermal vents on the deep ocean floor to whistling winds swirling through the highest mountain ranges. I’ve enjoyed the songs of cicadas, shags, snakes, Schubert, and Shakira.

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Oes gen ti lysenw?
Mae gen i lond pob man ohonyn nhw - Franchie, Frantic, Franoir i enwi rhai yn unig. Fy hoff un yw ‘Auntie Witch’, a gafodd ei fathu gan ferch bedair oed fy ffrind. Mae’n gas gen i gael fy ngalw’n Fran beth bynnag – er fy mod wedi ceisio’n ofer i berswadio pobl i beidio â gwneud.

O ble wyt ti’n dod?
O Gyrdiiiidd! Rydw i’n byw yn Sblot nawr ond cefais fy ngeni a fy magu yn Grangetown a Phenarth. Mae fy nheulu anferth yn dod o’r Eidal a Malta ond ymfudodd llawer ohonynt yma felly rydyn ni’n griw eithaf mawr.

Beth fyddet ti’n galw dy hunangofiant?
Mewn ychydig o flynyddoedd rydw i’n gobeithio ysgrifennu fy nghofiant: ‘From Splott to Eurovision’ (Bydd yn siŵr o ddigwydd - gwyliwch y gofod!)

Beth wyt ti’n gredu y dylai pawb roi cynnig arno o leiaf unwaith mewn bywyd?
Mynd am dro yn y car drwy’r cochwydd ‘Redwood’ hynafol anferth ar Rodfa’r Cewri yng Nghaliffornia – a hynny’n araf, araf, araf. Bythgofiadwy…

Os byddet ti’n cael cyfarfod unrhyw un o gwbl, pwy fyddet ti’n ddewis?
Byddwn i’n hoffi cyfarfod fy hen hen dad-cu. Roedd e’n arwr yn y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf ac fe achubodd 40,000 o ddynion mewn brwydr enwog yn yr Alpau, a chafodd ei wobrwyo â’r fedal sy’n cyfateb i’r George Cross yn yr Eidal.

Beth yw’r gân orau a gafodd ei recordio erioed a pham?
Dyma’r cwestiwn mwyaf anodd erioed! Mae gen i tua pedwar cant o hoff fandiau/artistiaid ac o’r rheini gormod o lawer o ganeuon i ddewis rhyngddynt … Yn bersonol gan ’The Skye Boat Song’ mae un o’r alawon harddaf, a gan ‘Extraloveable’ gan Prince mae’r rhythm a’r gwaith cynhyrchu gorau. O ran geiriau does dim byd yn curo ‘All the Things You Are’. O iawn ‘te, anghofiwch hynny! Rydw i’n mynd i ddewis ‘No Other Love’ Jo Stafford. Rydw i’n berson rhamantus tu hwnt ac rydw i wrth fy modd gyda chaneuon serch. Yr alaw yw Études gan Chopin, sydd mor wefreiddiol. Mae’r sain syml a thawel ar yr offerynnau a’i llais cyfoethog ar y recordiad hwn yn berffeithrwydd pur. Hefyd, wnaethoch chi erioed sylwi nad yw Radiohead erioed wedi recordio dim o dan 6/10?

Beth, ynglŷn â cherddoriaeth, sy’n gwneud i dy galon garlamu?
Geiriau sy’n cael eu cludo gan felodïau syml sy’n cyfleu onestrwydd ac emosiwn, boed hynny’n hiwmor, tristwch, hapusrwydd, gobaith, colled neu gariad. Rydw i wrth fy modd yn dawnsio hefyd. Mae rhywbeth gyda churiad cryf a llawer o sŵn cyrn bob tro yn ddigon i wneud i mi neidio o amgylch y gegin.

Sut wyt ti’n meddwl y gall cerddoriaeth helpu cymdeithas?
Mae cerddoriaeth uwchlaw'r holl bethau sy'n ffurfio cymuned ac yn eu cyfuno – iaith,mudiad, cydweithio, rhyddid a phrofiad sy’n cael ei rannu. Mae’n gallu bod yn bont nadyw rhwystrau iaith, dosbarth a statws yn effeithio arni. Mae cymunedau'n cael eu dwynat ei gilydd drwy rannu cerddoriaeth mewn amrywiaeth o ffyrdd, boed hynny drwy gymryd rhan weithredol neu rannu ei diwylliant.

Beth wyt ti’n gobeithio ei gael yn Cornerstones?
Rydw i wedi bod yn cynnal prosiectau cerddoriaeth gymunedol ers rhai blynyddoedd acroeddwn eisiau gwella sawl agwedd. Rydw i eisiau dysgu mwy am strategaethaucynllunio a marchnata mwy effeithiol, sut i gysylltu â mwy o gyfranogwyr a dysgugweithgareddau hwyliog newydd y gallaf eu cynnwys yn fy sesiynau. Rydw i hefyd yn awyddus i ddysgu mwy am ddulliau o weithio gydag unigolion anabl a niwroamrywiol er mwyn gwella fy ffordd o addysgu a'r canlyniadau ar gyfer y rhai sy’n cymryd rhan.

Mae cerddoriaeth yn bwysig i bob un ohonom oherwydd...
Ar yr un pryd, nid yw cerddoriaeth yn perthyn i neb ac eto mae’n perthyn i bawb. Mae cerddoriaeth ym mhobman, ym myrlymiad rhythmig y fentiau hydrothermol yn nyfnderoedd y môr ac yn chwibaniad y gwyntoedd sy’n chwyrlïo heibio'r copaon uchaf.Rydw i hefyd wedi mwynhau caneuon sicadâu, mulfrain, nadroedd, Schubert, a Shakira.

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“Music combines and transcends all the things that make up a community – language, movement, collaboration, freedom, shared experience.”