The Old Vicarage care home in Bakewell produced a rap track and music video called "Rap-sody in Grey", featuring seven residents who call themselves the Six 4 Teen Crew. Activity co-ordinator James Dixon used local studio support and AI photo-to-video tools to turn residents’ life stories into rap and visual effects. The verses range from Tony Jackson’s near-death survival tales to Margaret Peat’s Liverpool pride, and the project boosted community spirit and confidence among participants.
Care-home residents form rap group and release "Rap-sody in Grey" — a music video with AI effects
The Old Vicarage care home in Bakewell produced a rap track and music video called "Rap-sody in Grey", featuring seven residents who call themselves the Six 4 Teen Crew. Activity co-ordinator James Dixon used local studio support and AI photo-to-video tools to turn residents’ life stories into rap and visual effects. The verses range from Tony Jackson’s near-death survival tales to Margaret Peat’s Liverpool pride, and the project boosted community spirit and confidence among participants.
09:36 AM, 11/14/2025Culture
Care-home residents create rap group and music video at the Old Vicarage
Residents of the Old Vicarage care home in Bakewell have surprised staff and visitors by appearing in their own rap music video. The project was led by James Dixon, the home’s activity co-ordinator, after a successful comedy Western production the previous year.
The resulting track, titled "Rap-sody in Grey," features seven residents who call themselves the Six 4 Teen Crew. Dixon, 46, who has a background in music production, worked with residents to capture life stories in rap and hip-hop styles many had never encountered before.
To make recording easier and more comfortable, a local studio team set up equipment in one of the care-home bedrooms so residents could record on site. Some residents tried writing lines themselves and turned their contributions into poetic lyrics.
Personal stories and playful visuals
One performer, Tony Jackson, 86, uses his verse to recount a lifetime of serious health challenges—from childhood convulsions to a broken neck, two bouts of Covid and a broken hip—before joking that the "[Grim] Reaper can't catch me." Jackson said his family jokingly believes he has "nine lives," and he credited Dixon for encouraging him and others to take part.
"So, although old years can be painful and difficult, when you've got somebody like James, you've got to do your best," Jackson said.
Margaret Peat, also 86, celebrates her Liverpool roots and fighting spirit in her verse, with a lighthearted caveat about anyone who dares change the channel on the "big TV."
Dixon also used AI photo-to-video tools to add imaginative visuals to the video—for example, playful sequences showing Tony fighting a Godzilla-like creature, appearing as a cat, or as if made of molten steel. He said AI allowed them to create effects he could not have imagined a year earlier.
Community and purpose
Dixon described the project as a fun, confidence-building activity that sparked conversation and strengthened bonds among residents. "I really want [the residents] to feel as special as we all know that they are," he said. The project demonstrates how creative activities, supported by modern tools and local collaborators, can give older people a new platform to share their stories.