|
Iryna Ushakova formed a band while living and studying in Nottingham, and now the band called MuHa are releasing a commemorative song for the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks . The music video entitled "The Journey from Ground Zero" is described by Iryna as a tribute to the lives lost and dreams followed.
"When I came to the UK to study a degree in Art and Design under the 9/11 British Council scholarship in 2003, I knew little about England. Before I had visited London for a few days to see traditional touristic places, and although it was interesting, it didn’t give me a real appreciation of the every-day life of the people.
To me, studying towards a degree in Nottingham - the home of Robin Hood- was so much more than just academic achievements, though those were important. It was a new chapter in my life with completely different scenery, new challenges, opportunities, friendships and an exciting time altogether. Being away from familiar surroundings is not easy for anyone, but it does provide an alternative view of the world around you and your place in it. After all, travel is perhaps one of the most important parts of any education.
In the beginning everything seemed different here in the UK- social systems with free medical care for all, for example, and the ‘English way’ of doing and saying things and their necessity to be polite at all times! But after a while the unknown becomes the familiar and the strange becomes the norm in your life (however this doesn’t relate to the English weather- I still cannot get used to it!) At the same time, it is interesting to hear from my son that he is proud to be American, even though he spent most of his life in the UK.
I lost my dad in the North Tower of the World Trade Centre. My father came to New York from Ukraine in pursue of his dreams; he worked very hard towards a better life so that he could retire and enjoy bringing up his grandchildren. This has never happened for him. This is something I still find difficult to deal with and it was one of the main reasons I was keen to take up the British Council 9/11 scholarship opportunity.
What happened to my Father taught me that you must do whatever you want in life and live in the here and now. Never put off important things for later. As a musician, I found Nottingham a fertile place to be in as the city is known for its active and diverse music scene. After a year of my studies I formed a band in with my musician friends. Over the years MuHa, my band, has developed and grown. We released our debut album in 2010 and now are well known in the East Midlands area as a multicultural band.
As a finalist of the International Student BC Shine competition I was invited to 10 Downing Street in 2006 to meet the then Prime Minister Tony Blair.Although I did not agree with the UK international policy at the time, I felt honoured to meet the leader of such small but powerful and diverse country, which remains very traditional and rich in history.
Having achieved my BA (Hons) degree I wanted to get work experience here in the UK. As a graduate I found full time job working in the insurance industry for a financial company Totemic. I feel lucky as for the last few years the company was voted as one of the best 100 companies to work for in the UK by the Financial Times.
The 9/11 Scholarship has changed my life. Everyone endures their own hardships and challenges in one way or another, and how that person copes depends on how robust a person he or she is. To me the scholarship became a helping hand to survive, to become stronger and to believe in myself. All of this plus travel! My father would have been very happy to know of my achievements, even though they came to me in such a hard way."
Find out more about studying in the UK
 |
 |
|
Find out more about Iryna's band MuHa |
|
|
|
View the music video |
|
|
|
Read an article about the band and video on This is Nottingham |
|
