About this Short Film
No description available for this film.
Film Details
Country:
Australia
State:
Victoria
Category:
Open Entrant Documentaries
Genre:
Personal Story
Festival Year:
2026
Filmmaker:
Kale McQuade
Film Transcript
CHIPS is a program for young people age 12–25 living with a primary diagnosis of a chronic illness. CHIPS stands for Cardio Illness Peer Support. Within the program, we set up all sorts of opportunities for the young people in the program to support each other. This year we've been really fortunate to be working on the music project that's being called Chips Tunes. The goal for Chips Tunes is to get a group of chippers together who have an interest in music to write some songs, play some instruments, and record them.
Songwriting and playing music for me is an outlet for what I'm feeling, for what I'm going through. Just being able to lose myself in the music is really good for me. I unfortunately gave up music a long time ago, but CHIPS kind of brought me back into it. CHIPS has actually helped me to be louder and not be so quiet and timid. I can just sing a little bit more. CHIPS has given me this sense of autonomy again.
I didn't go to mainstream schools for a very long time, so I never got to properly experience music classes, messing around with instruments and getting to write songs. I've been able to gain so much experience with a new hobby that I've never really been able to embrace by myself.
We've used quite a few different things to come up with song ideas. One of them has to do with picture cards. Each of us picks one or two pictures that we are drawn to. It's kind of like there's a fire: everything is burning around you, but you were the only two things still. One week we just had music on loop and we spit bold ideas at each other.
Music has always been my out for me and it's always sort of been my safe comfort space. It's a language that everyone understands. Despite what we're going through, we're still able to contribute.
The most rewarding part is when we have one of those moments where the song feels awesome, or the chorus is cool, or someone is really happy with the lyrics. Can't go to uni full time. My whole life is part time and I'm sick of having a part-time life. I want a full-time life.
It can be silly. You don't have to put on this face or this mask. We can be ourselves. We get to make some really ridiculous amount of noise. Make a wish. Really, really silly song.
It's a unique outlet that is really accessible. That's what's beautiful about music and songwriting: there aren't very many barriers to doing it. I think one of the best things is when you realise, oh, you found what you need for the song. Everyone jumpish kid.
Last year I had to relearn how to speak as part of one of my chronic illnesses. Picking up my guitar again helped me actually get my voice back because it uses different neural pathways than speaking.
The complications that we go through are very isolating. Often we're in hospitals or at home, unable to really go out and interact with people our own age. Not being in school, I don't have a social aspect. Being able to have a dedicated time each week to actually grab a musical instrument and play, when I hadn't been able to make that time for a long time, means I can still enjoy something that I didn't think two years ago I'd be able to get.
I spent a solid month and a half of this project in hospital, and even throughout that I was still on FaceTime getting to contribute in the recording studio, getting to see that all sort of come to life. A lot of us have grown even just as artists. This program is full of really talented musicians, which is just great. Getting to be like, "we've built this, we've done this, we've written these," because I'm not a hospital kid anymore. I'm a hospital. We've recorded them.
I think that's probably the coolest thing to reflect back on. I pick up an instrument, I feel the flow again, and it's always there. I think it feeds the soul. I think friendships and the connections that occur within this process are really special. Being able to just let go of everything else and just focus on music and songwriting, you can get lost in that own little world and everything else just kind of fades away.
Filmmaker
Kale McQuade is the filmmaker behind this entry. See every Focus on Ability entry from Kale McQuade.
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