Developing the next generation of community music leaders
Key Changers was born from New Note’s mission to harness the power of music for positive change. Over the past few years, it has evolved from a simple idea into a truly pioneering initiative – training people with lived experience of addiction to become community music leaders in a way that’s never been done before.
With the launch of the 2025 Key Changers programme, we look back at its beginnings and evolution, and the significant impact it has made so far.
2021: The spark of an idea
In August 2021, New Note musicians and Founder Molly co-created a three-year strategy for the Orchestra. This process not only identified the need for music interventions in rehabilitation centres – offering people in early recovery a creative community to be part of, but that the musicians were keen to develop New Note’s outreach work. This led to the inception of Key Changers, named by one of our musicians to encapsulate the dual meaning of music and transformation.
Over the next year, the concept evolved with input from our musicians, and we invited community music expert Graham Dowdall to help develop and pilot the programme. A highly respected musician and educator, Graham has trained, inspired and empowered so many in the community music sector. His impact on the field cannot be overstated, so it was a real honour to learn and benefit from his expertise.
2022: The pilot programme
The pilot officially launched with eight musicians undergoing five days of intensive training in community music facilitation with Graham. From this group, three musicians – Crispin, Matt and Roger, went on to deliver a series of workshops at Emmaus Brighton, YMCA Brighton and Crawley Open House.
Across these three venues, Key Changers facilitated:
- 18 music workshops
- 31 participants
- 83 total attendances
Participants often faced significant barriers to engagement, including homelessness, substance addiction, trauma and language or learning difficulties. Despite these challenges, both the workshop facilitators and service managers noted strong engagement during the workshops, and positive participant feedback and outcomes.
“The workshops were fun, interesting and happy. People forget to have fun and they don’t know that they’ve got these talents and interests and they need to come together… they need to have fun together.” – Service Manager
“The way the workshops were done was just perfect… The way (New Note) delivered them brought down a lot of barriers… The fun way in which they delivered them created positive emotions and a creative distraction for people.”- Service Manager
For the facilitators leading the workshops, this experience was also a positive one. They gained confidence, developed leadership skills and learned how to adapt their sessions to keep participants engaged. While turnout varied, facilitators found meaning in connecting with individuals:
“There was a gradual change in them all (the participants) and they got more confident. They came in quite fired up, and I came away from every session feeling really good, like we’d achieved something.”- Roger
“It’s been a real gift to have this opportunity to try something that’s new… I’m curious to see where it leads and I’m excited about the potential of it.” – Crispin
“Coming from such a dark history and stepping into the light and developing these skills… seeing a potential future for me on the horizon is life-changing.” – Matt
The pilot was a resounding success, proving that people in recovery could become community music leaders and inspire others through shared experience.
2023: Expanding the network
Building on the success of the pilot, we formed partnerships with SoundCastle and Wishing Well Music. These collaborations allowed our trainees to join a wider network of community musicians, sharing knowledge, experience and resources to strengthen their skills and broaden their impact.
2024: Building the programme
Graham Dowdall
With the expertise of Graham, Molly and Fernando, Lead Facilitator at SoundCastle, we formalised the Key Changers training programme in preparation for the full-scale launch in 2025. Very sadly, Graham passed away after a short illness in June, but his influence and passion for community music remains at the heart of Key Changers. His approach, techniques and teaching models have shaped the programme, and his legacy lives on through the countless musicians and music teachers he mentored and inspired.
2025: Launch
January 2025 saw Key Changers launch as a comprehensive training programme for musicians from marginalised backgrounds, extending beyond New Note. One of our participants comes from Emmaus, marking a full-circle moment in the Key Changers journey so far.
Twelve participants have embarked on a structured six month course designed to:
- train them in community music facilitation, focusing on rhythm, harmony and musical form
- teach ethical practice, giving and receiving feedback, and how to create safe spaces
- provide mentorship and real-world placements in settings like homeless hostels and addiction centres
At the time of writing, the course is well and truly underway, and we can’t wait to see what our incredible 2025 cohort of budding community musicians will do next- watch this space!
“The Key Changers programme remains the first of its kind—supporting musicians with lived experience of addiction to step into leadership roles in community music. This perfectly aligns with New Note’s 10th anniversary, as we continue to expand our services to make the arts and performance accessible to all, while fostering the supportive connections vital to recovery.”- Molly Mathieson, New Note Founder
In memory of Graham Dowdall
With thanks to the following organisations for their generous support:
