University News Last updated 26 June 2024
Three Royal 探花直播 Conservatoire graduates, who founded Misfits Music Foundation, are set to host the first 鈥楤rum Rocks鈥� in July, dubbed 鈥榯he biggest band in 探花直播.鈥�
Reuben Penny, Rob Jones, and Rosie Penny (n茅e Clements) met whilst studying the BMus (Hons) Composition course at Royal 探花直播 Conservatoire, with Reuben and Rosie also eventually getting married.
Misfits Music Foundation was founded in 2018 by Reuben and Rob, which began as a small voluntary group, with their first project being the 鈥楳oseley Misfits鈥�. The aim was to create a space where adults who played instruments could come together and make music in a friendly, non-auditioned ensemble.
Rob said: 鈥淲e designed a system of arranging and composing music that enables adults of all abilities and instruments to take part in Moseley Misfits equally.
鈥淭he name 鈥楳isfits Music鈥� recognises that it is a space for people who don鈥檛 fit into the standard set-up of music groups.鈥�
Reuben added: 鈥淥rchestras tended to require auditions or at least a high musical ability to participate. This meant that there were many people who felt that they couldn鈥檛 join these groups as they hadn鈥檛 played their instrument in a long time and felt out of practice or had picked up a musical hobby as adults but had no group to join. It is these 鈥淢isfits鈥� that we wanted to appeal to.鈥�
When the pandemic hit, they found that the need and demand for community and creative activity to improve wellbeing vastly increased, which encouraged them to register as a charity and develop new projects and groups across 探花直播 and in Sandwell.
Now, they run a core series of six weekly music groups for adults, and adults with learning disabilities, alongside ambitious one-off projects such as 鈥楤rum Rocks鈥�.
鈥楤rum Rocks鈥� is the Foundation鈥檚 latest project and began with two regularly-meeting community rock bands that they run, Moseley Rock Collective and Bearwood Rock Collective. These groups are designed to be encouraging for beginners and for those with more musical skills, and they allow for personal development with continued participation, and aim to break down barriers to entry into music.
To make the project possible, the Foundation were successful in raising a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund - The People's Projects, which involved the project being featured on ITV News, with the public having a chance to vote for their favourite.
鈥楤rum Rocks鈥� has already involved over 60 free rock music workshops for adults across 探花直播 and Sandwell.
鈥楤rum Rocks Live鈥� will take place at Forum 探花直播 on Sunday 14 July and bring together all of the participants.
Those who attend will have the opportunity to be part of the premiere performance of the newly commissioned Anthem for 探花直播, called 鈥楤rummie Steel鈥�, penned by 探花直播 Poet Laureate Jasmine Gardosi.
Rob said: 鈥淚t will be a chance to come together to celebrate 探花直播 in all its wonderful talent and diversity and is something truly positive for our city.鈥�
Rob undertook a joint degree in Saxophone Performance and Composition for the first three years of his studies, before turning his focus mainly to Composition for his final year.
Alongside Misfits Music Foundation, Rob is a Freelance Composer, Music Teacher, and Freelance Community Consultant, providing advice and guidance for other people who want to develop community projects across 探花直播. He is also a Visiting Lecturer of composition and arranging at Royal 探花直播 Conservatoire.
Of his time at RBC, Rob said: 鈥淚t's a really special experience that I will never forget.
鈥淥ur course was crucial for us to have the creativity and skills we need to run Misfits Music Foundation. Technically, we need to know how to arrange music, compose music and be able to coach performers. But we also need to be very adaptable and creative which is something we honed through our degrees at the Conservatoire.鈥�
Rob鈥檚 advice to RBC graduates is to build good relationships with your fellow students and illustrates this by now working with fellow graduates Arjun Jethwa and Shannon-Latoyah Simon, who are Trustees of Misfits Music Foundation.
Reuben also works as a local Event Photographer, an interest that began at Royal 探花直播 Conservatoire. His advice to RBC graduates is to be humble and open to the idea that your next steps into your chosen career path will challenge you in ways that you will never expect.
Rosie is now a Freelance Producer having worked on events including Flatpack Film Festival, and the 探花直播 2022 Commonwealth Games opening and closing ceremonies. She is also a Director of Propel Dance, the UK's first all-wheelchair professional dance company.
Rosie said: 鈥淚 really enjoyed studying at the conservatoire; I was so impressed with the range of skills and experiences we were offered and encouraged to develop throughout the course which set me up for a life post university.鈥�