Adopt a Music Creator

Creating new music is a great way for music directors and leisure-time music groups to develop skills together and strengthen their bonds. The Adopt a Music Creator project offers a professional music creator and the supportive environment to do this.

Applications for 2025 have now closed

Who is this project for?

Any Making Music member group of any type and their music director can apply. The project is free to take part in and is particularly aimed at:

• member groups and music directors with no experience of commissioning new music
• music directors who would like to gain more experience of commissioning new music, even if their group does have experience
• music directors who have experience of commissioning but whose group would like to gain experience

What do groups and their music directors gain?

• A new piece of music tailored to the strengths and personality of the group
• The opportunity to be professionally recorded and premiere your new piece of music
• A working relationship with a skilled and committed professional music creator
• A remote, peer-learning development session for music directors, plus the experience and confidence to work with a living music creator 
• An exciting new experience and musical development for the group and music director 
• An experienced mentor on hand throughout to offer guidance and ensure the creative process runs smoothly
• An understanding of the collaborative process of creating new music and the knowledge and confidence to do it again independently
• Stronger connections and higher profile in the local community through open rehearsals and project publicity 
• Promotion of your Adopt a Music Creator journey on Making Music’s social media and website

'It felt absolutely fantastic to hear the clapping and cheering of the audience and to know that we had all pulled together to create such an enjoyable occasion for everyone. We would like to sincerely thank everyone who came to support us and all those people who helped to make the whole evening such a success.' - Hayley Hodges, member of Voices of Exmoor

'…this has given me the confidence that our students can take on anything, without fear that if it’s not ‘their thing’ they won’t engage – they were very open minded and enjoyed playing in different ways than they’re used to. We’re not in a financial position to commission new works, but I think that it is much more likely we would try contemporary music again in the future after this experience.' - Reading Youth Orchestra

How does Adopt a Music Creator work for groups?

Leisure-time music groups are paired with an emerging professional music creator for a year to create a new piece of music for premiere. There will also be the opportunity for the piece to be professionally recorded and broadcast on the radio. Throughout the year, we promote the group's progress via blogs on our website, which show a glimpse of the creative project.

Could your group get involved? Find out more: 

Group application page 

Want to apply for the project as a music creator? Find out more: Music creator application page

Who supports the project?

Adopt a Music Creator is funded by the PRS Foundation and the Philip and Dorothy Green Music Trust.

The PRS Foundation is the largest independent funder for new music in the UK. The foundation provides all the financial backing for the Adopt a Music Creator scheme.

Where can I listen to previous years' recordings?

Recordings of most of the pieces written for this project are available to listen to on our Soundcloud page.

Can my group perform AaMC pieces?

Re-scored versions of the musical pieces created throughout the years are available to our members for free.

Download legacy pieces

History

Adopt a Music Creator started all the way back in 2000, when it was known as Adopt a Composer, as a partnership project with Sound and Music, and it has since evolved into its current iteration. Pairings of music creators and groups have proved a winning formula over the years.

Adopt projects log