Members of Making Music can apply to take part in the Adopt a Music Creator project, which is specially designed for leisure-time music groups and music directors wanting to take their first steps into making new music.
Applications for 2025 have now closed
There are three places on the year-long project. A panel including a professional mentor, a musical director from a previous Adopt a Music Creator participating group and representatives from Making Music and the PRS Foundation will select the three groups.
If your application is selected, your group will be paired up with an emerging professional music creator for one year from January 2025, to collaborate on producing a new piece that is unique to your group. An experienced professional mentor will be available to guide you and the music creator throughout the project.
Throughout the project, you will have the opportunity to share your progress with your community through open rehearsals, and publicity on Making Music’s website and networks. The project culminates in a premiere of your piece and the chance to have a professional recording made, organised with the support of Making Music.
'Very quickly we started to recognise bursts of notes that were familiar - Edgar [our music creator] really had taken a lot of what we'd contributed in the original workshop and included it. This was amazing to hear; not many of us would ever be in a position to compose something ourselves, so to hear the sounds we had created was incredible, and exciting!' - Rebecca Demott, member of the Bedfordshire Woodwind Academy Flute Ensemble
Timetable (guide only)
- October: shortlist of groups
- November: interviews with your group’s musical director
- Early January: launch event in London, where the pairings are announced and you get to meet your music creator, mentor and the other participating groups and music creators (virtual attendance via Zoom is possible)
- January-March: your group hosts a workshop introducing the music creator to your members
- February-May: you and your music creator work on developing the music piece
- April-May: your musical director attends our Group Development Session with the other participating groups’ MDs to share ideas and learnings
- May-June: your group rehearses the final draft of the music piece
- July-December: premiere concert, professional recording
Applications for 2025 have now closed
Any questions?
If your group is thinking about applying for the Adopt a Music Creator project but isn’t sure yet, have a look at these answers to some key questions that might help you decide.
The music creator's costs, the mentor’s fees, and expenses related to the placement of the music creator will be paid by the project. Groups will need to pay their travel expenses to the Adopt a Music Creator launch.
No, we welcome all types of groups! Community choirs, concert bands, bell ringers, ukulele bands, samba bands and many more can take part.
Not at all! The timetable on this webpage is only a guide. Each project is completely different and each music creator-group pairing can decide what works best for them. It’s fine for premieres to be scheduled any time up to the end of 2025.
Music creators apply separately to the Adopt a Music Creator project, and we then match them to the participating groups.
The Adopt a Music Creator judging panel works very hard to look carefully at the needs of each group and composer and match them up accordingly.
The project’s aim is to encourage groups to move out of their comfort zone and produce a collaborative piece of new music that both they and their adopted music creator can be proud of. To create the best kind of working relationship with your music creator, it’s important that you keep an open mind and open communication with them throughout the journey. We also provide an experienced mentor for you and your music creator, who is there to offer support, guidance and help with the smooth running of the relationship.
Music creators will need to complete a separate application form - find out more here.
Unfortunately not - the idea of the project is to create fresh pairings between groups and music creators who have not met before.
When you submit the online form you get a confirmation message on screen so you know that it has been submitted.
If you do not see the message, there are probably errors on the form which have prevented it from being submitted. Have a look at the form again and you should be able to see notes as to what these errors are and how to fix them. We also send an email confirmation a few days later; if you don’t receive this email please get in touch with us to check we have received your application.
Groups will be shortlisted in October - if you’re shortlisted we will arrange a telephone call with the musical director of your group. You will hear if you have been selected shortly after the music creator interviews in November.
Most groups rehearse one evening a week, and on the whole, the Adopt a Music Creator project should be able to fit into that structure. However, collaborating on a new work requires more rehearsal time than usual. You can also organise an extra, longer workshop on a weekend, but each project is very different and you’ll be able to decide with your music creator how best to manage the time you spend on the project.
The workshop can normally take place at one of your usual rehearsals; however it’s entirely up to you arrange what date or length of workshop best suits your group and your music creator.
At the beginning of the project you need to work out a suitable timetable with your music creator and mentor. Each project works to a different time frame according to when you schedule your premiere concert.
We’ll schedule this day when the groups have been selected, according to everyone’s availability.
The music creator retains all intellectual property rights in the new work, but grants permission to your music group to perform it, in perpetuity, as part of this project and its legacy.
If your group would like to take part in the project but isn't a member of Making Music, find out how the group can join.
