SMASHROOMMUSIC & WELLBEING
Run by people who know what music can pull you through, because it pulled them through too. Founders, mentors, advisers and volunteers, all pulling in one direction.
Founder of The Smashroom, building this creative music space since 2009. A musician since childhood, shaped by his own experience of mental health, fibromyalgia and Long Covid, and devoted to helping others through music.
An army veteran and former publican who found a talent for connecting with people through performance. After throat surgery took his singing voice for two years, a therapy group helped him rebuild it. Now he helps others do the same.
A career that runs through Jimmy Cliff's band, the Band of Joy with Robert Plant and John Bonham, and MAS Lab artist development. He champions the project and helped co-design our Two Wolves programme.
Shannon helps keep Smashroom Music & Wellbeing CIC organised behind the scenes. She supports the project with administration, participant records, attendance, enquiries and day-to-day coordination, helping make sure sessions run smoothly and everyone feels welcomed and supported.
Ewen supports the project through music, encouragement and practical help during sessions. He helps participants feel comfortable getting involved, whether they are singing, playing, writing or simply building confidence around others. His calm and supportive approach reflects the welcoming spirit at the heart of Smashroom.
The people whose friendship and belief helped build Smashroom, long before it had a name.
Arron Harvey has been part of the journey behind Smashroom Music & Wellbeing CIC from the beginning. His friendship, support and belief in the project have helped shape the welcoming community we are building today. Arron represents the values at the heart of Smashroom: bringing people together through music, encouraging confidence, reducing isolation and creating a place where everyone feels accepted.
Known to everyone as Smiley, Dave Fall has been with us right from the beginning. Without his energy, encouragement and enthusiasm, many of the early sessions would never have come alive in the way they did. He constantly encouraged everyone to get involved, believed in people when they did not believe in themselves, and helped create the warm, welcoming atmosphere that Smashroom is built on. His positivity and commitment have played a huge part in shaping the community we are creating today.
Kort designed and built the Smashroom Music & Wellbeing website and looks after the digital side of the project. He runs Elev8Depictions, a Telford web design studio, and took this on because he believes a community doing this much good deserves a website with the same heart. From the design and the words to getting Smashroom found on Google, his aim is simple: help more people discover what happens here, and make taking the first step feel easy.
Which one do you feed?
Co-designed with Kevyn Gammond and the MAS Lab collaborators, this is a reflective music and wellbeing session built on an old idea: two wolves live inside us. Through discussion, lyric writing, spoken word and recording, we explore emotions, choices and self-talk, and give the better wolf a louder voice.
The one that grows on doubt and silence. We do not pretend it is not there. We name it, and then we get to work.
The one that grows every time you show up, write a line, sing a note or check in on someone. This is the wolf we feed here, together.
Outcomes we aim for: better self-awareness, stronger emotional expression, more confidence, less isolation, and creative expression through music and words.
Whether you want to take part, volunteer, mentor or bring your organisation alongside ours, we would love to hear from you.