About Us

Misfits Music began in 2018 with a simple idea: everyone should have the opportunity to make music with other people, whatever their experience or ability.

Co-founders Rob Jones and Reuben Penny both trained at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, but their connection to music has always been deeply personal. For Rob, playing the saxophone in an ensemble created an instant connection with other people. For Reuben, from taking a drum machine into primary school to mastering percussive performance, music built his confidence and gave him a place where he felt he belonged.

The Misfits movement began when Rob and Reuben established their first ensemble in Moseley, Birmingham. They believed that music designed for people of all abilities should still be ambitious and exciting. From the beginning, sessions have been led by professional music leaders, with pieces arranged in innovative ways to provide meaningful parts at different levels. This enables more people to participate, with every musician contributing to the rich, vibrant sound that continues to fill rehearsal rooms, venues and concert stages across the West Midlands.

Misfits Music began to gain real momentum in 2020. As the pandemic forced people apart, the need for connection and belonging became even greater. The team adapted quickly, moving sessions online and finding innovative ways for people to make music remotely, remain connected and experience moments of joy during an extraordinarily difficult period. More people discovered the friendship, purpose and sense of belonging that making music together could provide, and the movement continued to grow.

That same spirit of creativity, care and ambition has fuelled Misfits Music ever since. It was seen on a remarkable scale through Brum Rocks, which brought almost 1,000 people of different ages and abilities together to make music across Birmingham. The project even attracted messages of support from famous Birmingham-connected musicians Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Rob Halford, Nick Mason, Fyfe Dangerfield and Joan Armatrading, which were shared with participants at the final event.

People may first come for the music, but they also come for the friendships, confidence and belonging they find along the way. They arrive as strangers, and become part of something special.

Rob Jones and Reuben Penny
Co-Founders