For some people, music and songwriting can be an essential part of recovery, but not everyone has had the opportunity to actually learn the basics of writing your own track and recording it. Lucky, Not Saints has announced a new course open to groups and organizations in the world of addiction recovery to help people realise their musical dreams.

The Musical Futures Programme, from the UK’s only sober music label, Not Saints, is a music course designed to help those new to recovery or those seeking recovery to find confidence, connection, and creative self-expression.

The programme focuses on songwriting and recording as an avenue for self-expression and is open to anyone with an interest in music, regardless of experience or ability. The course is facilitated by Mishkin Fitzgerald, a professional musician and music teacher with over 20 years of experience, and Chris De Banks, founder of Not Saints and a musician with over 25 years of experience. The course will cover everything from why creativity is good for mental health to how to record your own music with home equipment.

By engaging with peers and sharing in creative practice early in their recovery, participants will start building their community connections and find the value of engaging with the wider recovery community in their area. Participants will be shown through creative practice that they have far more to offer than just being an alcoholic or addict and that they have the skills and abilities to achieve more for themselves and their community.

Alongside the described skills of songwriting, structure, and basic music production, participants will learn or enhance existing skills such as collaboration, listening skills, critiquing, patience, and perseverance. All of which are transferable skills for an ongoing recovery.

For more information, contact chris@notsaints.co.uk.