How Powderham Live! is helping young musicians across Devon

This passion project was set up nine years ago with enthusiastic support from AJ Courtenay, then the Countess of Devon, who had acted in musicals, on stage and in film in her native America where, as an actress, she was known as AJ Langer. Musician Robin Brown, who runs a thriving low-cost rehearsal space in Teignmouth called The Cave Music Project, used his background as a youth worker and community music project manager to provide mentoring, coaching, sound and technical support. Kevin Ward worked with young people in an educational setting and is a long-time supporter of young musicians, individually and in local bands and orchestras, with experience of indoor and outdoor performance. He acts as the lead communicator with the artists, supporting the young people and their families throughout the project.

It was a BBC Big Weekend event at Powderham that inspired Kevin, AJ and others to keep the energy going and provide something that will support young musicians.

Robin Brown, A J Langer and Kevin Ward. Photo: Powderham Live! ‘We thought it would be great to hold an event that would bring local kids together in a beautiful space at Powderham,’ says Kevin. ‘We would hold an audition and bring together kids from all the local schools like Dawlish and Teignmouth community colleges. Robin had experience in working with young musicians, teaching them how to improve their musicianship and stage presence.’

It all starts with an audition, explains Kevin. ‘But it’s not like The X Factor,’ he laughs. ‘It’s very laid-back. We bring in experts to offer them constructive feedback. We might decide some aren’t ready and they can come back the next year. When we started there were around 20 musicians interested in joining. They did some jam sessions with AJ to get their confidence building and then did a performance one night in the music room where we invited friends and family. It was a memorable moment and we knew we had to do it again.

‘It’s about growth and collaboration – having to turn up and play in front of a small audience. They feel proud that they’ve done it.’

Kevin loves to see the difference in confidence and ability of the musicians. Photo: Cloudi Lewis Kevin was a teenager in the 80s, into punk and David Bowie, ‘and all the new exciting stuff’ including seeing The Cure in Bournemouth. He doesn’t play a musical instrument himself and was never in a band, but music is all around at home in Kenton near Exeter. He has two sons in their twenties and a daughter doing A-levels. ‘They’re all really into their music and I find they influence my musical tastes as well. I’ve discovered new stuff through them and going to gigs and festivals together,’ he says.

‘I love it when you hear young people discovering music for themselves – like hearing Bob Dylan for the first time and thinking he’s doing covers when they are actually his own songs!

‘For me the most fulfilling thing is that the programme does a number of things. The kids get to mix with other kids from different places – they come from all over Devon to join. They connect with others, playing music or listening to musicians in a special space outside of normal school and friendship groups. It gives them confidence and they find other people who like the stuff they’re into.’

Performances are professionally staged and recorded in front of a live audience. Photo: Cloudi Lewis Powderham Live! is for teenagers from around 13 to 19, when they tend to go off to uni or work. At the moment it’s financed by donations, sponsorships and the small amount of ticket sales at the end of year show and the young people don’t pay to take part. It helps make it a universal experience, says Kevin.

‘Some families find it hard to fund things. The young people might have nowhere to rehearse, especially if you’re a drummer - it’s not long before someone is knocking on the door to complain about the noise! Like a lot of organisations, we rely on volunteers to a certain extent. We have taken on a part-time project manager to take on a lot of the organisation. Funding is a struggle so we are grateful for all the support. We became a Community Interest Company two years ago which has helped unlock bigger sources of funding. And we are so grateful to Powderham. It means so much.

‘We offer young people a safe space and somewhere to go and play and it’s lovely to watch them team up. We are mindful of the pressure of exams going on and other things in their lives. In Covid we were able to keep going with most of the meeting up happening online. We actually ended up with more people taking part, providing them with a space to chat. There was no performance that year, but we did end up making a film which was screened at The Phoenix in Exeter.

‘There’s a really good community in this area for musicians and we have linked up with the Phoenix and Glas-Denbury festival in Newton Abbot.

Performing in the James Wyatt music room at Powderham. Photo: Cloudi Lewis ‘I love to see the difference in confidence and ability and the way they are with an audience when we stick them up on that stage. Some musicians who have been through the process come back to contribute in other ways – maybe mentoring or talking about their experiences as young, gigging musicians. Some might have talents in other areas like filming and videography. It’s their chance to give back a bit.’

Many musicians start out playing in their bedroom or in a school band before going on to bigger and better things. Kevin says they don’t have anyone who has taken part who has made it to the big time yet, but I sense it is only a matter of time.

‘There’s Saff Juno who is doing quite well and a local band called Three Days of Wonder. It’s great seeing the changes in them. We’ve had one singer who has just left who joined us at 14. She had only really sung in her bedroom but you could see she had talent. Powderham Live! helped to build her confidence. She’s previously only sung with backing tracks and we paired her with another musician and the result was spine-chilling.’

Find out more at powderhamlive.co.uk which also has details of crowdfunding.

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