Music on My Mind is a project designed to connect people and boost wellbeing through the shared enjoyment of classic rock and pop music.

We run a range of events and activities, including film screenings, panel discussions and book talks. At the heart of the project is our growing network of free-to-attend Record Clubs. Record Clubs are a bit like book clubs (some might say they’re just different ways of ignoring your phone!) but they are both all about slowing down and committing to a piece of art and then discussing it with like-minded people over a cuppa or a beverage.

We piloted our first in-person Record Club with Stevie Wonder’s classic 1973 album Innervisions at Norwich Playhouse in 2022. Since then, with the help of our growing pool of volunteers and organisational partners, we have delivered hundreds of sessions at venues across Norfolk and are planning more this year. Find out more about our Record Clubs, and where you can find them here.

You can also check out our series of podcasts here, where we have chatted with guests like David Hepworth, Jon Robb and music psychologist Dr Victoria Williamson, discussing what music means to them, and exploring the extraordinary power of music to connect all of us.

Why is listening to music important?

Music is a universal language and whether it is The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder or Nirvana, talking about our favourite artists and songs can immediately connect us to other people in ways that few other things can. People even talk about how certain songs or artists have provided the ‘soundtrack’ to their lives. For example, some of us might remember that first record we ever owned. And we’ve probably all experienced that moment when a song comes on the radio and we are suddenly transported back to a significant time in our lives. It can feel magical…and it is!

Music is good for us!

There is already evidence that singing in choirs, or playing a musical instrument can offer profound health benefits. However, recent studies show that simply taking time to listen closely to our favourite music can have a wide range of science-backed benefits for mental health including reducing stress and improving mood. What’s more, music is a great way of meeting and connecting with like-minded people, whether that’s through ‘crate-digging’ in your local record shop, going to gigs, or indeed coming along to one our Record Clubs.

If you enjoy sharing and talking about the music that means the most to you with other music fans, why not come along to one of our record listening clubs. Sessions are based in a number of libraries and community venues across Norfolk and are a friendly and inclusive opportunity for people to meet and listen to a classic album on vinyl before discussing the record together.

Most meetings take place once a month and sessions are facilitated by a member of our team. Some contextualising notes about the album are provided at the start of the session and, after a short introduction we’ll drop the needle onto track one and savour the record. At the end of side one we take a few minutes to share any initial reactions before turning the record over and, when the album finishes, we discuss the album together whilst having a listen to any other relevant songs along the way.

Find out more about our Record Club sessions, and where you can find us here.

See below for examples of the many amazing albums we have recently featured at our Record Clubs.

We also run regular Bring Your Own nights in pubs, cafes and other spaces where we invite people to bring along their own records and share their memories and stories with the rest of the group. We are planning more of these popular events so if you want to be kept up to date, sign up to our newsletter and keep an eye on our socials.

Our Music on My Mind Record Clubs are supported by the National Lottery Community Fund through the Awards for All Fund, Norfolk Community Foundation through the Public Health Empowering Communities for Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, the Connecting Older People Fund and the Love Norfolk Fund 2025, Norwich Freemen’s Charity and the Geoffrey Watling Charity.

Our sessions and events would not be possible without the advice and in-kind support from our delivery partners Norfolk Library and Information Service, Norwich Theatre and 12^th Man Mental Health CIC.