Plymouth Music Zone

Music Making a Difference

Plymouth Music Zone (PMZ) is an award-winning music charity that believes passionately in the power of music to reach out and transform the lives of children, young people and adults across Plymouth and beyond.

At PMZ, we care deeply about how the music holds people together. Call it cement, call it glue. It’s how we work with people and music to help change lives for the better – at the right time, in the right place, when support is needed most. 

Everyone is welcome at Plymouth Music Zone. We work with a whole range of people facing different challenges and music can be a lifeline. For us, it’s about ‘Music Making a Difference’ – whether it’s out in the many places in the community where we spend most of our time or huddled up at PMZ in what one parent recently called our ‘magical musical tardis’.

From Cupboard to Centre of Excellence

We all end up with a story – and hopefully, it’s one that can fire someone’s imagination along the way or inspire them to believe that anything is possible. PMZ was something that arose from nothing – except an idea. An idea that came back in 1999 – in a cupboard in a local school building…

Two musicians wanted to give the city’s primary school children access to high-quality music. They ended up in 21 schools across the city. Now, 20 years on and Plymouth Music Zone has grown to become even more than music. It’s now an award-winning music charity with Gold Investors in People status. We are known as a Centre of Excellence for cutting edge community music, engaging over 600 children, young people and adults with over 50 weekly and one-off activities delivered by up to 15 music leaders across Plymouth and beyond. Phew!

We work in partnership with over 100 education, health and social care organisations as well as having academic relationships that support us to share the learnings from our work on a national and international stage. 

Wherever we work, PMZ creates an inspiring, supportive and safe environment. Our work allows people to express themselves, increase their self-confidence and gain a sense of achievement.

Come make music with us today

There’s always something going on at PMZ. Our Open Zone Sessions take place on a weekly basis at our Community Music Centre in Devonport and are open to the public. We also have special projects and regular events to bring all our different groups together. 

Whether you’ve always wanted to learn to drum, stretch your voice in a singing group or have fun and make some musical friends then we have a session for you. If you don’t see something that hits the right note, just tell us what’s missing and we’ll try and create something that works! 

We love music, we love people and we love making a difference – and we’d very much love you to be part of that.    

Feel free to get in touch: www.plymouthmusiczone.org.uk

Blue Plaque: “1999 – today Plymouth Music Zone Music Making a Difference”