Founded in 2021 by musician Will Crawford, quietnote emerged during the turbulence of the COVID-19 lockdowns. While training as a classical guitarist at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Crawford envisioned a business that would combine music with mindfulness to improve mental health outcomes. What started out as a side hustle quickly grew into a fully fledged company. In 2024 quietnote won the Creative Catalyst Funding Grant of £50,000. This allowed them to test and validate their model through a robust clinical trial. The success of that trial now sets the stage for the company’s next phase: scaling operations and expanding its reach across the UK and beyond.

Will Crawford commented: “These results confirm what I’ve known and been practising for years – that music and mindfulness together can create profound change. It’s more than just a nice thing to do; it’s a scientifically validated pathway for better health. For policymakers, businesses, and anyone wanting to build a healthier mind, these results show us that the future of healthcare is holistic, proactive and preventative.

“Over the last 10 years, mental health has never been so prominent an issue. We see a great deal of energy, time and money being placed into this care, yet at the same time never has a form of healthcare become so politicised as the mental health conversation. Mental health illness is on the rise, especially within the younger generation, yet the conversation has never been so prominent. So there is clearly an issue between the conversation and action.

“Our approach is highly accessible and presents the opportunity for people to feel empowered with their health. From my experience, the majority of people's understanding of mindfulness is that it’s ‘a bit hippy’ or ‘not really for them’. This is often because they’ve fallen for the misconceptions and stereotypes being branded around by influencers and the marketing world. Mindfulness is not about being calm or relaxed, it’s not really about nice slogans such as ‘living in the moment’ or being ‘more mindful’. Mindfulness is a process, focused on awareness, understanding and change, leading to a healthier mind and lifestyle.

“However, If mindfulness is inaccessible, then why don’t we approach it with something that is extremely accessible, like music? That was the question that led me on to founding quietnote.”

The study

The study looked at four interventions, each of which were completed within 8 weeks with a total of 88 participants. The first three interventions were created and facilitated by quietnote, the fourth intervention was a general mindfulness intervention that acted as a comparison intervention.

• quietnote, intervention one: In person course with quietnote
• quietnote, Intervention Two Online quietnote course
• quietnote, Intervention Three Online quietnote curated music
• Standard Mindfulness, Intervention Four Online video based mindfulness course

Key findings

All interventions were found to deliver positive outcomes, demonstrating that each approach had a meaningful impact on participants’ wellbeing. However, Intervention 1 and 3 stood out as the most effective, showing particularly strong results in reducing stress and anxiety.

• 55% Reduction in symptoms of depression for participants in intervention 1
• 50% Reduction in anxiety levels through intervention 1
• 49.2% Improvement in quality of sleep reported by participants through intervention 1
• 6.6% Increase in participants’ ability to manage stress, achieved through intervention 3
• 0.6% Average improvement in overall mental wellbeing across all interventions

Ultimately, this study provides measurable proof that investing in quietnote delivers real, lasting impact on mental wellbeing. The quietnote in-person course and music-based intervention consistently delivered the most significant results, demonstrating the power and effectiveness of their approach.

The implications are far-reaching. With NHS waiting lists for mental health support continuing to grow, and with traditional interventions like medication and talking therapies under pressure, the need for innovative, scalable, and evidence-based solutions is acute.

Tech

Alongside the clinical trial, quietnote has also developed their online workspace, an online portal in which individuals and organisations can access their approach first hand. The online portal combines guided mindfulness sessions, music-based practices, progress tracking, and personalised resources – all in one easy-to-use hub. With real-time insights and engagement tools, organisations can foster a healthier, happier, and more productive workplace culture. This is the next stage within quietnote’s growth plan, being able to offer their approach to a much wider audience by incorporating accessible technology into their approach.

The global health and wellbeing industry is valued at over £4 trillion, and demand for innovative mental health solutions is at an all-time high. With NHS resources stretched, businesses and workplaces are increasingly turning to external providers to support employee wellbeing. quietnote’s evidence-based approach positions it uniquely in this market. Unlike meditation apps or generic wellbeing workshops, quietnote offers an experience rooted in rigorous science, offering both in person connection and accessible technology.

Though its ambitions are global, quietnote is firmly rooted in Birmingham. The city provided both the academic partnership and the creative ecosystem that made this research possible.

As Crawford explains: “Birmingham has been the perfect home for quietnote – it’s diverse, it’s innovative, and it’s collaborative. We’re proud to represent the city as we grow.”

Armed with data, quietnote is now wanting to expand their offering across the country. The company’s mission is to “empower the country with the quietnote approach” in order to transform wellbeing across workplaces, communities, and healthcare systems.

Crawford concludes: “This clinical trial is a huge milestone for us, but there is still a huge amount of work and research to be done in this space. What the data shows however, is that we're pointing in the right direction and we're already seeing people changing their lives as a result of it. Our goal is to bring this approach to as many people as possible, starting here in Birmingham and reaching far beyond.”

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