Spotlight on Tom
Artist and young leader Tom wants to be a role model for future generations.
- Date
- 10 November 2022
- Category
- Stories
Tom Rabbani is an artist and University of Salford graduate. In 2018 Tom had just moved to Manchester, unsure where to go to pursue his passion for music. He and his younger brothers came across our weekly music-making group for other young musicians in a similar position to them and decided to give it a go.
Tom was excited to discover our sessions had a particular focus on creating original music, and were led by Phill Howley and Natalie McCool - working musicians in their own right. All of a sudden a path forward started to become clear.
Unlike other music-making classes for young people, Tom had autonomy. Sessions were led by the interests of the group. Phill and Natalie oversaw without overstepping, allowing Tom and his peers to flourish independently.
Tom came to Brighter Sound just wanting to write and perform. Which he did, and still does. But he also developed himself in ways he’d never considered before. In 2019 he and a few others from the group banded together to produce their own gig at Band on the Wall, which sold out!
"I don't feel like I'm going into the industry just as an artist. I feel like I'm going in as a voice and as a power that can make a change."
He’s since taken a leading role in the production of various live nights with us, describing to us a growth in confidence as a result of these experiences. Soon after he became the youngest member of our Board of Trustees!
Ever since he first stepped through our doors Tom has always been eager to learn. And this curiosity and passion to develop himself and make his own mark on the industry shows no signs of slowing down. Tom wants to be a role model for other young people who face similar challenges as him, especially as someone from a mixed race background. He wants to use his voice in the industry as a power that can make change.
This is clear to see in his latest endeavours. In 2024 he and a group of dynamic young creatives took part in our training programme covering all aspects of live event production. Off the back of this, Revel Collective was born. Their collective goal is to examine and interrogate the current state of the music industry, and build a future where creativity can flourish and artists can rise together.
Go behind-the-scenes at the Revel Music Summit
That same year Tom and Revel took their findings to the Worldwide Music Expo (WOMEX) to spark important conversations and represent youth voice on the global stage. Across 2023-2025 Tom has represented Manchester at WOMEX in A Coruña, Manchester and most recently Tampere where he took part in an Express Overland Residency.
In 2025 recognition of his growth was beginning to shine across the industry, with nominations for 'Young Leader' at the Youth Music Awards and 'Young Creative of the Year' at the Manchester Culture Awards.
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