People with Purpose: Ben Drysdale

You don’t need to be a musician to write a song. You don’t need to know chords, or play an instrument, or sing in tune. According to Ben Drysdale, community artist, musician, and founder of Songwriting for Non-Songwriters, all you need is the courage to try.

Ben has built his life around helping others express themselves creatively, especially those whose voices have often been ignored or silenced. Whether through theatre, songwriting, or quiet conversations along the footpath in Giralang, he’s spent his career making art feel more like home and less like a club you need permission to enter.

His journey hasn’t followed a straight path. For more than a decade, Ben was the creative heartbeat behind Canberra’s Rebus Theatre, an inclusive and socially-driven theatre company that uses the arts to inspire change. But like all good stories, his took an unexpected twist. In a moment of brave self-reflection, Ben stepped away from the organisation he co-founded to create something new and perhaps even more personal.

What came next was Songwriting for Non-Songwriters, a grassroots movement disguised as a workshop series, teaching everyday people how to write their own songs, not for fame or perfection, but for healing, connection, and expression.

From Centre Stage to Social Change

Ben Drysdale isn’t new to the stage. As an award-winning singer-songwriter, he’s graced festival line-ups, supported the likes of Chris Isaak, and featured on Triple J and ABC Radio. But fame was never the destination. Connection was.

In 2013, he co-founded Rebus Theatre a bold experiment in what happens when you put lived experience at the centre of art. Over the next twelve years, Rebus grew from a creative seedling into one of Canberra’s most respected community theatre organisations, known for its work with people with disability, mental health concerns, and other marginalised experiences.

“I’m incredibly proud of what we built at Rebus,” Ben reflects. “There were countless moments of beauty, humour, and real impact and I got to witness people reclaim their stories on stage.”

But like many purpose-driven leaders, he eventually found himself stuck behind a desk, buried in applications and reports. The admin had taken over the art for him. “The few times I did get back into creative projects, it was almost too much to hold both spaces, executive management and artistic presence. I realised this wasn’t what I was put here to do.”

So, after over a decade of dedication, Ben made the decision to step down as Rebus’ Co-CEO and Creative Producer. It was a bittersweet goodbye, but also the beginning of something new.

Making Music, Minus the Pressure

Ben’s next chapter began with a deceptively simple question: What if songwriting could be a tool for everyone, not just musicians?

The idea had been quietly forming for years. As someone who had long used songwriting as a way to process emotions and navigate his own mental health, including a later-in-life ADHD diagnosis, he knew firsthand how powerful it could be. Unlike theatre productions, songwriting didn’t require a stage, a budget, or a cast of collaborators. It could be done alone, in private, and still have profound emotional impact.

“Writing a song is something anyone can do,” he says.

“You don’t have to play an instrument. Thousands of famous songs are built on the same four chords. You don’t even have to be a good singer. No one ever has to hear your song but you.”

The point, Ben stresses, isn’t perfection, it’s presence. It’s about giving people a simple, low-pressure way to connect with their creativity, process their emotions, and rediscover their own voice.

In late 2023, he officially launched Songwriting for Non-Songwriters, combining group sessions, one-on-one mentoring, and digital resources. The response has been overwhelming.

Stories from the Studio

The heart of Ben’s work is best captured in the stories it inspires.

There’s the person who hadn’t written anything in decades and surprised themselves by writing a song about the first Australian woman to secure the vote. The young carer who used their song to release the pressure they’d been holding in silence. The public servant battling burnout who rediscovered their joy through rhythm and rhyme, tried their song at an open mic and has since been offered paid gigs by the venue. And of course, the unforgettable message Ben received from a scholarship participant, a moment that moved him to tears at the National Folk Festival.

“I just wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for the amazing opportunity to complete your course through the sponsorship. The last few years have been incredibly difficult. I've had to cease work to help care for my disabled mother and this has taken a pretty big financial toll. My sister is also battling cancer, and I’ve been really struggling with my mental health. Amid all of that, this course has been a bright spot. It's given me a sense of purpose and a way to reconnect with my creativity and love of music. It’s been more than just a learning experience; it’s been a source of hope and much-needed respite. I can’t express enough how grateful I am for your generosity. It’s had such a positive impact on me, and it truly means the world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

That’s pretty powerful.

But for Ben, this kind of impact is the measure of success. “It’s not about charts or awards,” he says. “It’s about someone realising they can express something they thought was inexpressible.”

Music as Mental Health

Ben often describes songwriting as his emotional anchor. “I honestly don’t think I would have made it this far without music as a creative outlet,” he says.

After dropping his boys at daycare, he finds solace in nature, usually by a little stream in Giralang. Sometimes he just sits and watches ducks. Other times, a melody finds him. It’s his reset button before the world gets noisy again.

At night, he’s just as grounded, curled up on the couch with his wife, escaping into a good show, and recovering from the joyful chaos of parenting.

His quiet humour also peeks through in unexpected places, like his deep and oddly specific obsession with avoiding salmonella. “I nearly died from it when I was two,” he shares. “So now, I’m ridiculously cautious around raw chicken. It’s so gross… but also kind of poetic. Something that almost killed me makes me take extra care every day.”

Not Just for Songwriters

The name Songwriting for Non-Songwriters is more than just branding, it’s a philosophy.

Ben believes that everyone is creative. It’s just that too many people were told they weren’t good enough, or that creativity wasn’t ‘practical.’ His workshops challenge that narrative by removing expectations and focusing on experimentation and joy.

Participants range from complete beginners to experienced musicians looking to unlock new ways of writing. Everyone is welcome. Everyone is valued.

“You don’t have to perform. You don’t have to share. You can write a love song to your dog and keep it on a napkin in your wallet for the rest of your life. If it helps you feel seen, or soothed, or stronger, then it’s done its job.”

Ben’s vision is to bring songwriting to more places that need it, aged care homes, community groups, schools, men’s sheds, women’s centres, workplaces, mental health services. Anywhere people could benefit from creative expression, and this could be individually or as a group. I hear a new company jingle in the making.

He’s also exploring collaborations, adapting the model to different communities, and building resources to scale his impact sustainably. But at the core, it will always remain deeply human.

Songwriting for Non-Songwriters isn’t just a program, it’s a practice of self-discovery. It’s a creative rebellion against silence and shame. And it’s a love letter to the part of all of us that still wants to play, to speak, to sing.

Why Ben Is a Person With Purpose

What makes someone a Person with Purpose? It’s not their job title or how many people know their name. It’s not about profit or prestige.

It’s about how they show up in the world.

Ben Drysdale shows up with empathy, creativity, and conviction. He listens deeply. He makes space for others. He invites people to pick up the pen, try the first chord, speak the first line and trust that their voice is worth hearing.

In a world that often demands perfection, Ben offers something far more radical: permission.

Permission to feel. To play. To make something messy and true.

That, more than anything, is what purpose looks like.

You can support Ben’s purpose through his scholarship program up to July 31 here. You can also learn more or get involved with Songwriting for Non-Songwriters, visit bendrysdalemusic.com.