Case Study: Music, Menopause and Reclaiming Identity

Just as the recent BBC drama ‘The Riot Women’ shines a light on older women reclaiming their power, The NaNaz embody that same rebellious spirit in real life, channelling rage, humour and solidarity into their music that challenges stereotypes. These women aren’t just inspired by the movement; they are Newport’s own Riot Women, proving that creativity, confidence and defiance don’t fade with age — they get louder.

Meet The NaNaz, a Wales-based punk-inspired band formed through a series of funded creative Punk music workshops for older women. What began as informal music sessions evolved into a collective that offers performance opportunities, peer support, and a renewed sense of purpose for its members. The project demonstrates how music can address underrepresentation, social isolation, wellbeing, and confidence among older women going through menopause.

The project began as Nana Punk, through a short series of gigs and workshops designed to bring older women together through music. The initiative was developed by Jude Price along with Efa Tomos & the Wales Millennium Centre, who identified a clear gap in representation and participation for older women. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0kt5y82

With secured funding from the Wales Millennium Centre and National Lottery, the team delivered free Sunday afternoon workshops in Newport and Cardiff. Sessions were hosted in community venues including The Cab (a community space) in Newport.

Nana Punk became The NaNaz following a change of line up in March 2025.

Nana Punk and The Nanaz has been supported by Cassie Fox, the force behind Loud Women, an international intersectional feminist music CIC, founded in 2015. Nana Punk performed at a Loud Women gig in Dec 2024 and the NaNaz will be playing at 2 more Loud Women events this year. Promotion for Nana Punk was primarily through Facebook and social media, with a simple call-out inviting women to attend regardless of musical experience and they are the only band part of Loud Women based in Wales.

We spoke to members of The NaNaz to get their lived experience of what it is like going through the menopause and why music has helped them get through this part of their journey.

Menopause and Underrepresentation

Many women entering midlife experience significant physical, emotional and cognitive changes during perimenopause and menopause. Members of The NaNaz described their symptoms of menopause as experiencing:

Brain fog and memory problems
Reduced concentration and confidence
Mood changes and anxiety
Feeling unseen, unheard or “past it”
A lack of language or understanding for what was happening to them

Several women stated they did not initially recognise their symptoms as menopause-related, instead believing they were “going mad” or failing personally. This lack of understanding was compounded by caring responsibilities, bereavement, ill health in partners or parents, and years of prioritising others over themselves.

Why They Joined The NaNaz

The NaNaz was formed out of free, accessible music workshops advertised on social media. Many women joined at a point of emotional or physical exhaustion.

Key motivations included:

Feeling isolated or bored at home
A desire to reconnect with creativity
Wanting “something that was just for me”
Needing relief from caring roles of loved ones
Searching for purpose during a period of life transition

For several participants, menopause coincided with children leaving home, caring for ageing parents, or managing serious illness in partners, intensifying feelings of loss and disorientation.

“All my life I’d looked after everybody else. This was the first thing I did just for me.”

How Music Helped Through Menopause

Learning songs, playing instruments and singing simultaneously provided a significant cognitive workout. Participants noted improvements in:

Focus and concentration
Memory and mental sharpness
Confidence in their cognitive ability

Members reflected that understanding the neurological impact of music helped them reframe menopause-related brain fog, not as decline, but as a period where the brain needs new stimulation and pathways.

“Playing an instrument and singing at the same time is a hell of a workout for your brain.”

One of the band members, Claire, has written a song for The NaNaz about the Menopause, she says, “For me, the physical changes that perimenopause brings are hard but what happens to your mental health in terms of anxiety levels, depression, mood swings and cognitive issues and subsequent effects on confidence and outlook can be overwhelming.”

Emotional Regulation and Nervous System Support

Several members had professional backgrounds in health, therapy or creative practice and recognised the role of music in regulating the nervous system.

Music-making helped:

Reduce anxiety and overwhelm
Release stored stress and emotion
Improve mood and resilience

For women experiencing hormonal shifts, caring stress and trauma, rehearsals became a reliable form of emotional regulation.

Identity and Confidence

Menopause was described as a period of profound identity shift:

“Who am I now?”
Loss of previous roles
Reduced sense of value

Becoming part of a band countered this narrative. Members were not patients, carers or mothers in that space, they were musicians.

“Menopause makes you question everything. Being in the band reminded me I still had something to say.”

Live performance, despite being frightening, rebuilt self-belief and pride, particularly for women who felt invisible or dismissed elsewhere.

Social Connection and Shared Experience

A critical benefit was being with other women at the same life stage. Members spoke openly about menopause, health, ageing and caregiving, often for the first time.

The band provided:

Peer support without judgement
Normalisation of menopausal symptoms
Laughter, solidarity and honesty

Unlike formal health settings, conversations emerged organically, reducing shame and isolation.

Wider Impact

The experience has led participants to:

Better understand menopause and hormonal change
Advocate for women’s health awareness
Take on new challenges later in life
Reframe ageing as a period of growth rather than decline

Several members described The NaNaz as preventative health support, helping them maintain mental wellbeing, physical engagement and social connection during menopause and beyond.

Summary

The NaNaz illustrate how community-based creative projects can unintentionally but powerfully support women through menopause. By offering accessible, joyful music-making, the project addressed many of the challenges associated with this life stage.

The case study highlights the importance of:

Creative spaces for older women
Non-clinical menopause support
Arts as a tool for wellbeing, confidence and identity

For the women involved, The NaNaz is not just a band, it is a lifeline during one of the most complex transitions of their lives.

Keep an eye out for The NaNaz who will be featured in a BBC documentary on ‘The Real Riot Women’, which will be broadcast later this year.

Additional Info:

To find out more about The NaNaz, visit: The Nanaz - YouTube or The Nanaz (@thenanazband) • Instagram photos and videos