Remembering Karl Peterson

A much-loved member of the Raw community

Karl (right) taking part in a Mindful Music session at Raw Material

We were incredibly sad to hear that Karl Peterson, a much-loved member of the Raw community for many years, has died.

Karl first came to Raw Sounds after being referred by his care coordinator following a serious period of mental ill health. As he later wrote in a case study for us, meeting new people and going into unfamiliar environments wasn’t easy for him. But he told us from his very first induction, he found Raw welcoming and felt it was a safe place to be.

Over the years, Karl got involved in all sorts of things at Raw. He began with DJ tuition and live band sessions, initially playing guitar, and went on to learn drum kit and djembe too. When a new band for some of Raw’s more senior members found itself without a bass player, Karl stepped in. Bass soon became his instrument of choice, and he became a really good and committed player.

Karl was a regular member of Raw Vibrations, a band made up of Raw members who you will have seen play at Raw’s gigs and other local events. Playing and performing alongside other people meant a great deal to him. He loved Raw’s end-of-term shows and the sense of achievement and confidence they gave everyone involved. 

He was also part of Mindful Music from the beginning and described it as one of his favourite workshops with us. He loved the freedom it gave people to try different instruments and make music together without judgement or pressure. In his own words, it had “a very calming effect” and he could see how it helped his and everyone else’s mood.

Karl’s creativity went far beyond playing music. He had a particular love of projectors, which he collected, and created brilliant lighting and visual installations with them. This slightly unusual passion was very Karl: creative, technically curious and always interested in how things worked and what else they might be made to do.

He was also incredibly practical and generous with his skills. Karl would help us fix things around Raw, including our amplifiers, and was one of those people who quietly contributed so much to the life of the building and the community around him. He was warm, thoughtful and very well liked by staff, tutors and fellow members.

After his mother died, Karl decided to leave Brixton and London and make a new life in Suffolk. He told us that it was a move he might not have had the confidence to make without his years at Raw Sounds. Although he was sorry to leave, he hoped to stay connected to what he called “the RAW story.” He came back more than once to Raw events in the last couple of years.

Karl will always be part of the Raw story. We will remember him with enormous affection—as a bassist and bandmate, a maker of music and light, a fixer of amps and other things, and a kind and much-valued member of our community.

Our thoughts are with Karl’s family, friends and everyone who knew and made music with him. We will miss him very much.