The Musician, Autumn 2011 by Musicians' Union - issuu
issuu
Issuu on Google+
The Musician. The UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arts and culture sector is entering a period of unprecedented austerity caused by swingeing funding cuts. As a result many events, venues and resources will disappear forever. In a landmark move, eight unions have come together to create the Lost Arts campaign, to show just what we are losing each and every day. Autumn 2011. Journal of the Musiciansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union theMU.org
The Musician
Contacts
Contacts
Union HQ 60â&#x20AC;&#x201D;62 Clapham Road London sw9 0jj t   020 7582 5566 f  020 7582 9805 e  info@theMU.org w  theMU.org
Union HQ
Regional offices
General Secretary John F Smith
London London Region Senior Organiser: Dave Webster 33 Palfrey Place, London SW8 1PE t   020 7840 5504 f   020 7840 5599 e  london@theMU.org
Assistant General Secretary Horace Trubridge (Music Industry) Assistant General Secretary David Ashley (Finance & Administration) National Organiser Rachel Brine (Membership Development) National Organiser Bill Kerr (Orchestras) National Organiser Diane Widdison (Live Performance & Teaching) National Organiser Ben Jones (Recording & Broadcasting) In-House Solicitor David Fenton Legal Official Dawn Barraclough Communications Official Keith Ames Research & Press Official Isabelle Gutierrez Recording & Broadcasting Official Naomi MacDonald Royalties Manager Phil Kear Sessions Official Peter Thoms Licensing Officer Michael Sweeney
Midlands Regional Organiser: Alice Lemon 2 Sovereign Court, Graham Street, Birmingham B1 3JR t   0121 236 4028 f   0121 233 4116 e   midlands@theMU.org East & South East England Regional Organiser: Paul Burrows 1a Fentiman Road, London SW8 1LD t   020 7840 5537 f   020 7840 5541 e   eastsoutheast@theMU.org Wales & South West England Regional Organiser: Paul Westwell 199 Newport Road, Cardiff CF24 1AJ t   029 2045 6585 f   029 2045 1980 e   cardiff@theMU.org North of England Regional Organiser: Morris Stemp 61 Bloom Street, Manchester M1 3LY t   0161 236 1764 f   0161 236 0159 e   manchester@theMU.org Scotland & Northern Ireland Regional Organiser: Sheena Macdonald 1 Woodside Terrace, Glasgow G3 7UY t   0141 341 2960 f   0141 332 8709 e   glasgow@theMU.org
The Musician
John Smith—General Secretary
John Smith, General Secretary
We now have the government’s response to the recommendations made by Professor Ian Hargreaves’ report, Digital Opportunity — A Review Of Intellectual Property And Growth. The premise behind the review was that while the government recognised the value of the contribution that industries based on intellectual property (IP) make to the economy, it wanted to make it easier to use IP in ways that were fair to everyone and which maximised support for innovation and growth. The review contained 10 recommendations and the government has decided to act on each of them. I don’t intend analysing each of them now, and most of them will have little or no impact on professional performers and composers. However, one of the recommendations in particular might affect MU members and deny them an income stream that is currently enjoyed by their continental colleagues. It is a proposed exception to UK Copyright Law to allow ‘format shifting’ — for example, the transfer of a CD to a computer hard disk and then to an MP3 player. On the face of it, this is a reasonable amendment as the law is undoubtedly being brought into disrepute. This is because, at present, such a transfer, or to be more precise the making of a private copy, is an illicit act and, of course, it is an activity that most people undertake. The MU and the rest of the music industry believe that the law should reflect what consumers legitimately expect to be able to do, and making a copy for their own personal use should not put them in conflict with the law. So what is the problem? The concept of private copying has been recognised by our European cousins for many years — in fact, all EU member states bar four (Malta, Cyprus, Luxembourg and the UK) have some sort of private copy levy system. Our colleagues in the most developed music markets — France, Germany, Spain and Sweden, for example — as well as our Swiss counterparts do quite well out of their domestic levy systems.
This would allow a member of the public to make copies for their own personal use, not for commercial gain. It would also reward the contributors to the track, film soundtrack, etc, who — according to European Union Directive 2001/29/EC — should receive ‘fair compensation’ in return for the granting of the exception. The government believes that ‘the amount of harm to rights holders that would result in “fair compensation” under EU law would be minimal, and hence the amount of fair compensation provided would be zero…’ Tell that to our French colleagues! Should this proposal proceed, there is no doubt that UK performers and composers would suffer detrimentally, in comparison to their European equivalents. If this proves to be the case, and we are currently researching the income levels generated by the European levies, we would seek to challenge the government either through the European Courts or by seeking a Judicial Review. I am pleased to say that UK Music supports this course of action, should it prove necessary. However, already we are hearing siren voices telling us that it is wrong to seek any form of compensation — that the exception as outlined by the government is what the public and most performers want, and that we would undermine our own position if we pursue such a policy. Well, I say to those people, look to Europe and prove me wrong. We should not allow the government to disadvantage UK performers and, just as importantly, we should not allow the position of European artists to be undermined by a short-sighted policy that ignores the actual creators of the music which the public values so much. John Smith john.smith@theMU.org
We have long believed that a similar system should be introduced into the UK. 03
The Musician
Autumn 2011
Contents
Contents News — Conference success 06 — MU appointments & restructuring 09 — Jackie Clifton MBE 09 Reports — MU General Secretary 03 — The merits of metal 12 — Focal dystonia 32
03
12
14
Letters Women in jazz & making the MU Pinboard public 10 Features — Lost Arts: the multi-union campaign to log the cuts 14 — Rehearsal pianists: an overlooked career 24 04
24
The Musician
Autumn 2011
Profiles — John Williams 20 — The Strictly Come Dancing Band 38 Advice — Sheet music and tab: copyrights and wrongs 28 — How to create the ideal CV and promo package 34
Contents
34
38
Reviews — CDs & downloads 42 Union news — GFTU courses 27 — Ask Us First 37 — Tributes 46 — Conference Motions 49 — Help with small claims 50
50
Conference success underlines Union’s status
© Hayley Madden
34th Delegate Conference took place in Bristol on 26—27 July 2011.
MU General Secretary John Smith (above right) and EC Chair Danny Longstaff (right)
The 34th biennial MU Delegate Conference, which took place in Bristol on July 26—27 and was hosted by the Union’s Executive Committee (EC), proved highly successful. Delegates praised the diverse range of speakers from home and overseas, the considerable work undertaken by the Union since the 2009 Conference, and our plans for future developments. The two-day event was opened by EC Chair Danny Longstaff, MU General Secretary John Smith and Kerry McCarthy, MP for Bristol East. John commented: ‘This Conference has been held against the backdrop of tough economic times, and all of our discussions have touched on how the current cuts agenda is affecting musicians. There are many developments due this year — for example, the government’s response to the Hargreaves report, Digital Opportunity: A Review Of Intellectual Property And Growth, and further debate for the Live Music Bill. The MU remains steadfastly committed to continue to campaign for increased rights for musicians.’ 06
Delegates received and approved the EC Report & Agenda, which incorporated the Union’s organisation, finance and services, the structure, communications, press and public relations and membership statistics plus MU benefits and services. Many issues tackled The key topics discussed during Conference included musicians’ employment, terms and conditions, the Union’s external relations and political developments, MU campaigns, MU support and funding for arts and culture plus The MU Executive Committee hosted the Delegate Conference
copyright, legal issues and performers’ rights. In addition, delegates received presentations from Union officials and contributions from a large number of distinguished speakers. Any questions? An innovative new addition to the Conference Agenda was the Questions To The General Secretary item on the first afternoon, which offered delegates the opportunity to ask John about any issues affecting the music industry and the Union in particular.
The Musician
News
UK Music report     Digital Ecomony Act and Hargreaves report considered during speech.
John McDonnell MP (above) addressed delegates (left) on behalf of the Performers’ Alliance Parliamentary Group Special report
The business of Conference 2011 Motions, Rule changes, presentations, forums, guest speakers and much more. The MU’s biennial Delegate Conference fulfils the EC’s constitutional obligations to report actions arising from the decisions of the 2009 Delegate Conference. This year’s Conference also determined the changes to the Union’s Rules, discussed and decided upon matters of policy and the Union’s activities, and our responses to the many other issues that have arisen since the previous Conference took place. The Conference Report itself includes information on a wide range of subjects and issues addressed by the Union plus the proposed Motions and changes to Rules submitted for consideration. Motions & Rules The subject matter covered by the Motions submitted by the Regional Committees included social networking, education policies, music services, opposition to cuts, tuition fees and Pay to Play. The Motions carried by Conference can be found printed in full on page 49 of this issue. The changes to the Rules, proposed by the EC in accordance with Rule XV, included amendments to Rule V: EC Powers And Duties, Rule X: Delegate Conference and Rule XII: Subscriptions. Please see the
‘The biennial Delegate Conference debates a wide variety of subjects and issues.’
insert included in this issue of The Musician for the changes to the Rules that were carried by Conference. We recommend that you store this insert in your Members’ Handbook 2011 for easy reference.
Feargal Sharkey, Chief Executive of UK Music, addressed the Conference 2011 on its second day and emphasised the importance of UK Music’s joint campaigning on music industry issues. Stating that ‘there is nothing more powerful than music’, he touched on issues including the implementation of the Digital Economy Act; the Hargreaves report, Digital Opportunity: A Review Of Intellectual Property And Growth; and the ongoing fight to obtain a small venues exemption to the Licensing Act. ‘The Digital Economy Act is a vehicle which, when implemented, will help to stimulate and grow a legitimate online market for music,’ Feargal told delegates, ‘and it is time that the government fulfilled their commitment and moved forward on this.’
Conference day-by-day The first morning saw a presentation on the MU’s digital communications given by Keith Ames, Communications Official, and Chris Craig, Web Manager, which ran through the current and planned web developments. The second morning was kicked off by a discussion forum on education, hosted by Diane Widdison, National Organiser, Live Performance & Teaching, and MU Official Naomi MacDonald, plus NUT Assistant General Secretary John Dixon. The section also featured an entertaining presentation on behalf of MusicTeachers.co.uk. This was followed by a Parliamentary Report by Labour MP John McDonnell, on behalf of the Performers’ Alliance Parliamentary Group. John’s stirring and inspirational speech highlighted the Group’s work, specifically its activities relating to musicians. Mariela Kohon of the Justice for Colombia campaign presented an extremely moving slideshow concerning the treatment of trade union activists in the country — the list of names of those who have allegedly been executed by the governing regime carried a significant emotional impact. An international panel, consisting of John Smith, Sam Folio (AFM SecretaryTreasurer), Marc Slyper (SNAM General Secretary) and Benoît Machuel (FIM General Secretary), discussed world
Feargal Sharkey, Chief Executive of UK Music
industry issues and compared notes about activities in their respective regions. Conference was then shown a video from Kenya, detailing the difficulties experienced by African musicians as a result of piracy and outlining the need for an effective copyright policy throughout the continent. The ante room to the main Conference venue contained a number of panels supplied by Karl Magee from Stirling University, which administers the MU archive, of illustrations and photographs from campaigns in the Union’s history. Conference was closed by EC Chair Danny Longstaff, who thanked everyone for their time, commitment and contributions, and rounded off by a social event featuring the superb Ray Gelato and the Giants. 07
The Musician
News © Jess Hurd / reportdigital.co.uk
Special report
More news from Conference… Chairman and CEO of PPL and VPL praises constructive role of MU during speech. During his time at the Conference podium, company. None of this could have been guest speaker Fran Nevrkla noted that achieved without the essential degree this would be the last time he would of goodwill, support and encouragement address delegates in his joint role as from first class individuals from the wider Chairman and CEO of PPL and VPL, a music industry. position he has held since October 2000. This follows the announcement that PPL’s ‘I would like to use this opportunity to current Managing Director, Peter Leathem, express my enormous thanks and sincere will become the organisation’s new CEO appreciation to many of you in this room, to in January 2012, with Fran remaining as the MU generally, and very specifically to Chairman for at least the next two years. General Secretary, John Smith. ‘My PPL colleagues and I have come a long way over the last 11 years,’ Fran told the assembled delegates. ‘Looking back over the last decade, there is no doubt that PPL has undergone many fundamental changes, all in the process of transforming itself into a professionally run and effective
‘I would like to express my enormous thanks and appreciation to the Musicians’ Union.’
‘It is impossible to overstate the importance of the very positive and constructive role which John personally has played and continues to play in the entire process of helping to reshape PPL into an entity which is not just effective, but also much more representative of the interests of the performer community.
TUC address to MU delegates
‘Please support your Union as well as the Federation of International Musicians (FIM), without whose intelligent and determined efforts the working conditions and remuneration of musicians and performers generally would be infinitely worse. There is no doubt about that.’
General Secretary of the TUC, Brendan Barber, emphasised the importance of campaigning for a strong arts sector during his address to Conference 2011.
Faces of Conference 2011, clockwise from top left: Sam Folio (American Federation of Musicians), Mariela Kohon (Justice for Colombia), Rick Finlay (Vice-Chair, MU EC) and Naomi MacDonald (MU Official)
08
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber says the arts ‘enrich all of our lives’
Brendan Barber states that the arts ‘are a major part of our economy’.
‘Nowhere are the current cuts more short-sighted than in the arts,’ Brendan told delegates. ‘The arts are not a luxury we cannot afford. They are a major part of our economy and they enrich all of our lives. The TUC will continue to work alongside the MU to make the case for a strong arts sector and stronger rights for working musicians, and we will also continue to argue that there is a viable alternative to the current politics of austerity.’ In response to Brendan’s rapturouslyreceived address to the assembled delegates, MU General Secretary John Smith commented: ‘We are very grateful for Brendan’s important contribution today. The TUC’s backing for musicians — whether it is through supporting the implementation of the Digital Economy Act, helping to argue for live music to be included in the London Olympics or publicising the Lost Arts campaign — is invaluable and demonstrates the importance of sticking together in the current climate.’
The Musician
News
Union news
MU reorganisation and appointments New National Organisers, Recording & Broadcasting Dept and Royalties Unit. Rachel Brine has been appointed MU National Organiser, Membership Development, with specific emphasis on the recruitment and retention of members and the associated strategic issues. Taking responsibility for the development of all MU marketing, advertising and promotion, Rachel heads a team consisting of Communications Official Keith Ames and Web Manager Chris Craig. The MU Media Department has been restructured and renamed the Recording
& Broadcasting Department, and a new Royalties Unit has been formed. MU Media Official Ben Jones has been appointed as National Organiser, Recording & Broadcasting. Ben heads up the Recording & Broadcasting Department, which consists of Sessions Official Pete Thoms, Licensing Officer Michael Sweeney and Naomi MacDonald, who has been appointed Recording & Broadcasting Official. Among Naomi’s duties will be responsibility for the Music Writers’ Section, which deals with composers, arrangers, orchestrators and copyists. The formation of the Royalties Unit represents a major re-organisation of the Collection & Distribution Department. Shirley Sandys is joined by Phil Kear, formerly of PPL, who has been appointed to the role of Royalties Manager.
Rachel Brine, MU National Organiser, Membership Development & Ben Jones National Organiser, Recording & Broadcasting
Fresh Orchestras role Angela Weiss has been appointed to a new position, Assistant to the National Organiser, Orchestras, and is based at the North of England Regional Office.
Union news
Jackie Clifton MBE Stalwart Union member honoured. The MU is delighted to congratulate active Union member Jackie Clifton, who received an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, in recognition of her 'services to music and to visually-impaired people'. A Research Fellow in Visual Impairment at the Royal College of Music, Jackie founded the acclaimed organisation Musicians in Focus, which acts as networking centre and a liaison facility for the music industry, in the research and development of new technology for the visually-impaired. MU General Secretary John Smith acknowledged the honour: 'We are thrilled that Jackie’s vital ongoing work and enthusiasm has been honoured in this way.'
Union news
MU successes at TUC Comms Awards Judges praise Member’s Handbook 2011, The Musician journal and theMU.org. The TUC Communication Awards 2011, which took place at Congress House in London on Wednesday 29 June, saw the MU honoured in four categories.
commented: ‘This is a very well put together magazine, with an interesting pared down layout and great use of pictures. The tone is polished and it’s a good read throughout.’
The MU Members’ Handbook 2011 won in the Best One-Off Publication category and received praise for its ‘all-round scope and quality’. It was noted that, ‘This thorough and serious-minded guide is one of the best the judges have seen, confounding preconceived notions about handbooks. Any member receiving this would feel they have a strong union working for their interests.’
More praise The Best Feature category saw The BBC and music. What next? (The Musician, Summer 2010) praised by the judges, who called it ‘a thorough, illuminating feature’. In addition, theMU.org received praise in the Best Website category, with the judges commenting: ‘An easy-to-navigate website that is in tune stylistically with the union magazine and the union’s general branding. It has carefully chosen content for members: lots of practical information and advice for working musicians.’
Journal Commended The Musician was Commended in the Best Journal/Magazine category. The judges
Vote for your top classic rocker     MU sponsors new category in the Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards. The MU is sponsoring the Maestro, a new category in the prestigious annual Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards. From mid-September, members will be able to vote for their favourite from a shortlist of nominations on theMU.org. We will be contacting MU members by email with the full details in advance.
09
Autumn 2011
Letters
Your letters Message from the Editor Welcome to the Autumn issue of The Musician, with its quality mix of in-depth reports, features and reviews. With this issue, we have enclosed your Members’ Diary 2012 plus an insert containing the changes to the MU Rules that were carried during our Delegate Conference in July. Also, please look out for details of your chance to vote for a Classic Rock musician, as announced on page 09. Keith Ames keith.ames@theMU.org
Women in jazz — a question of balance I have been following the gender imbalance in jazz debate with interest (starting in The Musician, Spring 2011). From an historian’s point of view, women were participating in jazz from its early days during World War I. Here in Wales, women took over the bandstands and were also directing musical reviews and floorshows during the café culture years and into the first jazz age of the 1920s. Unfortunately, at the time, some men saw women jazz musicians as a threat and did their utmost to prevent women from working in the jazz arena. One of the main instigators was Patrick ‘Spike’ Hughes, a Cambridge graduate, double bass player, composer, and weekly columnist in the Melody Maker. In his autobiography, Second Movement (1951), he wrote: ‘I have always viewed with alarm the growing tendency of women to compose music; not merely because they do not compose very well, but because their presence in the company of a group of male musicians is embarrassing and unnatural. As men, we have our own language and our own codes of behaviour among ourselves; a woman who demands artistic, professional and social equality among us and insists that she is “one of the boys” is as acutely unwelcome and disturbing as anybody else wearing an inferiority complex on their sleeve.’ 10
Hughes’ opinion of women who came to see his concerts? ‘The Englishwoman is at her best only when she is dressed for the company of those horses and dogs which she so much resembles.’ Women’s contribution to jazz took years to recover, and Hughes continues to be revered as a “voice of authority”. Jazz courses need to look at the curriculum they offer. Is there a gender balance in teaching material? Are compositions by women composers taught? Is there a gender balance of jazz tutors? And is there a crèche? We are fortunate in Wales that we have Paula Gardiner, double bass player, composer and arranger, as Head of Jazz Studies at The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff. Jazz Heritage Wales, a registered charity with no paid employees, receives support from the Arts Council of Wales to run Swing Band Workshops for women, that are taught by women and where music by women composers is used where possible. If women are offered the right conditions, they will flourish. I hope the funding bodies can continue to fund good practice. Jen Wilson Founder, pianist and historian at Jazz Heritage Wales Swansea
Alternate sources of orchestra funding Having read the article about Arts Council funding [The Musician, Summer 2011], I felt I had to write. Whilst I sympathise with the difficulties facing our orchestras, I wonder whether any consideration has been given to finding alternative sources of revenue? In particular, I would have thought that sponsorship or advertising by large corporate businesses would be the obvious first port of call.   Would not companies such as Yamaha, König & Meyer and so on probably jump at the chance of having their products endorsed by musicians from the Hallé Orchestra, for instance?   It may not be “the done thing” to go down the route of the larger sports arrangements, where there are logos emblazoned on anything that doesn‘t move, but in my opinion a mid-way point could probably be reached to the mutual benefit of the orchestras and the businesses sponsoring them.   Paul Boswell East Sussex
Call for members to become involved The combination of musicians’ wages stagnating, coupled with inflation in key areas of our business, is increasingly making the music profession unviable for most people. What is needed is a change of attitude by musicians. It needs to be made clear that by not joining the Union players are threatening the existence of our profession. We, as musicians, need to get involved and start asking not “what can the Union do for me?” but “what can I do for the Union?” It is then, and only then, that we might see a revival in musicians’ prospects. James Dickenson Woking
The Musician
Autumn 2011
Letters
Make the MU Pinboard public The Pinboard section of the MU website has been exclusively accessible to members since its latest revamp. This is not entirely helpful. In previous years, there has always been a part of it that was accessible to non-members. I refer to what might have been called a Musicians available section. I’ve personally secured plenty of work through its being accessible to all and sundry, chiefly teaching at a college. Now, in a recession, it seems an advertising outlet has been closed. I fail to see how this helps members. Similarly, I would have thought, the Stolen instruments section. Finding a missing instrument is unlikely to be the sole preserve of MU members (the police spring to mind).
or, on occasion, also about instruments which have been stolen and such content could be deemed sensitive if it were to be made available in the public arena. There is a duty of care between members that overcomes such issues in the existing facility. Recently, content has been posted with the understanding that it is not publicly viewed. The service is an advantage of MU membership and we aim to manage the content and keep the interface clean as it grows. Having said this, we note the advantages of helping members promote their services and skills, and plans are constantly being considered to answer this need.
Obviously, the Work available section should not be accessible to anyone but members. I’m sure it wouldn’t take much work on the part of the Union’s newly-appointed web manager to adjust the website along those lines.
Editor Keith Ames (MU) Consultant editor Neil Crossley Art editors Donna-Marie Scrase Emma Swift Writers Andrew Stewart, Neil Crossley, Michael Leonard Will Simpson, Keith Ames, Bridget Mermikides, Tracey Kelly, Clive Somerville, Julian Owen Production editors Michael Leonard, Joss Hutton Production and procurement manager Matt Eglinton Client production co–ordinator Tracy Nugent Repro Future Publishing Pre-Press Printed at Precision Colour Printing
Director of FuturePlus UK Jayne Caple Senior account manager David Parker Account director Clare Jonik Editorial director Mark Donald Operations director Cassie Whittell Creative director Matt Williams Design director Dylan Channon Design This is Real Art See page 02 for the contact details of Musicians’ Union offices.
Ali Clark London Editor Keith Ames replies: Thanks for the enquiry Ali. The Pinboard would have to be carefully monitored if it was to remain open to the public. Members post information about equipment for sale
The value of Union support I am a fairly new member of the MU and I joined under somewhat unusual circumstances. To put it bluntly, I was let down by another organisation and although I was in a position when I wouldn‘t take myself on for representation, as a last resort I phoned the MU’s East & South East England number. To cut the long story short, today I had my second grievance hearing at a school where I work as visiting piano teacher,
which this time I was able to attend with my MU representative, Alex Mann. Alex’s presence was hugely important to me and made a considerable difference to how I felt during the meeting. Alex managed to address all the important issues in a very calm but firm way. A big thank you to all of you. Maria Antal Tadworth
All information contained in this journal is for informational purposes only and is, to the best of our knowledge, correct at the time of going to press. This journal is published by Future Publishing Limited on behalf of Musicians’ Union. Neither Future Publishing Limited nor Musicians’ Union accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies that occur in such information. Readers are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers direct with regard to the price of products/services in the journal. Publication of an advertisement does not imply any form of recommendation. Organisations offering financial services or insurance are governed by their relevant regulatory bodies and problems with such services should be taken up with those bodies. Neither Future Publishing Limited nor Musicians’ Union accept any liability for the quality of goods and services offered in advertisements. We do our best to avoid inaccuracies, but if you believe that an error has been made, please contact the editor straight away before taking any other action and the Union will take appropriate steps. If you submit material to this journal, you automatically grant Future Publishing Limited and Musicians’ Union a licence to publish your submissions in whole or in part in any edition of this journal which is published worldwide in any format or media throughout the world and you grant Musicians’ Union a licence to publish your submissions in whole or in part in any format or media for the purpose of promoting any products or services referred to in your submissions. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and neither Future Publishing Limited nor Musicians’ Union nor their respective employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for any loss or damage. © Future Publishing and Musicians’ Union 2011. All rights reserved. No part of this journal may be used or reproduced without the written permission of Future Publishing and Musicians’ Union.
11
Autumn 2011
Report
In praise of metal Heavy metal bands may operate outside the mainstream, but there is much to admire in their dedicated musicianship and live success. Report by Horace Trubridge
This is something of a departure from the things that I would normally write about in The Musician, but I feel that an acknowledgement of a genre of music that has gone largely unnoticed by most is long overdue. Heavy rock and metal enjoy a fan loyalty unrivalled by any other popular genre of music and the music industry is waking up to the fact.
with a 25-year history of releasing extreme metal. Not many of Earache’s releases ever trouble the Top 40 of the album charts, but that’s what makes these bands particularly interesting from an industry viewpoint. They make the majority of their money from touring and merchandise and are therefore not vulnerable to piracy and file-sharing in the same way as some mainstream bands.
Cooking Vinyl, not a label renowned for its metal roster, scored the biggest-selling independent album of 2009 with Invaders Must Die by The Prodigy whose single, Omen, won a Kerrang! Award. The Prodigy are, of course, a dance/metal hybrid but as a result of their success, Cooking Vinyl signed Marilyn Manson along with other extreme rock and metal bands. Specialist labels such as Metal Blade, Roadrunner, Nuclear Blast and Napalm continue to release a phenomenal amount of albums to an ever-growing market.
A diverse underground Wikipedia lists 34 subgenres of heavy metal. These include everything from Christian Metal to Neo-Classical Metal — I’m particularly intrigued by Nintendocore and Viking Metal — so this is indeed a rich and diverse underworld of music that most of us have not been exposed to. There’s even heavy metal comedy in the personage of Australia’s Steve Hughes, an ex-metal drummer. The bands sell out festivals and ship more merchandise than any other genre of music and, unlike pop and other more mainstream genres, their fans are loyal through thick and thin.
Nottingham-based Earache Records are long-standing proponents of hardcore,
MU Assistant General Secretary Horace Trubridge — a secret admirer of metal
12
The live scene is stronger than ever for this genre of music, with this year’s Download festival attracting an audience of over 72,000 and the three-day Sonisphere at Knebworth expanding its capacity. It is true to say that the big acts dominate the festival scene: AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, and the so-called ‘big four’ of Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax. But it’s not all about the heritage acts. I went to this year’s Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards at the Indigo Rooms O2 in June and saw two up-and-coming UK bands, Sylosis and Skindred. Sylosis are a group of earnest young men who create a formidable wall of sound, and Skindred effortlessly blend ragga with metal.
Autumn 2011
Reading-based thrash metal quartet Sylosis are proud of their fierce work ethic
‘There’s no hiding place if you’re a duff musician in a metal band.’
This is where I should perhaps own up to the fact that I have not been a metal fan in the past, I don’t own any metal albums, and frankly I’m not likely to buy any. For me, it’s in the live arena that these bands impress. The standard of musicianship is very high — there’s no hiding place if you’re a duff musician in a metal band — and the power of the live performance is phenomenal. Okay, so it took a couple of days for my ears to stop ringing but it was a great night. Making the crossover The big question hanging over the metal market right now is whether the current crop of bands can make the giant leap from popular touring bands to the mega festival status of the heritage bands, but considering that the mainstream see this genre as über-uncool and radio exposure
is minimal, it is remarkable that the market remains so buoyant. Maybe all it needs is a couple of bands to cross over and then suddenly it will be cool to like metal. The only thing that prevents me from fully embracing the genre is some of the more dubious politics and oafish misogyny that still loiters in the dark corners. I know for a fact that many of the new bands and musicians emerging in the genre are keen to distance themselves from any bad messaging. Then we can all celebrate what is a true fashion-bucking, piracy-busting, head-banging music phenomenon.
13
Autumn 2011
Cover feature
Lost Arts — a united response A multi-union website has been launched to monitor the impact of arts funding cuts across the UK. It needs your voice to succeed. Feature by Neil Crossley
‘How wonderful to be joining the arena of the heart and the head,’ says actress Maggie Steed as she stands at the podium of Central Hall, Westminster and looks out across the stately, wood-paneled lecture hall at the assembled trade union officials, members, MPs and other attendees. It is early afternoon on 15 June, and Steed is one of eight speakers helping to launch Lost Arts, a website to record and catalogue the projects, events, initiatives and organisations that will be lost due to the cuts in public funding for arts and culture.
In some ways, this is precisely what has happened. Lost Arts (lost-arts.org) has been created by the Federation of Entertainment Unions (FEU), a body comprising the Musicians’ Union, Equity, the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, the NUJ, BECTU, Unite, Prospect and PCS. >
Like all of the speakers today, Steed is here to support Lost Arts and highlight how it can raise awareness of the damage inflicted by the government’s cuts. Last October’s Spending Review proposed cuts of 15% across four years to front-line arts organisations and a cut of nearly 30% for Arts Council England. ‘I think,’ Steed continues, ‘It would be a very good idea for us to form our own coalition.’
Actress Maggie Steed says the Lost Arts campaign is a ‘joining of the heart and the head’
Lost Arts needs your voice MU General Secretary John Smith has highlighted the fact that many of the forthcoming cuts will lead to a gradual yet profound erosion of arts in the UK. Ivan Lewis MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport, believes that the best way to highlight these losses is by using the ‘language and stories that win the hearts and minds of the public’ to demonstrate how arts and culture ‘enrich peoples’ lives’. Download The Musician in MP3 format from theMU.org
With this in mind, the MU is calling on its members to send these “human” stories
in to the Lost Arts website, to let us know how the cuts have affected you. The MU and the FEU want to hear about the school orchestra that has been scrapped; the axed music therapy session; the pianist at the care home who doesn’t get booked anymore; or the council-funded rehearsal rooms that have shut down. Only by populating the site with such stories will the Lost Arts campaign succeed. To log any cuts, simply visit lost-arts.org and click on the ‘Add Your Cuts’ link to tell your story. 15
The Musician
Cover feature
Musicians’ Union General Secretary John Smith at the Lost Arts launch event
The website aims to address the situation where the cuts to arts funding are not fully recognised, or become forgotten in time. A united effort It’s a pivotal moment for the unions, who between them span every sector of the UK arts and culture industry. Their unified support for the Lost Arts website was championed at the opening of the event by John Smith, General Secretary of the Musicians’ Union and President of the FEU. ‘I am delighted that the FEU has secured support for the initiative from such a wide cross section of unions,’ John said. ‘When we get to the end of the three-year funding round we can be pretty sure that we won’t get the money back that’s been cut. So we’re going to have to be in a position to remind government and the public just what the nation’s lost.’ The Lost Arts website will keep a running total of the revenue lost to the arts and the wider economy, as well as the jobs under threat over the three years to 2015. Anyone who wants to submit a report to Lost Arts can do so via an online form, which will allow them to detail the impact that cuts have had on their organisation. ‘The website will catalogue everything that we’ve suffered, everything that’s been lost,’ John told the audience at Central Hall. ‘But you and your colleagues must play your part. The website will need constant updating, which means that when you next hear of a cut, however small, you log it. With your help, we can build an irrefutable record of these savage cuts.’ When it comes to arguing the case for arts and culture funding, economics dominate. As most of the speakers at the Lost Arts launch pointed out, arts and culture is one 16
The Lost Arts campaign needs the regular support of MU members
Engaging the public As the Lost Arts campaign gathers pace over the next three years, one of the hardest tasks will be maintaining awareness, says Louise McMullan, policy development officer for Equity. ‘That’s going to be a real challenge for us,’ she says. ‘I think Lost Arts is a really good opportunity for the trades union movement to, not just do marches, rallies and demonstrations, but to take action in
more innovative and engaging ways and try and educate audiences. ‘We need people’s stories to give the issue of arts cuts a human face. That will help us give government a really comprehensive evidence base. We need to show them what’s going to happen to make the case for the next spending round. And getting the general public behind us is going to be the real challenge.’
The Musician
Cover feature
The Urban Soul Orchestra play at the Lost Arts launch
of the few really successful areas of the UK economy. Public money invested in the arts reaps dividends for the country in economic terms, the FEU argues, so cutting public funding defies logic. There is evidence to support this view. According to Arts Council England, every £1 of public money invested in the arts levers in a further £2 from elsewhere, creates jobs and contributes significantly to the fastest growing sector of our national economy. The benefits to UK tourism are also profound, with eight out of ten citing the arts as the major reason for visiting the UK. Cuts too fast, cuts too deep In light of such evidence, the economic case for cutting arts and culture funding seems weak, according to many of the speakers at the Lost Arts campaign launch event, including Ivan Lewis MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport. While he acknowledged that the Labour Party would also have had to make cuts to arts, if it had won the 2010 general election, he believes the Conservative-led coalition’s cuts are ‘too fast and deep’. ‘They are disproportionate when you consider the combined impact of a 30% cut to the Arts Council budget, severe front-loaded local government cuts and the abolition of the regional development agencies,’ he said. ‘They take no account of the commercial gain which frequently flows from public investment in the arts.’
‘We have to remind the government and the public about everything that’s been lost,’ John Smith, MU General Secretary.
Lewis said the launch of Lost Arts signals an end to the belief that, in times of austerity, the arts should have no voice. He stressed how passionately people feel about theatres, galleries and community projects, and how the arts are the catalyst for the talent, ambition and dreams of young people. He urged the Lost Arts campaign to use the ‘language and stories that win the hearts and minds of the public commentators’ to demonstrate how arts and culture enrich peoples’ lives. Real-life stories There was an abundance of such ‘language and stories’ at the Lost Arts launch. >
Shadow Secretary Ivan Lewis: ‘The cuts are too fast and too deep’
17
Autumn 2011
Cover feature
Jazz singer-songwriter and MU member Juliet Kelly recalled how a publicly-funded bursary enabled her to study at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and follow her chosen career path. Arts and culture can ‘take people out of their situation,’ she said. And Wirral-born MP Alison McGovern — who tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) to support the Lost Arts Campaign — described how trips to Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre and Walker Gallery provided a much-needed release from her family’s struggle to make ends meet in the 80s and 90s. ‘That taught me a lesson,’ she said. ‘When times are hard, that is when we need our culture most of all.’ Getting this message across to the public seems key to the success of the Lost Arts campaign. The true impact of the Arts Council England cuts will not be felt until April 2012 but local authorities, which are facing cuts of more than 28% over the next four years, have severely reduced funding for regional theatres, orchestras, arts organisations and community projects. John Smith believes that many of the forthcoming losses will be ‘under the radar’, lower profile projects whose loss   will result in a slow yet profound erosion of the arts landscape. ‘We need to let the public know, “This orchestra could have been touring but it’s not; this artist could have had an exhibition but it’s not happening; this school in Salford could have been having this arts project but   it’s not”,’ he says.
Jazz singer Juliet Kelly praises the bursary that funded her own development
Campaigning in 2012 The true impact of the Arts Council England cuts will not be felt until April 2012, although as a number of FEU colleagues have already noted, the staging of the London 2012 Olympics threatens to eclipse even the most high profile arts casualties in terms of newsworthiness. ‘Next year is going to be all about the Olympics,’ says Horace Trubridge, MU Assistant General Secretary, Music
Industry, ‘and the arts world will have to shout loudly to be heard. In that respect, the Lost Arts campaign is a marathon not a sprint. It’s ironic that the arts world, which saw so much Arts Council England money diverted to help fund the largely anonymous Cultural Olympiad, will struggle to gain the attention of politicians and the public during 2012.’ Maintaining Lost Arts’ momentum is key.
The real-life cost Alison McGovern, MP for Wirral South, went on to recount a moving story about a girl in a colleague’s constituency whose music education and happiness is now seriously threatened by arts funding cuts. ‘One of my colleagues, an MP, said that a young mum came in to see her to discuss the cuts to music service in her local authority area,’ McGovern recalled. ‘My colleague said to me, “You know, we didn’t used to have a great cultural service in our local authority. We had to work very hard to get it but children now are learning instruments and we’re just about getting there. But now the local authority are going to have to cut back yet again”. ‘This mum had said to my colleague, “I want you to see my daughter playing the piano. And she took out her mobile phone 18
Support for the Lost Arts campaign comes from union members of all sectors
Autumn 2011
Cover feature
Raising awareness of cuts is a key aim of Lost Arts
and showed my colleague the film on her phone of her daughter playing the piano. Then she said to my colleague, “I’m from a poor background. Seeing that is like my life being in a film. It’s so unreal to me”. ‘And that’s the kind of aspiration that arts and culture offers people,’ continued McGovern. ‘That’s why it’s so important, the work that you do, and it’s important that we protect our arts and culture and never let go of those successes.’
‘When times are hard, we need our culture most of all,’ Alison McGovern MP.
A growing culture Government funding for the arts is not subsidy, says Ivan Lewis MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, it is investment. Lewis says that relatively small amounts of funding have fuelled massive commercial successes, such as the stage productions Jerusalem and Warhorse. ‘Our creative industries have been a great UK PLC success story and if we want to rebalance our economy from an over-
dependency on financial services, we should invest in creativity as a priority.’ Lewis argues that too many people, in an age of austerity when the NHS, education and policing face cuts, feel the arts has no right to a voice: ‘If that is the case, we lose the right to feel passionately about the way culture transforms individuals’ lives. It creates jobs and growth for our economy, and civilises our country.’
Working at a local level John Smith’s beliefs are clear. He says regional union offices will be paramount in helping unions to assess losses in local areas, by logging such losses on the Lost Arts website and, ultimately, helping the unions to challenge the government to ‘put the money back and more.’ It iss a view shared by Sarah Cavanagh, campaigns and communications officer of the NUJ. ‘I think once people understand what the cuts mean to them in their dayto-day lives, when their kids aren’t having music lessons anymore, they can’t access the local library and they can’t go to the local art gallery on a rainy day, then the message will get through,’ she says. ‘If it costs a fortune to do any of these things, then people will realise what an important role cultural institutions play in our society and how they help knit our communities together. If the Lost Arts campaign can raise awareness that way, then it will be a success.’ To access the Lost Arts website, please visit lost-arts.org 19
© Hayley Madden
Autumn 2011
Profile
The Musician interview John Williams is a legend of the classical guitar. He tells The Musician about his 50-year career, breaking into TV and embracing new music. Feature by Bridget Mermikides
With a critically-acclaimed performing and recording career spanning more than 50 years, Australian-born John Williams is one of the most influential and revered classical guitarists of all time. Mentored from the age of 11 by the father of the instrument, Andrés Segovia, Williams has performed, recorded and broadened the popularity of virtually the whole of the traditional repertoire for classical guitar. In addition, he has championed music of such composers as Agustín Barrios, Toru Takemitsu and Leo Brouwer, and captured the imagination of the general public with such performances as Stanley Myers’ Cavatina on the soundtrack of the Oscar-winning 1978 film The Deer Hunter. His arrangements, compositions and commissions of new works by contemporary composers such as Stephen Dodgson, Peter Sculthorpe and André Previn, and his embracing of the music of Africa and South America, have enriched the guitar repertoire further still.
© Kathy Panama
An undeniable master of the instrument, John Williams has moved beyond the role of a solo classical virtuoso and has collaborated extensively with a diverse range of artists, including classical guitarist Julian Bream, jazz singer Cleo Laine, Pete Townshend, jazz guitarist John Etheridge,
Download The Musician in MP3 format from theMU.org
‘I was disapproved of by certain classical guitar purists and received some bad comments, which amused me.’
fusion group Sky, the African Children’s Choir and flamenco guitarist Paco Peña. With over 140 album releases in his catalogue, performances in virtually every major concert venue in the world, a BRIT Award, an honorary doctorate from the University of Surrey, and a Grammy and an Edison Lifetime Achievement award under his belt, Williams, now 70, shows no sign of slowing down or losing his enthusiasm for the guitar. He kindly took some time to discuss his life and work… Your current live project is your duo with jazz guitarist John Etheridge. Can you tell us a bit about this? I first played with John Etheridge 10 years ago in a group called The Magic Box, when we toured our arrangements of African music. When the group ended, John and I continued as a duo. The range of music from our different backgrounds is so enormous and the mixture of sounds is so wonderful that they combine in a very magical way, and we play not only the African music we played before, but jazzstyle pieces by him and also some music by me. We’ve toured Australia and the United States but our main base is here in London and we play mostly around England. Do you improvise in the duo? The short answer in the true sense of improvisation is no, but we have open sections where Etheridge improvises and I accompany in a manner that feels musically appropriate to what he is doing and is not written out note for note. What we don’t do is the typical fusion thing where I try to play jazz and he tries to play classical, that would be absolute death. We play to our individual strengths and find the common ground where we can meet. > 21
The Musician
Profile
J0hn Williams has an astonishing 140-plus albums to his name
I notice that you give away the scores of some of these pieces free on your website, johnwilliamsguitarnotes.com I believe that the value to people around the world is enormous and published music so expensive that I feel it’s the least I can give back. I have more new material I’m going to be sharing on the site soon, too.
© Polly Borland/Getty Images
The guitar has come a long way from 50 years ago, when there were no guitar departments in music colleges. Do you feel that the colleges and academies are providing suitable training to best equip guitarists for the music profession? It varies enormously, from the atrocious to the really fantastic. On the whole, guitar departments are rather traditionallyminded and old-fashioned. Things are changing and the guitar has made enormous strides over the last 40 years. But the world is moving on and although the guitar has been accepted now academically, some of the institutions have 19th century attitudes, so the guitar is catching up 100 years behind. But it is changing and there are exceptions — my old college, the Royal College of Music, is a good example of being more open and advanced, musically-speaking.
Your most recent solo album, From A Bird, is comprised of entirely your own compositions and it is also your first album on your own record label. How did this come about? Over the years I’ve always composed short pieces — I did with the group Sky over 30 years ago and even before that. I also wrote the music to a film 25 years ago called Emma’s War, set in Australia. I thought they meant to ask the “real”
American film composer John Williams, but no! They wanted me to do it on guitar. It was great fun and very successful. I eventually decided to create this album and didn’t give it to one of the big record companies because, although they have been absolutely wonderful to me, I didn’t want my own mixture of pieces to end up as commercial compilation fodder, hence my own record label.
Captivated by Cavatina Williams’ popular breakthrough came when his recording of Stanley Myers’ Cavatina was used in the 1978 film, The Deer Hunter. ‘I think the sound of the classical guitar is still absolutely epitomised by Cavatina,’ he says. ‘You can take traditional guitar genres like Brazilian guitar, South American — lots of notes or flamenco, but suddenly 22
you have what from our point of view is a pure classical guitar sound, very simple sustained notes, which is what Cavatina is. Even with the string accompaniment and arpeggios on the second guitar, it is almost the quintessential sound of the classical guitar, and I was the lucky bloke to have played it! Thankfully, everybody plays it now.’
Given the diverse range of music you play, do you feel compelled to challenge this status quo of the classical guitar’s traditional repertoire? It’s not that I want to challenge it, it’s just what my natural musical tastes are and it’s what most audiences’ musical tastes are, too. I’ve found over 50 or more years of playing in a countless variety of places, that this is simply the case. Do you think all classical guitarists should try to broaden their musical horizons? I hate to tell people what to do! I can only be an example and hope people are inspired. Back in the 70s, the classical guitar was championed by recognisable personalities — Segovia, Bream and yourself — and you often appeared on TV. Do you think the identity and public recognition of the instrument has now been lost? No, on the contrary. The first popular TV show I did was The Billy Cotton Band Show in the 60s. Next, I met Eric Sykes and I used to be on nearly every single show of his series, also Val Doonican’s. My good fortune at having the classical guitar on those TV shows brought the instrument to the general public in a way that guitar recitals didn’t. At the time, I was disapproved of by certain classical guitar purists and received some bad comments, which amused me!
Autumn 2011
Profile
John and current duets partner, the jazz guitarist John Etheridge
Do you think we are lacking classical guitar personalities now, given the wealth of TV channels and so much online access? I think, no. I’d have to say there’s too much fuss cooked up by the classical guitar fraternity about their instrument not being popular enough or accepted. It is very popular. I don’t know what the problem is, I mean, there are guitars all over the place in all sorts of music. You have a vast catalogue of recorded works dating from the 50s onwards. How involved are you with the recording process and have new technologies changed the way you produce albums? I’ve always been interested from the word go. From the early 60s, with CBS, my producer was Paul Myers and I used to attend the editing sessions to see how it was all done. I’ve gradually got more and more involved with the sound — I’m very critical about sound. In the late 70s I did a recording called Travelling, a follow-up to the album Changes, which had the first Cavatina and all arrangements and pieces by Stanley Myers. I then met an engineer at George Martin’s Air Studios called Michael Stavrou, and all my solo recordings from the last 15 to 20 years are with him. How long have you been in the MU? I joined in the late 50s when I started doing concerts, even though it wasn’t really
‘There’s too much fuss cooked up by the classical guitar fraternity about their instrument.’ necessary as a so-called solo classical musician. I was on the National Executive for three years somewhere between 1988 and 1992. I was one of the London representatives and that was really interesting and enjoyable. What projects do you have on the horizon? The next things coming up are plans to re-record some Australian pieces — Nourlangie by Peter Sculthorpe and the Ross Edwards Concerto. I also want to do a piece by Phillip Houghton called Light On The Edge, a fantastic piece for two guitars, harp, double bass, didgeridoo and environmental sounds. Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring guitarists today? Do you want to be a guitarist or do you want to play the guitar? Do you enjoy your practice? You’ve got to find a way to make the practice enjoyable...
My favourite things With so many credits to his name, one might think Williams would be hard-pressed to pick his own favourites. Not so. He immediately responds, ‘The Great Paraguayan, from my Barrios album (1994), and The Baroque Album (1988) have two of the best guitar sounds. Mike Stavrou and I have developed a close working relationship, with him as engineer, and I credit him as a co-producer because I think the producing has to do with sound as much as the programme. ‘That’s why I’ve produced all my solo albums because I’ve got the exact say on the editing process. Even the gap between pieces is important to me — we don’t do the standard three seconds, instead, when we’ve got the order we want, we go through with our eyes shut tapping a pencil for when we want the next piece to start. We stuck out for a long time with analogue recording, not digital, because the early digital was terrible. But it’s become so good today that the differences are minimal.’ 23
© Rex Features
Autumn 2011
Feature
Dance piano — all the right moves For pianists, playing for ballet is an often-overlooked career choice. The Musician speaks to the players who have chosen this path. Feature by Andrew Stewart
There are plenty of work opportunities for rehearsal pianists, especially for those willing to venture beyond their zones of comfort. The world of the ballet and dance pianist, an often-overlooked industry sector, offers room for newcomers. Surging ticket sales for dance productions, media interest in ballet stars and long queues for the Victoria and Albert Museum’s recent Ballets Russes exhibition underline the British public’s current appetite for dance. Yet piano students and their teachers often dismiss dance as opera’s poor relation. Piano and dance The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, wants to present pianists with a positive view of playing for dance. Playing for the company calls for high skill levels. There is more to the ballet company pianist’s job than a daily round of classes and rehearsals — virtuoso recital and concerto repertoire must also be in their fingers. Barry Wordsworth, music director of the Royal Ballet, is determined to raise the status attached to being a dance pianist.
Rob Clark of the Royal Ballet ‘I started at a dance school in Kettering while I was doing my A Levels and worked at the Royal Academy of Dancing when I was a student at the Royal College of Music. Although I could see the makings of a career, my knowledge of ballet in a professional sense was very limited. I assumed that a job with the Royal Ballet would entail playing endless rehearsals of Swan Lake, The 24
Nutcracker and Giselle. In fact, I don’t know of another job for pianists that’s as varied. If you’ve never played for ballet before, the Royal Ballet wouldn’t be the place to start. You could put one of the world’s top pianists in the ballet class here, without any knowledge of it, and it wouldn’t work. Our Jette Parker Young Artists Programme is all about nurturing people for the job.’
Barry Wordsworth, music director of the Royal Ballet: ‘We need to develop opportunities for pianists’
He is convinced that many institutions would employ rehearsal pianists if there were more of them. ‘So many dance schools and ballet classes are now using recorded music,’ he observes. ‘That’s terrible considering the great number of well-trained pianists emerging from music college every year. It’s partly a matter of money. But it’s also a question of connecting very good pianists with dance. We need to develop opportunities for pianists to work with dancers and to learn the wide range of skills that this involves.’ Grace under pressure Painful experience may also explain why some pianists avoid dance and ballet. Tales of verbally abusive teachers are sufficiently grounded in truth to raise doubts about taking up a musical career in the sector. Paul Hoskins, music director of Rambert Dance Company, says, ‘People who teach ballet were often shouted at as dancers,
Feature
Autumn 2011
‘Dancers are very sensitive to harmonic momentum and tension,’ says Northern Ballet’s Grant Green
and continue shouting when they become teachers. There’s a level of inappropriate behaviour that you’ll find nowhere else.’
Clark explains. ‘There’s no set music, for example, so pianists need to be able to improvise.’
Barry Wordsworth admits that potential ballet pianists have been deterred by such practices. ‘There are environments where people shout and scream at the pianist and treat them very badly,’ he notes. ‘Those stories get around. There needs to be a two-way process of bringing musicians and dance closer, which takes time.’
Those who gather relevant practical experience in the UK can also find job vacancies overseas — Germany, for example, maintains ballet companies at most of its 83 publicly-funded theatres.
‘So many dance classes use recorded music. That’s terrible,’ Barry Wordsworth of the Royal Ballet.
According to Paul Hoskins, the pianist’s role remains important as dance evolves. He recalls questioning the need to appoint a successor to replace Rambert’s long-serving company pianist following his retirement last year.
Wordsworth wants the Royal Ballet to forge links with conservatoires and form strong working bonds between musicians and dancers. ‘We’re happy for pianists to come to watch our work,’ he says. ‘Rambert operates differently to a classical ballet company,’ says Hoskins. ‘We Forging alliances and building trust alternate classical ballet classes with Robert Clark, head of ballet music staff contemporary dance classes. So we might at the Royal Ballet, identifies clear lines use a pianist one day and a percussionist separating opera répétiteurs and ballet the next. When we’re on tour, the dancers pianists. The former, he notes, can study like to start the day with a classical class. the craft of accompanying and coaching It is reassuring having the same pianist, singers at music college, while the latter somebody who the dancers trust.’ generally learn on the job. Rambert recently appointed Yshani ‘The requirements for playing for ballet Perinpanayagam as company pianist. She class at company level are very particular,’ began playing for dance at London’s >
Paul Hoskins, music director of Rambert Dance Company
25
Feature
contemporary arts centre The Place, while she simultaneously studied at the Royal College of Music.
Northern Ballet’s company pianist, Grant Green, arrived in post last year with long experience of playing for the Royal Ballet School and Chester’s Hammond School. Good dance pianists, he suggests, are usually strong characters.
The Rambert Orchestra rehearse at their west London studios
‘If you laid the nation’s ballet pianists end to end, they’d never reach a consensus,’ he says. ‘But playing for dance is a very collaborative thing. It’s difficult to find people with the combination of individuality and collaborative instincts.’ Green challenges the idea that improvisation is essential for dance class pianists. Dancers, he explains, always favour strong tunes over bland improvisations. ‘The key element is to match musical characterisation to the physical characterisation of different dance manoeuvres. Dancers are sensitive to harmonic momentum and the building and releasing of musical tension. However gifted you are as an improviser, you cannot beat that encyclopaedia of western classical music for raw material.’ A varied role The Royal Ballet currently employs six full-time and one part-time pianist. Robert Clark charts the all-round range of requirements, from improvising pieces in class and accompanying The Rite Of Spring in rehearsal to playing concertos with an orchestra. He says: ‘There’s also work to be had in dance for players who perhaps don’t have the versatility we require here but who can deliver what’s needed at dance academies and stage schools. We want piano students to recognise there could be a good career for them in dance.’ When it comes to attracting fine young pianists into its workforce, the Royal Ballet can offer the lure of the Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artists Programme. The two-year salaried training scheme includes room for an outstanding ballet musician, whether conductor, pianist or conductor26
Yshani Perinpanayagam, new company pianist at Rambert Dance Company
pianist. Yet no suitable candidate emerged from the last audition round in February 2010. ‘The fact we couldn’t find the right person set Barry and I thinking,’ Rob Clark recalls. Barry Wordsworth wrote to the conservatoires and received interest, especially from Trinity Laban. ‘We will spread the word before the next intake of Jette Parker artists audition in 2012.’ Scottish Ballet understands the value of training young pianists. Its initiative with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, the MMus (Pianist for Dance) course is the only vocational training programme offered jointly by a UK conservatoire and a professional dance
‘Playing for dance is a very collaborative thing. It’s difficult to find people with the instincts,’ Grant Green, Northern Ballet. company. Brian Prentice, who became company pianist after a year working with Scottish Ballet’s education unit, recalls being thrown into the deep end. Prentice arrived at his present job following studies in physics, mathematics and electronics. In addition to his duties as company pianist, he also edits digital soundtracks and prepares electronic sound materials for Scottish Ballet. ‘I thought I’d be involved in music technology rather than performing,’ he observes. ‘I never imagined I’d join a ballet company. But I’ve satisfied my musical and technical interests. Variety is the appealing name of the ballet pianist’s game.’
Brian Prentice of the Scottish Ballet ‘Richard Honner, our resident conductor, launched Scottish Ballet’s MMus [Master of Music] course six years ago because of the shortage of pianists with the skills to play for dance. Richard and I both learned on the job as ballet pianists. Our course teaches the basics and condenses the time it takes to discover what playing for
dance involves. Students spend most of the time working with us and our dancers, so it’s a very practical course. This is about breaking down barriers between musicians and dancers, and preparing good people for the job of ballet pianist. There’s definitely freelance work to be had in dance for pianists with all-round skills.’
© Simon Weir
‘Yshani started playing for class with Rambert and was soon expert in improvising for classical and contemporary class,’ adds Hoskins. ‘She will also join us in the orchestra pit to play the amazing range of repertoire we do here. The range is what attracts people to Rambert, but it’s difficult to find people with the skills this requires.’
The Musician
Autumn 2011
Union news
GFTU courses and seminars 2011 General Federation of Trade Unions training opportunities that are open to MU representatives and members.
The General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) organises a range of courses and seminars, the core programmes of which are free for MU reps and members. To apply for a place on any GFTU course, you can obtain a nomination form from your MU Regional Office, the GFTU website (gftu.org.uk), or by using the contact details on this page. Your completed form, quoting the course or seminar’s ‘Code’ and its title, should be sent to your MU Regional Office, who will then forward it to our Union’s General Secretary, John Smith, for counter-signing. The approved form will then be forwarded to the GFTU. MU representatives have a legal right to attend MU-approved courses, and may be entitled to expenses for doing so. For more information, contact your Regional Office. Time Management (Code 37) For paid officials, reps and members who wish to be more efficient and less stressed. The topics covered include setting priorities, controlling distractions, using technology and time management. Date: 19 October Venue: Central London Closing date for nominations: 23 September Dealing With Bullying, Harassment And Stress (Code 38) For reps, stewards and members who deal with these problems in the workplace. The topics covered include causes of stress, bullying and harassment, systematic approaches, practical skills and the law. Date: 20—21 October Venue: Torquay Closing date for nominations: 30 September
Vulnerable Workers And The Law — Equality Reps Stage 3 (Code 39) Improving vulnerable workers' rights by using the skills of trained union equality reps. The topics covered include practical assistance, basic employment rights, and taking up members' cases. Date: 28—30 October Venue: Leeds Closing date for nominations: 30 September Dealing With Stress And Conflict In The Workplace (Code 40) A new course for paid officials, reps and members. The topics covered include Health & Safety law, stress and pressure, causes of conflict, conciliation and arbitration, and dispute resolution. Date: 28—30 October Venue: Leeds Closing date for nominations: 30 September Tackling Workplace Hazards (Code 40) This third GFTU Health & Safety course is open to all reps who have attended Stages 1 & 2 or the TUC equivalent. Covers how to deal with everyday workplace Health & Safety problems, specific problems (noise, slips, trips, falls, etc) and workplace stress. Date: 7—11 November Venue: Northern College, South Yorkshire Closing date for nominations: 7 October Advanced Employment Law And Advocacy Skills (Code 42) For paid officials and senior lay officials withe a working knowledge of current employment law. The topics covered include key developments in employment law, topical labour law, being an advocate for members and using dispute procedures. Date: 11—13 November Venue: Warrington Closing date for nominations: 14 October
Emotional Intelligence (Code 43) For trade union reps or workplace managers. The topics covered include handling interpersonal relationships, understanding the behaviour of others and developing empathy. Date: 25—27 November Venue: Buxton Closing date for nominations: 28 October Understanding Company Accounts (Code 44) For paid officials and experienced reps involved in negotiating pay and conditions locally or nationally. The topics covered include a balance sheets, costing pay claims and negotiation strategies. Date: 25—27 November Venue: Buxton Closing date for nominations: 28 October For further information regarding these and other GFTU courses, or to request a nomination form, please email Judith Jackson (judith@gftu.org.uk) or Joan Amory (joan@gftu.org.uk). Alternatively, you can contact the GFTU at: GFTU Educational Trust, 4th Floor, Headland House, 308—312 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8DP T 020 7520 8340 F 020 7520 8350 W gftu.org.uk Please note: the GFTU Educational Trust Course Programme 2011 can be downloaded as a PDF from theMU.org
27
Autumn 2011
Advice
Sheet music: copyrights and wrongs The mass of online tab and notation makes it harder than ever for teachers and students to remain within the law. Where do you stand? Feature by Michael Leonard
Imagine this scenario: “Jack”, aged 17, is a guitar player and has lessons once a week with “Ed”, his one-to-one teacher. Jack is a talented and dedicated student, but like many youngsters he regularly downloads illegal MP3 tracks and also visits illegal tab and lyric sites to learn new songs. He often takes a burned CD of the songs and a printout of the tab to his lesson and asks Ed, ‘Can you teach me this song?’ In this situation, what should Ed do?
© Illustration by Chris Stenner
This is not an imagined scenario, it is real. The rise of music-sharing on the internet has caused much strife for record labels, but it is just as big a challenge for publishers and music teachers. Ed, correctly, says he could not base any teaching on the notes of an unauthorised tab-and-lyric download. So he hand-writes Jack’s required parts. But Ed admits that sometimes, he doesn’t know where Jack has even got his original audio files from…
Download The Musician in MP3 format from theMU.org
The teachers’ views Lee Wrathe is a guitar teacher at the MLC-Academy (mlc-academy.com) in Nottingham and also teaches privately. He says his private students may bring in illegal tab. So how does he deal with it? ‘Firstly, I don’t discuss the moral or legal implications of how they’ve come across the tab as, largely, such rhetoric lands on deaf ears,’ Wrathe says. ‘My approach is to give them the tools to work things out for themselves instead of using questionable tab. Obviously, if a student walks in with an official notation book, I’ll work with that.’ Larger music schools also take the matter seriously. Nik Preston, Director of Education at Guildford’s Academy Of Contemporary Music (acm.ac.uk), highlights the school’s good practice:
‘We give students so much bespoke music. We write our own transcriptions, the Copyrights and wrongs arrangement, and students get these as Teaching music and staying within part of their course materials. We steer copyright law is as challenging as ever, and our students away from tablature anyway, even the photocopying of music remains a we get them using standard notation. So, major issue. During research for this article, culturally, it’s not too much of an issue. The Musician heard of two recent cases. ‘We make sure all ACM students have In the first, a school music teacher using lessons on copyright. We make sure they photocopied music was reported when know that it is good to pay for music. If they an Ofsted official inspected a lesson. The share notation among themselves privately, second saw a teacher suffer more serious we’ve got no way of governing that. We consequences when they supplied a just don’t give them the ability to do it at photocopy of legitimate sheet music to the ACM, whether it’s via our web portal or a student during an exam. The examiner unsupervised access to our photocopiers.’ reported the incident and the teacher subsequently lost their job. This is an approach endorsed by Diane Widdison, MU National Organiser, Live The proliferation of online transcriptions Performance & Teaching: ‘My attitude is just makes staying within the law harder, that, as a music educator, it’s your job to especially for private music teachers. educate your pupils in all aspects of > 29
The Musician
Autumn 2011
Advice Online tab and notation, much of it illegal, has made printed music a complicated issue
music, including copyright. Downloading illegal music in whatever format is simply wrong. If you ask students to buy a proper book, it adds a level of professionalism and it teaches pupils to respect the work of creators.’ Advice from the MPA Some involved in music teaching say that using copyright music is a “grey area” and it certainly is complex. Happily, the Music Publishers Association (MPA) has The Code Of Fair Practice, which is essential reading for any music teacher and can be downloaded from mpaonline.org.uk. The Code Of Fair Practice makes clear that: — A  ny reprographic process (photocopying/scanning) involving copyright books is nearly always illegal. There are a few exceptional circumstances, and the MPA’s Code Of Fair Practice outlines these. — Teachers and students are allowed to copy (by hand) during instruction. — A reprographic process must not be used; this does not include the right of arranging. — The Code Of Fair Practice allows for students or teachers to make copies of short excerpts of musical works for study only — this expressly excludes copying whole works. — Any performance undertaken as part of an exam must not use reprographic copies. As Diane adds: ‘Many exam boards will penalise pupils if photocopied music is used in the exam with the ultimate sanction of failure used in some circumstances. The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (abrsm.org) states clearly, if a pupil uses photocopied music, they could fail.’
Online rock tab Any student knows there is a vast amount of notation, mostly tab, available online and much of it is illegal. A thorn in the side of music publishers has been the rise of ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) tab. Since websites grew to increasingly encourage user-generated content (UGC), the amount of ASCII tab online has snowballed. But, of course, “users” don’t have the legal permission to be distributing tab for copyrighted songs. Ultimate Guitar (ultimateguitar.com) is a notable case. The site, also known as UG, was launched in October 1998 and its 30
© Getty Images
‘The MPA is not currently lobbying for any change to legislation,’ says Jake Kirner of the Music Publishers Association.
When and what can you copy? — Photcopying a notation/tab book remains illegal. — Mass photocopying of even handwritten scores is illegal, with a few exceptions. See mpaonline.org.uk — Sharing a legitimate notation/tab book is legal, as it has already been paid for. However, “sharing” does not allow it ever be photocopied or scanned.
— E  ven legitimate tab, from such sites as TabLibrary (tablibrary.com) or MXTabs (mxtabs.net), should not be photocopied. The MPA says: ‘Each person using a tab should download their own copy — although the tabs are free to download, they are licensed by the rights owners, who share in advertising revenues. Each individual download contributes to these valuable revenues being returned to the composers and publishers.’
The Musician  user-generated tab was, for a long time, pursued by US publishers, who argued that it infringed copyright. But 2010 saw UG strike a deal with the US licensing body, the Harry Fox Agency. UG now pays US royalties on the tab its users post so US teachers and students can use it legitimately. However, Jake Kirner points out that, ‘The material available on UG is largely unlicenced for the UK. UK teachers should avoid using tabs from this source.’ Tab Library (tablibrary.com), on the other hand — which is run by the global music print publishers, Music Sales — is licenced in the UK and offers notation in both ASCII and Power Tab (power-tab.net) formats.
Autumn 2011
Advice
IMSLP to ensure that a number of works available from IMSLP which are copyright in the UK are not available for download in the UK, as this is an infringement of copyright. Meanwhile, individuals using IMSLP in the UK should be sure to follow the copyright guidance posted at the top  of each page.’ Yet many music publishers do not look fondly on the likes of IMSLP. Most music book publishers have their own books that transcribe similar public domain material and they argue that even such not-for-profit sites damage their business. For example, the print book Igor Stravinsky: Les Noces (Study Score) can cost nearly £50. That is how the web has changed the game.
The way forward Because of myriad music sources, it is getting harder — mainly for teachers — to remain within the law. Cost to customers versus publishers’ profit remains an Online classical scores underlying problem. As our guitar student Much classical music is out of copyright, “Jack” points out, he bought the CD of Green and many online archives of notation Day’s 21st Century Breakdown for under exist, such as the International Music £10, yet some retailers charge £24 for the Score Library Project (imslp.org). IMSLP’s official notation and tab book. Jack admits online notation is legal in the US as it is rethat he went straight online for the guitar transcribed from pieces whose copyright tab, even knowing it was posted illegally, as has expired in the US. However, sometimes, he simply could not afford the book… the music remains in European copyright. Sheet music copyright in the digital age ‘IMSLP is, in large part, a fantastic resource remains a minefield. The only certain thing of music in the public domain,’ says Jake is, as with illicit MP3-sharing, it is an issue Kirner. ‘The MPA is seeking to work with that is not going away. Overall, teachers should be aware that many of their students will obtain tab transcriptions from ASCII sites — some of these will be legal, others not.
‘As a music educator, it’s your job to educate pupils in all aspects of music, including copyright,’ Diane Widdison of the MU.
Legal sources — M  usic Publishers Association An overview of the legalities of using print (and recorded) music for all teachers, including The Code Of Fair Practice PDF download. mpaonline.org.uk — F  aber Music The online store of one of the UK’s biggest publishers. Official lyrics/ chord chart downloads start at £1. fabermusicstore.com — M  usicRoom Online shop, boasting books and downloads from Handel to Adele. Video lessons and backing tracks are also available from 99p. musicroom.com — A  BRSM An extensive range of music publications, exam materials and resources. shop.abrsm.org — T  abLibrary Legal tab, using ASCII and PowerTab formats. Endorsed by the MPA. tablibrary.com
© Academy Of Contemporary Music
— M  XTabs Legal ASCII guitar tab. Endorsed by the MPA. mxtabs.net
Sheet music copyright in the digital age remains a minefield
— T  he International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) A huge archive of US public domain classical scores, and free to use. UK users should abide by the notes on notation that explain which scores are legally free in the UK. imslp.org 31
The Musician
Autumn 2011
Report
Focal dystonia Often known as ‘musician’s cramp’, focal dystonia can ruin careers. The Musician investigates this debilitating and worrying condition. Report by Neil Crossley
Download The Musician in MP3 format from theMU.org
The way forward Dr Mark Edwards is encouraged by the growing awareness of focal dystonia, saying that the disorder, which was generally regarded as a psychological condition, is now recognised as neurological. At present, none of the retraining therapies are available on the NHS and private treatment is also limited. However, Edwards has just received a grant from the Dystonia Society to research promising retraining therapies and he says there are a number of people 32
James Allerton was midway through a 1995 performance of Strauss’s Till Eulenspiegel when he first noticed a tremor in the muscles around his lips. Over the weeks that followed, the tremor had an increasingly debilitating effect upon the 36-year-old woodwind player’s embouchure. James was reluctant to mention it to anyone and by the time he went to see a GP, he was worried sick.
frequent use, such as the hands or the lips. With focal dystonia, while a finger may react normally when carrying out other tasks, it could freeze or jerk erratically when trying to play a piano key or violin string. For brass and wind players, uncontrollable lip tremors can result in a loss of playing control, affecting their embouchure. Focal dystonia is seldom painful but the stress experienced by sufferers can be immense.
‘I didn’t know what it was,’ he recalls. ‘I thought it was some strange form of ‘It changed my playing and my enjoyment of nerves. Obviously, you get your normal playing forever,’ says James, ‘because it performance anxiety from simply wanting was something I couldn’t control. My body to do a good show. But worrying about tried to mask the disorder with automatic whether these symptoms would occur was facial contortions that never helped. I was taking my anxiety to a whole different level.’ fortunate as it only affected a handful of mid-range notes. But there’d be the odd What James didn’t know at the time was piece of music that really exposed these that he had focal dystonia, a task-specific few notes and that was the real ordeal.’ neurological disorder that generally affects one or a group of muscles and results in a According to a 2006 study by Hanover’s loss of voluntary control. Often referred to Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians’ as ‘musician’s cramp’, it generally affects Medicine, approximately 1% of professional parts of the body that are subject to musicians are affected by focal dystonia, and men are four times as likely to suffer from it as women. The study concluded that, in many cases, the disorder ‘terminates the careers of affected musicians’. in his field who are keen to implement better treatments within the NHS. ‘We have some trials that suggest different types of retraining do work,’ he says. ‘So there is genuine hope that the future will be better for musicians with focal dystonia.’ Musicians who are experiencing problems being referred to a neurologist can contact the British Association of Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM), which will advise their GP of an appropriate specialist.
Cause of the problem There is some evidence that certain people have a genetic vulnerability to focal dystonia. But excessive practice and poor technique are also believed to be key to the onset of symptoms, according to Dr Mark Edwards of the UCL Institute of Neurology. ‘Focal dystonia usually happens to people who have practised a highly-skilled, specific task over and over again,’ Edwards explains. ‘As far as we know, the nerves going from the brain to the muscles are all working okay but the control signal that is
The Musician
Autumn 2011
Report Focal dystonia affects one or more fingers and the muscles which give brass or woodwind players their embouchure
treatment for focal dystonia is retraining programmes. Edwards cites a therapy called Constraint Induced Movement Therapy, which involves putting a temporary splint on a patient’s unaffected fingers so they can practise movements with the affected digit. Ergonomic changes in instruments are also an option. One neurologist recalled a trombonist whose symptoms were alleviated by using the mouthpiece from a French horn. Edwards cites a violinist with a bowing problem whose symptoms were improved by adding rough sandpaper to the wood of her bow.
© Getty Images
‘Some people find that kind of workaround,’ says Edwards. ‘That particular movement programme has become corrupted and so it’s possible with those sorts of solutions to work around the problem.’
‘It changed my playing and enjoyment of playing forever,’ says woodwind player and sufferer James Allerton. coming from the brain is flawed and the separation between the control of the fingers seems to go wrong.’ Classical guitarists seem to be particularly prone to focal dystonia. Edwards says: ‘I get a sense that a lot of them practise more obsessively than players of other instruments. It’s less common in people who play wind and brass instruments.’ Diagnosis and treatment Any musician showing symptoms should visit their GP, advises Edwards. However, when James Allerton visited his GP, he was diagnosed with anxiety. It was only when he was referred to a neurologist that he was diagnosed with focal dystonia. Edwards urges patients to get a referral. ‘The pivotal thing about dystonia is, not that you can’t do the movement, but you are
experiencing abnormal movement,’ Edwards reasons. ‘That’s the clue it’s dystonia rather than something else.’ ‘The first treatment for a musician with focal dystonia may be to make simple changes,’ says Edwards. ‘Some people find that if they avoid the repetitive strain and cut down on their practising a bit, then they can manage the situation.’ The second option is medication — for example, trihexyphenidyl — which can help minimise symptoms, although Edwards says that this can induce side effects, such as sleepiness, which impair performance. This is a view borne out by Allerton, who was prescribed this drug by his neurologist: ‘It didn’t get rid of the focal dystonia, it just slowed it down. And it gave me sickness and panic attacks.’ Another pharmacological option is small injections of Botox into the affected area, which can last for up to four months. Botox weakens muscle and the treatment has yielded results. Of the 144 musicians who took part in the Hanover study, 54% reported an alleviation of symptoms via Botox. However, in embouchure dystonia, only 15% of patients reported any benefits. But perhaps the most potentially effective
Inspiring examples Sadly, for James, no treatment proved effective enough. In 2005, he resigned from his full-time orchestral role and left the profession, although he still harbours a desire to return to full-time playing at some point. However, he finds the examples of high-profile musicians who have combated the disorder, such as US pianist and conductor Leon Fleisher, to be encouraging. ‘Those stories give us all hope,’ James confirms. ‘I comfort myself with the fact that medicine hasn’t really given it the attention its due. Perhaps one day they will. I’m optimistic long-term.’ ‘James Allerton’ is a fictitious name as the musician interviewed asked to remain anonymous.
Useful contacts British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) Totara Park House 4th Floor, 34—36 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8HR T 020 7404 8444 E enquiries@bapam.org.uk W bapam.org.uk Dystonia Society 2nd Floor, 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP T 0845 458 6322 W dystonia.org.uk 33
The Musician
Autumn 2011
Advice
The art of self-promotion With some professional advice and a little effort, you can create the ideal CV and promotional package to apply for a range of paid work. Feature by Tracey Kelly
With graduates pouring out of music colleges each year and the competition becoming ever stiffer, it is easy to become despondent at the chances of being considered, let alone hired, for paid employment as a session musician or singer. Yet there are a multitude of jobs on offer — not only studio sessions for pop bands, big bands and orchestras, but also for film scores, adverts, corporate events, cruise ship slots and musicals.
The right balance A CV is a snapshot of your musical career to date. It sounds obvious, but a good place to begin is by stating your main instrument and any other instruments you play, and the genre(s) in which you specialise. Next, compile a list of your best gigs and achievements. This need not be chronological — you may want to highlight the most impressive gigs first. Keep information to the point, making it easy for potential employers to assess at a glance.
But how do you ensure that you stand out from the crowd? The answer involves what It is a given that most musicians have your grand-parents may have called putting experience playing live, but if you are after your best foot forward, meaning, in this mainly live session work, do make this clear. case, creating a polished promotional If, however, you are seeking recording package presenting a concise view of what session work, it is especially important to you and your music are all about. With the flag up any studio experience you have had right CV, photographs and optional audio and also the people you have worked with. and video clip links, you will provide potential employers with the overall ‘flavour’ ‘People recognise that with a musician who of your musical talent and experience. is an efficient live player, you can put them in a recording studio and turn the red light on, and they sometimes go to pieces,’ says Your CV as a musician should MU Sessions Official Pete Thoms. ‘The emphasise experience over employer needs to have the confidence educational achievement that you’ve been in a studio before, that you’ve played with other people and, ideally, that the product of those recordings has been released. There’s nothing more telling than being able to say, “I played on that record that you’ve heard on the radio”. That’s an important part of the CV that will make most employers take you much more seriously.’
© Pali Rao/iStockphoto
So does Pete recommend name-dropping in a CV? ‘Absolutely, you’d be crazy not to,’ he says. ‘If you’ve played with someone who’s got a reputation — for example, “I played guitar on a Robbie Williams track” — they’re going to say, “Hey, this guy’s obviously of very high calibre”.’ 34
The Musician
Autumn 2011
Advice
‘Employers want your experience, not how many A Levels you have,’ Pete Thoms, MU Sessions Official. As well as CV ‘do’s’ there is one major ‘don’t’, according to Thoms — putting too much focus on education. You may have worked at them for years but qualifications should enjoy only a brief mention and come last on the CV. ‘Employers want to know what performances you’ve done, who you’ve played with and your actual experience,’ Pete says. ‘People are just not very interested in how many A Levels you have, it’s not a very useful bit of information.’
© Getty Images
Agency advice Recognising that musicians are not always the best self-publicists, Young Guns (younggunsuk.com) is a session agency that aims to help music graduates maximise their promotional profile and work opportunities. With 1,000 musicians and singers on their books, the company has been successfully placing its hefty roster in different session scenarios for the past six years, from hip-hop to rock, classical to soul, funk and dance.
Studio session work has a different set of requirements to playing live
‘It’s getting that validation from an artist or    a producer, something which will make you stand out and make people think, “Okay, someone else has actually paid good money for this player to go in, capture their performance and release it, and they’re making money out of it”. It’s really part of the game. You let people know, that’s expected. People should never be shy.’
The founder and director of Young Guns, Dominic Lyon, believes that a great promo package is the ticket to success: ‘We get inundated with materials all the time, so having strong promotional material — the CV, the biography, the photos and the demos — makes a massive difference. The more professional and the higher the quality of the presentation, then the more interested we are going to be.’ >
Online CVs
‘Xxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx Posting an online CV on a networking producers, etc), working mainly in xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx sites can raise your chances of exposure television, film and on stage. to potential employers. professionalpeople.org/music/uk/ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx — Singers Pro — LinkedIn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx’ Post your CV online with bio and audio. Post a guided online CV to connect
You will be notified when employers A CV with reference to a well-designed have viewed your profile. Apply via website with audio or video clips makes it singerspro.com/uk easy for employers to quickly assess your level and style of playing. You can also add — Professional People links to artists with who you have worked Sister site for instrumentalists and with, for instance, and indicate on your CV music professionals (sound engineers, that it is your oboe playing on a track at 1:33.
with music business professionals. linkedin.com
— F  acebook Social networking site offering artist pages that raise your public profile. facebook.com 35
The Musician
Autumm 2011
Advice
‘CVs are so misleading, because people can write anything in them,’ Chris Wheeler of the Heritage Orchestra. Lyon also stresses the importance of having great photos. ‘You don’t have to spend a fortune, but I recommend professional studio shots rather than shots in someone’s garden. Professional shots look really crisp, well-styled and well-lit. I think that’s what will set you apart.’
‘Often the imagery is more important for TV. If you’ve got some imagery that a record or TV production company is going to look at, they will often just pick someone on the basis of the images,’ says Dominic Lyon. Pete adds: ‘With TV, where artists want sessioneers to mime behind them producers may want a particular look — quite often they’ll say “we want all blonde girls, or all redheads”, for example. That sometimes happens, but that’s TV. But it does vary — if they’re recruiting for a mature artist, they may not want very young people backing them.’ The same is true when the pressure is on: producers may opt for seasoned session players who they know will deliver in a live TV setting, such as Later… With Jools Holland. The focus here is on finding artists who will confidently produce the goods in those three or four televised minutes. Word of mouth Not all music employers are impressed by slick promotional packaging, however. The eclectic Heritage Orchestra plays a wide spectrum of live shows and recordings, everything from a performance of Vangelis’s Blade Runner score to gigging with Antony And The Johnsons or backing comedian Tim Minchin on tour. Chris Wheeler, artistic director and producer of the orchestra, looks for musicians who have classical training but who take a broader, genre-fusing view of music. Personality and personal recommendation are considered as well as talent. 36
You must emphasise if your recorded music has been released
‘CVs are so misleading because people can write anything in them,’ he says. ‘I really like it when people come to me and say, “This person is an excellent player, they’re open-minded and they’re going to fit in.” The CV is by no means the first port of call. Sometimes the CV is the thing that tips it over the edge — the player has a lot of experience, that’s really comforting to know. But we’re looking for the right attitude. People who are stuck in their ways have no place in the modern music world.’ Wheeler feels that musicians may let themselves down when they send audio or video links. ‘I don’t know if that would give someone an edge,’ he says, ‘sometimes people have done themselves out of a possible job with what they’ve got online, because it’s not good enough and it’s sort of pigeon-holing them. But some websites are really excellent.’ Calling card Simply put, a CV/promo package is all   about selling your musical talent and personality. It should broadcast healthy confidence but not cross the line into bravado. It should highlight your musical skills, include a great photo and a succinct list of your best accomplishments. It is your “calling card” to a great session career, so it is worth spending a decent amount of time to hone it to its best.
Orchestral rules Classical orchestras or choirs differ in their application procedures and repertoire requirements. Bill Kerr, MU National Organiser, Orchestras, suggests studying each set of requirements carefully, submitting exactly what is asked for and no more. As is common, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) requests a covering letter, a CV and a completed application form (including details of visa status). Director Simon Webb advises: ‘Make your CV easy to understand and two pages maximum. Read it back as if you are the one recruiting. Concentrate on experience, don’t exaggerate and always proofread it.’ Unlike some orchestras, the CBSO is not interested in photos or audio/ video links, aiming to audition as many musicians as possible. And if you have not been chosen to play, Webb says: ‘Do ask for feedback — drop us a line and say “Why not?” and you’ll get an honest answer.’
© Getty Images
When it comes to recording work, the issue of how a musician or singer looks — their attractiveness and perceived age — usually does not enter into the equation. But in the realm of live music or TV, it can be an important factor in being hired for   certain types of work.
The Musician
Autumn 2011
Union news
Ask Us First It is in the interest of all MU members to read this important list carefully. If you are offered any work or agreements by any of the companies and/or individuals listed below, please consult MU Legal Official Dawn Barraclough before acceptance (call 0161 236 1764 or email dawn.barraclough@theMU.org), unless alternate contact details are shown.
— F  enland Music Academy Ltd / Peterborough Music Services Ltd / Martin Todd — Graham Dalby Artists Limited
— A  nn Manly Naomi MacDonald on 020 7840 5529
— G  rubser’s Limited Naomi MacDonald on 020 7840 5529
— A  nthony Rex Lisa Hayman on 020 7840 5535
— G  ruffydd John Harries (Griff Harries) — Hemming’s Leisure
— C  eltic Music / CM Distribution Horace Trubridge on 020 7840 5512
— I nternational Mahler Orchestra Lisa Hayman on 020 7840 5535
— C  lassical Festival Company Limited / Serenata / Anthony or Lesley Malpas Paul Burrows on 020 7840 5536
— I sle of Wight Jazz Festival / Isle of Wight Folk & Blues Festival / Philip Snellen / Geri Ward Paul Burrows on 020 7840 5536
— D  avid Shepherd and Brian Daniels t/a D and B Productions Limited Dave Webster 0n 020 7840 5532
— E  xpo Guide Jen Hunter on 0141 341 2963
— E  uropean City Guide Lisa Hayman on 020 7840 5535
— L  ee Laidler t/a The Ship Launch Inn — Michael Martin / Michael Martin trading as Spotlight Productions — Music Management (UK) Limited / Sally Civval
Foreign claims
— N  eil Eckersley / Spekulation Entertainment Dave Webster on 020 7840 5532
When undertaking activities with a contracting party based abroad, MU members are strongly advised to ensure that fees are paid upfront, before the contract is performed, and that an advance is obtained against any future royalty payable. Members are reminded of Rule XI.3, to ‘submit written contracts for professional activities abroad to the MU before they are entered into’. Members should note that requests for legal assistance in relation to claims abroad must be considered against the Union’s criteria for legal assistance. Such claims are often not cost-effective to pursue and, if no upfront payment is obtained, members may remain completely unpaid for their services.
— O  dd Job Productions Ltd / Mr Damian Alexander — Oliver Weindling / Babel Label — Online Music Ventures Ltd / Andrew Smales — Orchestra Europa Limited — Pamela Aird at The Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon — P  lay Recording Studios Ltd Dave Webster on 020 7840 5532 — Pontins Ltd — P  tarmigan Productions Ltd / Mr Brian Willets (currently known as Ptarmigan Promotions Ltd) Dave Webster on 020 7840 5532
Artist promotion A number of companies are making approaches to MU members (in some cases claiming, incorrectly, that they have been given the member’s details by the Union) to sign them up for one of their so-called ‘artist promotion’ services and usually demanding an upfront fee. Members are advised to view any such company which requires an upfront payment with caution and to consult their MU Regional Office before signing any agreement or parting with any money.
— R  ailway Exchange Limited — Robinson Enterprises Limited — R  oyal Shakespeare Company Productions in London Dave Webster on 020 7840 5532 — — — —
r Derek Safo (Sway) M Scott Jordan Entertainment Ltd Stephen John Stewart Streetlights Ltd
— S  uperbfunctions Paul Gray on 029 2045 6585 — T  our Asia Ltd / Mr H Dhillon — Voila Productions Limited — Wayne Maughn / Wayne Maughan The latest edition of the Ask Us First list can be obtained from the ‘Advice & downloads’ section of theMU.org Please note, members will first need to register on the website in order to access this information.
37
Autumn 2011
Profile
Saturday night fever The Strictly Come Dancing Band have a stressful job. How do they produce live music for primetime television? Feature by Will Simpson
Strictly Come Dancing occupies a singular role in British popular culture. It’s the television talent show it’s okay to like, the televisual refuge for those who can’t stomach The X Factor’s mawkish mix of manipulation and melodrama. Even viewers who are usually sniffy about such things would admit that it’s a cut above most of what passes for mainstream Saturday night television in 2011. Strictly is also unique for another reason — it provides a home to the last in-house band of its kind working on UK television. Back in the heyday of television variety shows, in the 60s and 70s, such combos were regular fixtures on peak time television. No chat show or star vehicle was seemingly complete without one. But as television has become overgrown with reality shows and talent searches, such in-house bands have become increasingly rare. The Strictly Come Dancing Band are the last men standing.
Maintaining a tradition Which makes bandleader Dave Arch the last remaining link to a tradition which reaches back to figures such as Ronnie Hazlehurst and Jack Parnell. Dave, a keyboard player who has worked as a session player in television and film for over two decades, put the group together from the contacts he had made over the years. ‘I was delighted when I first got the gig in 2006,’ he says. ‘I knew a lot of the producers from having done other shows with them. But there’s something about the show that feels bigger than all the others. It has just grown and grown. It’s something of a phenomenon.’ As the BBC’s big ratings weapon for the crucial Autumn season, much rides on Strictly’s continued success so, as you’d expect, a hell of a lot of work goes into making sure the show’s music is just right. As Arch explains, the details of what is going to be played each Saturday are worked out over a week in advance. >
© Reggie Casagrande/Getty Images
From rumba to rock — the band are one of the most versatile in the business
Download The Musician in MP3 format from theMU.org
39
Autumn 2011
Profile The Strictly Come Dancing Band’s MD, Dave Arch
‘It’s an enormous challenge,’ he admits. ‘I know it’s got to be the best I can do because there is no time to work through changes if things aren’t working. It must work straight away.’
© Gavin Wallace
The band themselves only see what they are going to play when they come in on a Saturday morning, although if there is something particularly tricky for an individual player, Dave will give them an advanced warning during the week.
‘There’s an associate producer in the production office whose job is just to deal with music, and they liaise with the choreographers, the dancers and with me,’ Arch explains. ‘Say you’ve got a week where the girls are expected to dance rumbas, the professional dancers will put together a wish list that they’d like to use and the production team approve it. The full length tracks are then sent to Mark Campbell, who edits them down to 90 seconds.
‘It is quite stressful, but it’s immensely satisfying once you’ve finished a live show,’ bandleader Dave Arch.
‘There is some to-ing and fro-ing with that. There are certain sections of tracks that the dancers might want to use for specific choreography, and I’ll keep an eye on that in case there are things that don’t work musically. That tends to happen on a Thursday or Friday. Sometimes that will have a bearing on the music the following week — the producers always want the show to have a nice balance so they don’t want all, say, slow numbers. But late on the Saturday night I know pretty much what we’re going to be doing in seven days’ time.’
With a television audience as large as 12 million, the Strictly gig is high-pressure
For Arch, the following few days will involve him frantically working out arrangements.
What other musicians think ‘One of the lovely things about doing Strictly is the musicians’ unity,’ says Trevor Barry. The bassist quite often receives texts from fellow professionals while he’s driving back from the doing the show on a Saturday. ‘A lot of them will say, ”Wow, the band sounded great tonight”, or “the 40
lead trumpet was phenomenal”. On one occasion we played the Stevie Wonder song I Wish, and I slipped a note at the top and I received about six texts that night going “oops!” It probably wasn’t noticeable to too many people apart from other musicians, so I didn’t mind!’
‘We get an hour’s soundcheck so we can get our monitors right,’ explains bassist Trevor Barry. ‘Then we have a “band call”. Because the dancers often haven’t danced to a live band — they’ve only listened to edits from a CD — they will often want to dance to us as soon as they can. So Dave allows them to dance to our rehearsal. We will then go through the tracks almost immediately with the dancers, so if there’s any last minute adjustments they can made.’ After which there is just the dress rehearsal before the show goes live to air in front of up to 12 million people, the viewing audience for 2010’s Grand Final. ‘It is quite stressful,’ confirms Dave Arch. ‘But it’s rewarding. It’s immensely satisfying once you’ve finished a live show. But then, of course, I can’t relax because I’m immediately thinking of the following week’s programme.’ Masters of all trades As you can imagine, there have been a number of times when things have gone wrong, or at least have nearly gone wrong. The sheer range of styles the band have to turn their hand to in two hours is astonishing. A show might see them play Argentine tango, cha cha cha, waltz time, Motown and modern rock. The band have to be constantly alert. Sometimes, however, even the most dextrous musicians can fall flat on their feet. Literally, as Trevor Barry once discovered. ‘When I first started doing it on the live results show they had this thing called a megamix,’ the bassist recalls, ‘which was each of the dancers dancing to a medley of what they had done in the main show. I can’t tell you the near misses where I haven’t managed to swap over to the other bass in time or have done it just in time to play the first note. On one occasion we switched from a Sinatra tune to Alien Ant Farm’s version of Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal, I went from an upright bass to an electric, fell over and found
The Musician
Autumn 2011
Profile Some of the Strictly Band, including bassist Trevor Barry and MD Dave Arch (standing on Barry’s right)
The Strictly Band
— Dave Arch: piano and MD — — — —
Tommy Blaize: vocals Lance Ellington: vocals Hayley Sanderson: vocals Andrea Grant: vocals
— — — — —
Simon Gardner: trumpet Tom Rees-Roberts: trumpet Craig Wild: trumpet Andy Wood: trombone Pete Beachill: trombone
— Phil Todd: sax — Jamie Talbot: sax — Dave Bishop: sax
myself on my arse. I had to jump up again to get the other bass to play on the next bit, which was a tango.’ Such mishaps are rare, but sometimes things will go wrong for a different reason, as in 2006 when Karen Hardy and cricketer Mark Ramprakash were dancing to Hot Hot Hot and were stopped live on air after their mics got tangled up. ‘It’s times like that when Bruce Forsyth really comes into his own,’ says Dave. ‘He’s brilliant — he is as his camera persona is — and on this occasion he came on to the floor, stopped it and we started again. That was quite something. There have been some near misses, which is not surprising. From our point of view, it’s hardly over-rehearsed!’ For some musicians, working on live television is a strain, but others thrive off its pressures. ‘Personally, I enjoy it,’ says Dave. ‘You never get used to it but there’s a hint of extra adrenaline. When television shows are recorded, things tend to go wrong and you’ll end up having to do things again. When it’s live you’ve only really got one chance.’
guess that a celebrity or two will end up on their backsides and inevitable that one or more of the judges will cause controversy.   But 20 men and women will also take the opportunity to show the British public what live musicians can really do. ‘We all know each other really well now, so it’s a warm bunch of mates,’ says Trevor Barry. ‘Often in some bands there may be somebody who isn’t as strong. But in this band every musician is the top of their tree. So to sit and play with these guys who just happen to be my mates is joy. To be part of getting the music out there and showing what real musicians can do. I feel blessed to be doing it. It’s a real honour.’
— — — — — — —
Brett Morgan: drums Trevor Barry: bass Paul Dunne: guitar John Parricelli: guitar Frank Ricotti: percussion Pete Murray: keyboards Jeff Leach: keyboards
For more information, please visit strictlycomedancingband.com
Dave Arch leads a rehearsal — the band only see what they are going to play on the morning of each show
Strictly live The success of the series has meant that band have built up a profile of their own. They play an increasing number of gigs each year under that name and released an album of their own in 2008. However, this Autumn, it is the new television series they will be concentrating on. Over the series’ 16-week run it is a fair 41
The Musician
Autumn 2011
Reviews
Reviews Get your CD reviewed Send recordings, full contact info, biog and PR material to: Reviews, The Musician, 60—62 Clapham Rd, London sw9 0jj
Echo Town Come On Over
Kayla Kavanagh Download Stranger Than Fiction To submit material for Download reviews, please send single files, such as MP3s, or links to sites where the recordings can be accessed, to: keith.ames@theMU.org
You should also forward your cover artwork and/ or photos (at a minimum of 300dpi resolution) to: keith.ames@theMU.org Copies of the recording must be available to MU members, the industry and the public. We endeavour to help as many members as possible and preference is given to members who have not been previously reviewed. Reviewer: Keith Ames
Reviewed by Keith Ames.
Uplifting, contemporary folk/rock duo — Echo Town are an acoustic folk/rock duo from Leeds, consisting of sibling multiinstrumentalists Richard and Robert Harrison, who deliver positive songs of struggle and achievement on the streets and in clubs and pubs across the UK. This 12-track album sees them joined by Alexander Jeffrey (bass) and Ben Beattie (sax), to blast out a goodtime, uplifting and contemporary view of modern life. The group vibe is probably best represented by the fabulous stand out track, Feeling Alright, with its joyous blues harp and spirit of collective harmony. This is followed by the reggae lilt of Trouble and it is easy to hear why the duo are often an immediate hit when performing live. Highly promising. echotown.co.uk
Instantly appealing, 1980s-style pop — This Yorkshire-based singer/songwriter plays an impressive range of instruments; piano, acoustic and electric guitars, looping pedal, hammered dulcimer, electric violin, flute, tin whistle, vocoder and Eigenharp Pico. Her debut release features 12 songs reflecting the current vogue for big, 1980s-style productions. Instantly appealing and very enjoyable, Kayla’s distinctive vocals ride atmospheric keys and lead guitar in the style of Glorious by The Pierces. An ambassador for awareness of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Kayla has appeared on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, explaining how music can provide a positive outlet for the often overwhelming emotions associated with the condition. kaylakavanagh.com
Donal Cox In The Spotlight Singer-guitarist Cox offers dynamic pacing and imposingly pointed lyrics
County Louth’s own Donal Cox, the former frontman for Java Shrine, is a gritty and down-to-earth vocalist and guitarist with an imposing line in pointed lyrics which, when allied to his dominant and driving acoustic rhythms, hit the spot with remarkable precision. 42
Crisp production and a clarity of purpose combine to draw in the casual listener and regular fan alike. The 11 recordings on this album, which was supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, benefit from a cogent running order and highlight the dynamic pacing inherent in Donal’s music. Touches of The Police come to the fore in the title track, while an Elbow-style anthem (Married To The Music/Breathe) closes the set and boasts sterling horn parts from Chris Day (trombone), Jarlath Mulholland (sax) and Gary Day (trumpet). Excellent. myspace.com/dcoxmusic
Matt Mckay One Eleven The opening track on Matt’s Meet At The Grey Horse single, this instrumental is by degrees, delicate, thoughtful and emotive. Matt is a fine flute/sax player with a great deal of experience and is currently studying improvisation with saxophonist Dave O’Higgins. He has just earned an MA with distinction and the James Morrison Jazz Masters award for performance from Salford University. Destined to be a major name in the years to come, his website is worth a visit. myspace.com/matt.mckay Hungry Ghosts By The Bridge This York-based band thrust with muscular intent from the first seconds of this astutely produced, dynamic rocker. Powerful, with an excellent balance of light and shade, noise and space, this fourpiece are clearly not afraid to move between early 1980s-style pop choruses, contemporary reflective moods and cinematic soundscapes. Echoes of XTC at their energetic best. hungryghosts.co.uk Jim Noir One Note World Shades of Summer days in the late 60s drift delightfully by, borne on an acoustic-driven breeze. Clearly Jim’s world is a wondrous place where English harmonies and gentle percussion thrive — a universe untouched by war, protest and aggression. A beautiful escape for those tired of the modern world. jimnoir.com
The Musician
Rowberry Hill Flying High
Walsh & Pound Walsh & Pound
Funky and expressive jazz funk debut — Austria-born bass master Vinzenz has worked with a considerable number of major artists and bands — including Sister Sledge, Cheryl Cole, T’Pau and Rumer — and has been produced by the likes of Robin Millar and Matt Howe. This live and studio work has culminated in a solo album featuring 10 cuts of original material and the occasional cover, such as Prince’s I Feel For You and Michael Jackson’s Liberian Girl. Funky, cool and relaxed, 7 Days is made for summertime aural pleasure, while You Two is hard hitting and packed with brass and percussive splashes. Opportunities abound for expressive soloing by guitar, bass and sax throughout, making this jazz funk heaven for aficionados of the genre. vinzenzbenjamin.com
Classy and emotive keys and vocals duo — As Masterjam, keyboardist Martin Rowberry and singer Wayne Hill are experienced hands on the corporate and function scene. Martin’s writing talent and Wayne’s interpretative ability have now been captured on 10 original numbers. Mainstream soul and light jazz dance from the speakers on this album’s opener, Gave It Up, reflecting the duo’s principal influences, Mica Paris and Herbie Hancock. To Love Again brings to mind the floating style of Scritti Politti’s Green Gartside; the title song finds Wayne adding shades of emotive sensitivity to Martin’s chordbased keys. That Feeling You Get, with its welcomes dashes of organ, picks up where George Michael left off with Older. Classy. myspace.com/masterjamduo
Fast-rising folks duo’s exhilarating debut — Fifteen tracks of fabulous five-string clawhammer banjo and blues harp from the rising stars of the folk/country/bluegrass scene. Gateshead’s Dan Walsh (banjo) and London’s Will Pound (harmonica) began their partnership in 2009 and immediately caused waves with their exhilarating playing and clever twists on traditional material. Joined here by legendary guitarist Martin Simpson, Christi Andropolis (vocals) and Bernard Schimelsberger (udu/cajon/ table drum/Konnakol), they hit the road running with The Jolly Beggarman and it is not long before they take you by surprise with their Eastern influences, namely the inventive Turkish Delight. The future is extremely bright for this emerging duo. walshandpound.co.uk
Tommy Blaize Band Don’t Ya Love Life
Josh Kyle Possibilities
Infinite Scale Ekko Location
Hot homegrown soul, jazz, funk and pop — A heart-warming tale in which six master craftsmen repair to various locations — including pubs, sheds and a Lincolnshire studio — and are joined by name musicians to produce a CD of supreme British soul, jazz, funk and pop. Lead vocals come courtesy of bandleader Blaize, keys and orchestral arrangements from Dave Arch (The Strictly Come Dancing Band), and the major names include the likes of Madeline Bell, Frank Ricotti, Steve Sidwell, Snake Davies and Skaila Kanga. All 14 tracks arrive fully formed, undeniably hot and reflecting the sheer class that exists at the top of the UK recording scene. Exceptional. tommyblaizeband.com
Potential-packed Australian jazz vocalist — The UK-based Australian vocalist, an engaging live performer, joins Jazzizit’s superb catalogue. Versions of Miles Davis’s Round Midnight, Wayne Shorter’s Yes Or No, Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust and BB King’s The Thrill Is Gone feature the exquisite playing of a top drawer ensemble — Tom Cawley, Geoff Gascoyne, Ralph Salmins, Jim Mullen, Mika Mylläri and vocalist Claire Martin. Whether the material is brand new or decades old, Josh’s youthful tones handle all of its challenging twists and turns. With the superb support of producer Gascoyne, Josh has managed to offer a set that is full of potential. jazzizit.co.uk
Dynamic contemporary dance beats — A producer, DJ, broadcaster and musician of note since 1997, this is Infinite Scale’s second album of prime dance beats, soundscapes and samples. Launched at London’s Hayward Gallery in July and promoted live at Glastonbury, these 10 mixes are a perfect example of contemporary electronica and illustrate exactly why he has been commissioned by the BBC and has completed sessions for Radio 1’s Breezeblock and The Blue Room. Scale truly has a mastery of dynamics, feel and taste, which provide a true foundation throughout every track and this CD comes highly recommended. infinitescale.co.uk 43
The Musician
Superbrass Under The Spell Of Spain
Cathie Rae & Graeme Stephen Back To The Mother
Rosabella Gregory Dangerous Games
Powerful and passionate brass ensemble — Seeking to celebrate and echo Spanish life, culture and history, Roger Argente gathered together a superlative team of producers, arrangers and players from the London freelance scene to record this collection of specially written or arranged tunes. A total of 21 players contributed brass, drums and percussion to this project, under producers Julian Hepple and John Hutchinson. The result is an absorbing selection of refined choices and inspirational highlights, personified by the Gareth Wood’s Tientos Y Danzas. All 16 tracks delight, as trumpets, horns, euphonium, trombones, flugelbone and tuba underline all the power and passion that brass can convey. Marvellous. superbrass.co.uk
Superlative Scottish jazz collaboration — Part of a Scottish jazz dynasty, Cathie’s past work has included a tribute to Chet Baker with Colin Steele, the Rae Sisters (alongside siblings Gina and Sylvia), Flow Experience with Steve Hamilton and Martin Kershaw, her own sextet feauring some of Scotland’s top young musicians, and serving as the Glasgow International Jazz Festival’s project manager. This set features Cathie and Aberdeen-born guitarist Graeme Stephen on a mix of new compositions and original arrangements. Her delicate yet intent vocals rise over the triads, arpeggios and funky single lines of the opening title track, then the mood mellows with Lament before Cathie’s own rock-flecked Time. Very special indeed. thick-skinned.com
Acclaimed songstress’s sophomore set — The London-based songwriter, composer, arranger and vocalist presents this second CD to her ever-growing group of fans and the industry members, all of whom have fallen for her adventurous, melodic material and performances. A live session for BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris brought Rosabella to the attention of a wider audience and she has also won the International Prize in the New York Songwriters’ Circle’s Song Contest. Although from the Kate Bush and Tori Amos school of piano-led artists, Rosabella’s individuality comes from her warm and personable approach, light touch and evocative top lines. Walking In Our Sleep, in particular, engages with its sweet delivery and memorable chorus. rosabellagregory.co.uk
London Horns Don’t Look Down
Music For Baby The Frank Griffith Jazz Nursery Rhymes Big Band Holland Park Non-Stop
Multifaceted, brass-powered funk rock — In the groove guitar, bass and drums — courtesy of Mike Outram, Dishan Abrahams and Andy Fisenden — provide the basis for this trio of brass aces, namely Barnaby Dickinson (trombone), Graeme Flowers (trumpet) and Graeme Blevins (sax). This outfit’s clear desire to reach beyond the confines of straight-ahead funk rock soon allow the individual players to step out and break up the riffs and rhythms, demonstrating their multifaceted skills. Wired barely starts before lifting off with an awesome trumpet solo, while In The Moment proves a delightful change of mood. Stirring and emotive. myspace.com/londonhorns
Finger-popping tunes for youngsters — An innovative CD for pre-school infants and their parents that brings together surefire tunes for youngsters using real instruments played superbly, rather than the synthetic formats that are usual for such projects. The result is an excellent set featuring the refined playing and expertise of the principal participants, Jacqui Hicks (vocals), Mike Eaves (guitars), Andy Pask (double bass) and education consultant Karen Eaves. Old Macdonald, Pop Goes The Weasel, This Old Man and 10 other familiar classics receive the team’s stamp and pave the way for introducing children to sophisticated yet finger-popping music. musicforbaby.co.uk
44
Seriously swinging big band delights — Sax supremo Frank returns with his chosen crew of first class players, plus the added attraction of vocalist Tina May. Known for his arranging skills and melodic playing, Oregon-born Frank once again exhibits his total understanding of the big band form and how to bring out the very best from his impressive lineup. John Turville (piano), Steve Fishwick (trumpet), Matt Wates and Karen Sharp (saxes) all shine during smooth and entertaining takes of Oh! You Crazy Moon, Baby Won’t You Please Come Home, Body And Soul and These Foolish Things. Guaranteed to delight all fans of big bands and a great entry point for novices. frankgriffith.co.uk
The Musician
Reviews
Alexander Stewart — All Or Nothing At All
Young Hegelians Fashion This Teesside trio supply post-punk and jazzinfluenced indie rock, striding out armed with fuzzy atmospherics and stripped-down guitars and drums. Brandishing tales of deprivation as if the Arctic Monkeys have met Joy Division down the high street and forged a partnership of edgy, social commentary. A welcome, angular look at urban life and devilish consumerism. soundcloud.com/ younghegelians
Young Mancunian jazz vocalist’s mature debut.
Manchester-born, 23-year-old Alexander was able to attract a crack team of British jazz musicians — including Andy Cleyndert, Gary Crosby, Andy Chapman and Nathaniel Facey — to play on his debut album, which drops a big hint that he’s a star in the making. This mature blend of originals and inventive covers finds nods to Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Tony Bennett mixing with Alexander’s truly English take on the material. There is a great version of Paul Simon’s 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover and Alexander acknowledges his hometown by swinging sweetly through a medley of The Smiths’ Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want and Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me. The brand new numbers include a duet with China Moses on musical director Alex Webb’s soulful and upbeat The Hard Way. Surely, Alexander is the next big name in mainstream jazz.
Alice Offley Mercy This melodic, folk/pop track is a taster from singer/songwriter Alice’s forthcoming solo debut EP, Bruise Like A Peach. Alice, who is currently playing piano for Suzi Quatro, has been performing in bands and with numerous artists (Tricky, Adam Ant, Cyndi Lauper) for the last five years. Mercy displays her love of classic, British writing and is a perfect starter for fans of leftfield, character-based music. aliceoffley.com Graciela It Will Rain Spanish-born Graciela has many Latin and western influences, and Flamenco, pop and dance elements come to the fore in this single, which is promoted via a charming YouTube video. Taken from her album, Now It Is Me, the London-based performer engages with her sweet refrains and the subtle twists in her self-penned top line melodies. gracimusic.com Kirsty Almeida Late At Night Kirsty’s first single on her new label, All Made Up Records, is a blend of folk, jazz and heartfelt Jack Johnson-style pop. Renowned for her eccentric dress sense and charismatic presentation, Kirsty runs a musical collective in Manchester and boasts the commercial potential to captivate both the ear and eye of the casual listener and the committed follower alike. myspace.com/almeidagirl
Autumn 2011
The Musician asked Alexander about his career to date and plans for the future: What are your earliest musical memories? With an older brother and sister into more contemporary 1990s tunes and my folks listening to people from George Michael to Ella Fitzgerald, I was raised on a varied diet. The first recording you bought? Frank Sinatra 20 Classic Tracks — it had some great songs on there.
Who would you most like to work with? Melody Gardot, I think she has a beautiful voice, wonderful phrasing and a certain charm that isn’t false. I also adore KD Lang. Your most uplifting live experience? Last year, when I performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra and the John Wilson Big Band in a show about the life of Sinatra, presented by Sir Michael Parkinson. And your most special studio recording? We had a great time recording the album — a really fantastic group of people. Your favourite performance by another artist? There’s a fantastic clip of Frank Sinatra performing The Lady Is A Tramp with Ella Fitzgerald. It’s fun, full of energy yet somehow still cool and sleek. Effortless! Your favourite instrument or equipment? My first guitar, a Spanish classical. It still plays amazingly well and I write a lot on it. Plus my trusty Shure SM58 microphone. What is the best piece of music business advice that you have received? I was told once the key word in ‘show business’ was very much business. Any advice for other musicians? If you have dreams and ambition plus the drive and the will to succeed, and if you surround yourself with likeminded people, things will eventually start to happen. Has the MU helped you? From basic benefits, like the Public Liability Insurance, to the help I’ve received over things like recording contracts and legal advice, the MU has been a godsend!
Alexander Stewart: ‘The MU has been a godsend!’
What are your plans for the next year? Continuing to promote the album, getting some gigs in the UK and further afield, and writing and thinking about a second album! For more info, visit alexanderstewart.net 45
The Musician
© ITV/Rex images
Eric Delaney
\ Pioneering jazz percussionist and one of Britian’s most innovative drummers Eric Delaney, who died in July aged 87, was renowned as one of Britain’s most innovative and exciting jazz drummers. Born in Acton, west London in 1924, he got his first drum at just 18 months. He was a fast learner — billed as ‘Britain’s youngest drummer’ — he led his own band at the age of 10 in a variety show. On the eve of World War II, Eric joined the Ambrose Octet, alongside pianist George Shearing, and then an RAF band after being
© Family of David Mason
David Mason
Acclaimed trumpeter, RCM professor and Beatles’ session musician
called up for National Service. Hearing the great Gerald Walcan Bright — better known as Geraldo — and his popular dance band, Eric could hardly have dreamed that just a few years later he would pass a nervewracking audition to join him. During his eight years with Geraldo, Eric’s pioneering style and showmanship blossomed, most famously in his use of wire brushes on the timpani. Fellow band members liked the sound and Delaney decided to stick with it because ‘no-one has ever done that before’. No-one in the jazz world had done much of what Eric did next, either. Leaving Geraldo in 1954, to form his own band, he pioneered the use of a revolving drum rostrum, complete with flashing lights, to give a 360-degree view of the kit and his own high-energy performance. He added a range of percussion, from xylophones to tubular bells, to his repertoire.
dominance of his genre by the 1960s, it would be those same rock bands that adopted many of the innovative techniques and the high level of showmanship that Eric brought to the stage. Later downsizing to a six-piece band, Eric still put on vibrant shows. The late 1990s found him entertaining crowds and fellow stars in Spain, before he returned to the UK to inspire a yet another new generation of drummers. Clive Somerville
Eric was years ahead of his time. Even though rock’n’roll would challenge the musical light usually reserved for countrydwelling splendour. Unhappy with the cors anglais deployed in the original recording, McCartney saw David playing piccolo on a BBC broadcast of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No 2 In F Major and asked that he come in. ‘The result,’ producer George Martin wrote, ‘was unique, something which had never been done in rock music before.’ Subsequent contributions to Beatles tracks included A Day In The Life and All You Need Is Love.
David Mason, the classical trumpeter and a long-standing professor at the Royal College of Music (RCM), was perhaps best known for playing the piccolo trumpet solo on The Beatles’ Penny Lane. He died of leukaemia in April, aged 85.
Born in London in 1926, Mason enrolled at the Royal College of Music in 1942 to study with pioneering trumpeter, Ernest Hall. Replacing departed servicemen, he played in a variety of orchestras and was the youngest member of the National Symphony Orchestra, when he himself called up to serve in the Scots Guards.
If the lyrics to Penny Lane comprised Paul McCartney’s warmest ode to his childhood, then Mason’s mock-Baroque piccolo solo caught the mood exactly, bathing the streets of Liverpool in a
After graduating from the RCM, David became principal trumpet at the Royal Opera House, before moving to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1958 he played the flugelhorn solo in the premiere of Ralph
46
‘Eric was years ahead of his time. Rock bands adopted the high level of showmanship he brought to the stage.’
‘David played the piccolo trumpet on The Beatles’ Penny Lane.’ Vaughan Williams’ Ninth Symphony. The instrument was then more associated with brass bands or jazz, a fact reflected in some sniffy press reviews. The remainder of David’s career was mostly spent with the Philharmonia, together with a professorial return to the RCM. A much-loved figure there for 30 years (pastorally-minded, he was also a one-time governor of the Royal Society of Musicians), all of today’s leading trumpeters will mourn David’s passing. Julian Owen
The Musician
© Popperfoto/Getty Images
Ian Wheeler
Award-winning Chris Barber Band clarinettist and sideman to Louis Jordan Ian Wheeler, one of the longest-serving members of Chris Barber’s Jazz And Blues Band, died in June aged 80. His rise to the top was long and colourful, encompassing playing with the likes of Louis Jordan, Big Bill Broonzy and Muddy Waters, and being named top jazz clarinettist in the Melody Maker readers’ poll. Born in Greenwich in 1931 and raised in Blackheath from the age of four, Ian’s first musical hero was George Formby. Ian’s early ambitions included being an RAF pilot, a journalist, a racing car driver, a draughtsman and even a customs officer.
Goff Richards
Renowned multi-instrumentalist, composer, teacher and bandleader One of the greatest names in brass band music, Goff Richards, died in June 2011. Born Godfrey Richards in the north Cornwall village of St Minver in 1944, Goff was captivated by brass music from the age of nine, after watching the visiting National Band of New Zealand. He implored his trombonist father, William, to reform the St Minver Silver Band simply so that he could join. Goff played trombone in the band, before securing one of only three trombone places at the Royal College of Music in 1962. Such was his talent for music and mentoring others that, aged 21, he returned to Cornwall as head of music at Fowey School.
Autumn 2011
But inspired to learn the ukulele at 14, Ian enlisted in the RAF as a trainee pilot three years later, before being discharged on medical grounds and travelling the world in the Merchant Navy. Bitten by the jazz bug after listening to Josh White records, and thus switching to guitar, his first break came when sitting in with the Charlie Galbraith Band. In 1950 he joined clarinettist Charlie Connor’s band and developed a yen for the bandleader’s instrument, forming the River City Jazz Band two years later. A regular at the Catford Jazz Club, 1953 saw Ian join its resident group, the Mike Daniels Band. In 1954, his talent was clearly recognised as he was asked to replace Acker Bilk in Ken Colyer’s Jazzmen. In 1960, Ian founded the Sims-Wheeler Vintage Band before joining Barber, to replace Monty Sunshine. Quelling fans’ initial doubts with his warm-toned playing, 1964 saw him bring saxophone to the mix and, inspired by touring with Sonny Boy Williamson II, he also added harmonica to his musical arsenal. Ian left Barber in 1968, to work on a variety of projects, including He was known as a gifted teacher, but the lure of performance proved irresistible. With the Goff Richards Band, he travelled extensively, performing on cruise ships and in Kenya. His talent as a composer was realised in 1970, following a notable endorsement from orchestral legend Malcolm Arnold, with the publication of his brass band march, Quest. ‘This is a far higher quality than is usually found in brass band music,’ Arnold enthused about Goff’s Quest score. ‘You obviously have a special gift.’ That gift founded a prolific musical career, as Goff went on to write for performers as diverse as the Black Dyke Band, The King Singers, Evelyn Glennie and Tori Amos. He also formed around 20 bands, playing everywhere from the BBC Radio’s Jimmy Young Show to luxury hotels in the Seychelles. Among myriad musical appointments, he continued teaching, judging and conducting around the globe, with Australia, Switzerland, New Zealand, Japan, Norway and the Faroe Islands among his destinations.
Union news
‘Ian Wheeler’s rise to the top was long and colourful.’ his own band from 1970—73, reuniting with the British jazz icon in 1979 for a further 19 years. Few played in Barber’s band as long as Ian Wheeler. While reunited with Barber, Ian played on the acclaimed double album Barbican Blues (1982) and many others. In his later years, he worked occasionally in scratch bands, and released an album, Ian Wheeler At Farnham Maltings, in 1993. Fittingly, before leaving Barber’s band for the final time, Wheeler’s last recording was That’s It Then. Julian Owen
‘Goff was proud of his award for outstanding contributions to Cornish culture.’ of being appointed Bard of the Cornish Gorsedd in 1976, for his outstanding contributions to Cornish culture, history and language. During the ceremony, Goff was given the name Gwas Mynver, meaning Son of St Minver. ‘He made an amazing contribution to the world of music, brass bands and choirs,’ says BBC Radio Cornwall presenter Phillip Hunt, ‘but also the wider orchestral world.’ Godfrey ‘Goff’ Richards ARCM, GRSM, Hon DLitt Salford, Hon GDBM Salford College, Gwas Mynver will be missed by many. Clive Somerville
Among many accolades, including an honorary doctorate from Salford University in 2002, Goff was perhaps most proud 47
The Musician
Dedicated saxophonist and clarinettist from the hotel scene and beyond
Bright accordian talent of the 1950s who made many radio and TV appearances
Gifted violinist whose career spanned the silent movie era to Gene Pitney
Saxophonist and clarinettist Michael Kelmanson — known as Micky — sadly passed away in April at the age of 91. Micky was a wonderful player, equally at home playing in small bands or large orchestras.    Micky and I were in the RAF for a number of years and when he returned to civilian life we both worked with Ian Stewart at the Barclay Hotel, part of the Savoy group.
Brian Dexter, born 1926, was one of the brightest accordion talents of the 1950s. After serving in World War II, where he became a clarinet player, Brian joined the successful Danny Levan Quartet. Weekly BBC Radio broadcasts on Rhythm Rendezvous and The Strollers led to a long and busy career of recording work.
Edward Toft Matley was born in Leeds during 1909, where he grew up and learned to play violin. In 1925, he joined the Musicians’ Union, which enabled him to start work playing in an orchestra for silent movies.
Following the Barclay Hotel, he became a freelance musician. From the 1950s to the 1970s he worked with all the well-known band leaders of the day, such as Sidney Lipton and Nat Temple, as well as fine hotels in London and nationwide.   I will always remember meeting with Micky once a week in Archer Street, near Piccadilly Circus, where all jazz musicians of the day would gather. Mickey was great company, liked by all of his fellow musicians, and a devoted family man.
In the post-war years, Brian was resident at London’s Hilton Hotel and he also played in the Primo Scala Accordion Band. One of his BBC Radio broadcasts, from London’s Savoy Hotel in 1950, was heard by the then up-and-coming Jack Emblow. Brian proved to be a great influence on the career of Emblow and, later on, Tony Compton. Brian played the accordion in an episode of the BBC TV’s Colditz series and he appeared in an episode of the sitcom Are You Being Served?, dressed in lederhosen and playing an accordion Bavarian-style. In 1974, he played on Living In A Back Street by The Spencer Davis Group. Brian’s later career saw him hold an 18-year residency at London’s La Caprice restaurant.
He later moved to Scarborough where he met and married Beatrice and their first son John was born. Work then took Edward to York where the family lived through the war years. He worked in a paint shop, playing at the Theatre Royal in the evenings, and often doing fire watch after the shows. It was in York that his family increased, following the births of twin daughters, Judith and Delia, and a second son, Edward. The family returned to Scarborough, where Edward played in various hotels, theatres and at the Scarborough Spa with Max Jaffa, His last job was a tour with Gene Pitney, finishing at the London Palladium.
He leaves a son and daughter and family, and will be missed by all.   Cyril Bass
Brian was highly regarded by his peers, both as a musician and as a man.
Edward passed away in May 2011 at the grand age of 101-years-old. He leaves three surviving children, seven grandchildren, eight great grandchildren and one greatgreat grandchild, all of whom can be proud of his achievements.
Rob Howard
Respected Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra percussionist and cricketer
Stalwart composer for TV and theatre, and musical director at the London Palladium
Chris Guy, who played percussion at 2010’s Serenata festival, has passed away. He had been suffering with a skin disease that was being treated with chemotherapy. This affected his immune system and led to pneumonia. Chris was just 51 years old.
Conductor and composer Cyril Ornadel died in July, aged 86. He was renowned as the musical director of the London Palladium and conducted for ITV’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium plus a number of Royal Variety Performances.
Always known as “Skip”, due to his longstanding captaincy of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra cricket team, Chris was a former principal percussionist with the orchestra, worked in Scotland and Malaysia where he met his wife, Ivy. In later years they lived in Hampshire and Chris freelanced with many London orchestras.   With such a positive attitude to life, he will be sadly missed.
An alumnus of the Royal College of Music, Ornadel won an Ivor Novello Award for the musical Great Expectations (1975), and scored the film Subterfuge (1968) and the 1974 television remake of Brief Encounter. He also wrote the music for radio recordings of Beatrix Potter’s children’s stories and of Bible stories read by Laurence Olivier. Ornadel spent his later years in Israel, where he wrote his 2007 autobiography, Reach For The Moon.
Mark Thistlewood
Michael Leonard
48
The MU also notes the sad passing of Herbert Valentine (piano/composer/ conductor/bandleader), Herbert Whone (violin/teacher), Bill Jackman (clarinet/ saxophone), Shirley Borthwick (vocals), Joe Pawsey (drums/percussion), George Cunliffe (drums/percussion), Denis George East (violin), Raymond Keenlyside (violin) and Phil Parker (trumpet).
The Musician
Autumn 2011
Union news
Biennial Delegate Conference 2011 Motions carried by the 34th MU Conference, as amended by the Standing Orders Committee. Social networking Conference notes the growth of social and professional networking through internet applications and the participation in these networks by increasing numbers of musicians. Conference calls on the Executive Committee (EC) to reflect on the implications of this situation for a wide range of the Union’s activities and to implement, as a matter of urgency, IT policies which will develop the capacity of the MU to engage with existing and emerging internet applications. Education policies Conference notes with dismay the education policies of the Conservative-led coalition government. In particular, the proposed loss of support for education in the arts and humanities in England and Wales, which represents a blatant disregard for the widespread and welcome developments in this area of education over many decades. Although the proposals apply directly to England and Wales, Conference recognises that they carry serious implications for the rest of the UK. The threat to the viability of many departments of the performing arts will undermine the development of the broad base of talent which underpins the excellence of the UK’s performing arts culture, which makes a huge contribution to economic growth, social well being and psychological health. Conference calls on the EC to support initiatives aimed at reversing these policies. Cross-union strategy Conference notes that, in these straitened times, there is an opportunity to redefine the role of Trades Unions in our society, especially in the areas of arts and culture. The notion of self-betterment is cultural and knowledge-based, not just economic. The MU already operates well in these
receives almost twice the amount that it areas but a co-ordinated cross-union currently affords the sector through public strategy, recognising the value of cultural subsidy, in the form of tax revenue and and educational betterment for all of society is desirable, particularly at this time. the attraction of local and international audiences. This Conference requests the Conference urges the EC to encourage a EC to strongly oppose the cuts at every cross-union strategy to this end. level and at every opportunity. Members’ directory Tuition fees Conference requests the EC to make This Conference is aware of the difficulties the Musicians’ Union members’ that will be faced by prospective music directory available in paper format to students in the face of rises to tuition fees members on request. and feels strongly that many talented young musicians will be put off higher Music services musical education as a result of the This Conference condemns the closure increase in fees. of many Local Authority music services around the UK. This will directly affect Entering a profession in which it is, at times, not only our members who deliver these difficult to make a living would be made services, but also the young people untenable for many, with the additional whose quality of life is enriched by being burden of £27,000 debt. Even given the encouraged to play a musical instrument. fact it does not need to be repaid until the individual is earning at a certain level, The income to members who deliver interest will be constantly accruing; a great these services is now, more than ever, stress factor for any musician early in their a fundamental part of their portfolio career. Conference therefore requests that careers. Once this fragile skills base is the MU becomes proactive in supporting damaged, it will take many years, if ever, to the campaign against tuition fees. repair. Conference requests that the EC pursues whatever actions, policies and Pay to play representations are necessary to support Conference requests the EC to reaffirm continuing employment opportunities for its opposition to ‘Pay to play’, in particular members within music services. when promoters charge administration or registration fees as well as expecting Opposing cuts bands to sell tickets, unless there are This Conference condemns the savage obvious advantages to musicians. cuts made to public services by the coalition government. The depth of BAME members these cuts will irretrievably damage Now that we do have many active many publicly-funded arts organisations, members from the Black, Asian and from the much valued and burgeoning Minority Ethnic (BAME) groupings having a community arts sector to those higher profile within the MU membership, established organisations with world in the media and as artistes in their own renowned reputations, all of which employ right, Conference calls on the EC to MU members. encourage more BAME members to make themselves available to serve on the EC The continuing success of many of these and other Committees. organisations means that the exchequer 49
The Musician
Autumn 2011
Union news
Making the most of your Union Owed engagement fees? The MU’s Legal Advice & Assistance Scheme can help you to recover your money. There are times when every musician is owed money. Persistent phone calls are an obvious step towards recovering earnings but sometimes they are not enough. As an MU member, your first port of call for assistance is your Regional Office, which will write a letter to try and prompt payment. If this is not successful, your claim will get passed onto MU Legal Official Dawn Barraclough, who deals with around 15 new cases each month, most relating to unpaid gig or teaching fees.
favour simply by signing a form. However, if the claim is contested you will have to appear in court, as far as is possible, accompanied by an MU Official, usually Dawn herself. ‘Small claims hearings are less formal than the higher courts,’ she says, ‘and the judge will generally take a hands-on approach. You will be guided through the hearing by the judge so that they can get the information required to make a decision.’
© Angelo Vianello/iStockphoto
Initially, Dawn will assess your case and establish whether you meet the MU’s criteria for legal assistance. If you do, the first thing she will do is to send a second letter to the debtor, alluding to the possibility of court action. If this does not work, she prepares a claim form. ‘I can do one of two things,’ she explains. ‘I can send the other party a completed signed copy of the form, along with a final letter, to demonstrate that the member is serious. Sometimes that does the trick. Or if the member has already spent months chasing the fee, they may ask me to go ahead and lodge the claim at court.
Make sure you use an MU Standard Contract and it is completed properly
There’s no pressure to go ahead with court proceedings — sometimes the member chooses not to take it any further.’ Only a small proportion of cases tend to reach court and only a half of those are defended. If your claim is undefended, you can ask the court for judgment in your
Practical MU assistance Last year, an MU member was left owed ‘Dawn was beside me, which was brilliant,’ £500 for two gigs when the promoter she says, ‘The judge said it was an open disappeared. After trying to call the and shut case so it took just 15 minutes.’ promoter, the member contacted the Union. The member now has to take further steps ‘Dawn sent a letter saying that there was a to try to recover her fees. Court bailiffs are court case pending,’ the member recalls, likely to be instructed and Dawn is going to ‘but it was returned marked “gone away”.’ help her with this. Consequently, with the MU’s help, she took the claim to court and won the case when the promoter did not turn up. 50
‘I’m glad we took the proper steps and I’m grateful for the MU’s support,’ she says. ‘I certainly couldn’t have done it on my own.’
Court fees are proportional to the amount that is being claimed for. If you are owed £300 or under, you will only have to pay £35 to lodge your claim. For larger debts, the figure rises to £120. There are further fees payable at each stage of the proceedings. Be vigilant A day in court is hardly ever an enjoyable experience, so to avoid things getting that far Dawn advises all MU members to be vigilant before accepting work. ‘Always make sure there’s a contract in place before you do a gig and that it’s completed properly,’ she advises. ‘We’ve had members who’ve used contracts but the person booking them hasn’t provided their address or just put the venue name instead of the contracting party. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security by the fact that you have a contract. If it’s not completed correctly, it’s not going to help.’ Members should also keep an eye on the Union’s Ask us first list, which can be found in The Musician or on theMU.org. As Dawn explains: ‘Members often call and say, “I’ve just seen an agent on that list who has offered me a gig. Is there a problem?” It’s important that the members do that so they can make an informed decision about whether to accept work.’
The Musician