The Musician Journal of the Musicians’ Union Spring 2019 theMU.org Orchestra Conference Constructive debate on a range of topics at the fourth MU event Maxine Kwok-Adams How the LSO’s first violinist has tapped into the Twitter zeitgeist Classical Streaming The benefits and challenges of streaming classical music Focus On Bristol The ever-innovative music city with a rich and diverse heritage contacts Union HQ Regional Offices General Secretary Head of Communications London Horace Trubridge & Government Relations Regional Organiser: Jamie Pullman Isabelle Gutierrez 33 Palfrey Place, London SW8 1PE Deputy General Secretary t 020 7840 5504 Naomi Pohl (Music Industry) In-House Solicitor e [email protected] Dawn Rodger Assistant General Secretary East & South East England David Ashley (Finance & Administration) PR & Marketing Official Regional Organiser: Paul Burrows Keith Ames 1a Fentiman Road, National Organiser London SW8 1LD Jo Laverty (Orchestras) Recording & Broadcasting Official t 020 7840 5537 Michael Sweeney e [email protected] National Organiser Diane Widdison (Education & Training) Licensing & Distribution Official Midlands Annie Turner Regional Organiser: Stephen Brown National Organiser 2 Sovereign Court, Phil Kear (Recording & Broadcasting) Sessions Official Graham Street, Geoff Ellerby Birmingham B1 3JR National Organiser t 0121 236 4028 Dave Webster (Live Performance) Live Performance Official e [email protected] Kelly Wood Wales & South West England Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Official Regional Organiser: Andy Warnock John Shortell Transport House, 1 Cathedral Rd, Cardiff CF11 9SD Orchestras Official t 029 2045 6585 Morris Stemp e [email protected] Campaigns & Social Media Official North of England Maddy Radcliff Regional Organiser: Matt Wanstall 61 Bloom Street, Manchester M1 3LY Union HQ t 0161 236 1764 60–62 Clapham Road e [email protected] London sw9 0jj Scotland & Northern Ireland t 020 7582 5566 Regional Organiser: Caroline Sewell f 020 7582 9805 Suite 6A, 1st floor, e [email protected] 1/2 Woodside Place, Glasgow G3 7QF w theMU.org t 0141 341 2960 @WeAreTheMU e [email protected] REPORT Copyright Directive News A change of heart by rights owners on the European Copyright Directive threatens hard-fought for provisions that benefit performers, songwriters and producers. taking polar opposite positions on issues us have ventured that it’s possible that the that arise and that’s what our industry has rights owners decided that they potentially done for many years. had more to lose through Articles 14-16 (the clauses that benefit the performers and I should pause here to praise the hard creators) than they stood to gain through work and tenacity of Michael Dugher and the current wording of Article 13. In any his colleagues at UK Music who have toiled case, it has badly damaged the relationship tirelessly to bring the disparate factions between the two groups. of the music industry together to form a consensus and, until recently, with some National implementation notable successes. As I write this the trilogue negotiations have agreed an informal compromise text on the In respect of the European Copyright Directive which will be put to the European Directive, it was always going to be an Council and then the European Parliament awkward marriage between the rights in March or April. This will be followed by owners (record companies and publishers) publication in the Official Journal, which will and the performer/creator community trigger the 2-year period for implementation (songwriters, producers and musicians). at national level. How the UK implements the 3 But the rights owners were so keen to Directive post the 29 March Brexit deadline © Joanna Dudderidge Joanna © close what they call the ‘value gap’ and will remain to be seen but to date we have Horace Trubridge, achieve a fair and proper licensing regime received assurances that the Directive in General Secretary with the likes of YouTube that it seemed for some form will be implemented in the UK. a while that they were prepared to concede the benefits to performer/creators that First of all I apologise for the liberal use are also contained in the Directive and “They claimed that their of acronyms a little later in this piece. The which would potentially cost them money. music industry is littered with organisations apparent volte-face was that are referred to only by their capital So tangible was the apparent entente letters and if I’m going to tell this story cordiale between the rights owners and a negotiating tactic.” properly I will have to refer to them, so sorry. the performer/creator community that, through the good offices of UK Music, Finally, by the time you read this the UK may The first acronym I’m going to use is a rather money and effort was put into a campaign be hurtling towards a no-deal Brexit. As you indelicate one, first used by the American to promote the Directive under the banner will have read before in this magazine the military. It perfectly sums up the UK music #Lovemusic. MU believes that Brexit will be bad for our industry right now and it is of course SNAFU. profession. However, a no-deal Brexit will Successive UK governments have accused Negotiating tactic be catastrophic not just for musicians but the UK music industry of not having a united So, imagine our surprise when we for the country as a whole. My sincere hope front. It’s easy for politicians to avoid making found out that the international trade remains that politicians from all parties will decisions when they have stakeholders bodies representing the record finally wake up and act now to prevent this companies, IFPI and IMPALA, and the potential disaster. publishing companies, ICMP plus their UK counterparts, BPI, AIM and the MPA Enjoy the Spring! had changed their minds and were now Horace Trubridge actively and publicly lobbying against the Directive. They claimed that their apparent volte-face was simply a negotiating tactic and all they were trying to do was secure TO HEAR MORE FROM HORACE, last-minute improvements to Article 13, VISIT THEMU.ORG the value gap clause. The cynics amongst The Musician • Spring 2019 Contents Spring 2019 4 14 “We’re in a creative profession – I won’t hide away my own creativity.” Maxine Kwok-Adams The Musician • Spring 2019 32 Frontline Features 6 Latest update on Brexit 30 Fair Play Focus for MU members 32 Regional Focus on Bristol 7 MU and ABO launch 36 Advice on hiring a PR new manifesto 40 Pencilling in: what to do when Celebrating the career you are being kept ‘on hold’ 8 Focus on Bristol, of Bill Kerr 48 Why I Joined the MU an ever-innovative music city with a Reports Your Voice rich heritage. 3 MU General Secretary 09 Interacting with MU members © Matt Eachus 10 The fourth MU Orchestra and supporters on Twitter Section Conference 18 The Americana Music Profile Association UK Conference 14 Maxine Kwok-Adams 22 Benefits and challenges of 50 Catrin Finch and Union Notices streaming classical music Seckou Keita 02 Key MU contacts 26 Preview of the inaugural 46 Tributes MU Members’ Conference Reviews 42 Ask Us First 28 The British Association For 43 Albums, EPs and downloads 49 MU News Performing Arts Medicine released by MU members 51 Benefits Directory 5 MU Contributors Lee Katie Henry Neil Henry Nicholls Yates Crossley Lee lives Katie is a Henry is a A journalist and in Derry, Northern freelance journalist freelance writer from editor who has written Ireland. He began and editor whose Gloucestershire for The Independent, his career with BBC features and reviews who has written for The Daily Telegraph, Northern Ireland and have appeared in publications as diverse The Guardian and The currently writes for titles such as Mojo, as Classic Rock, Financial Times. Neil The Sunday Times and The Guardian Total Guitar, NME and also fronts the band Belfast Telegraph. p30 and Kerrang! p28 Record Collector. p36 Furlined. p18 & 32 Andrew Tracey Ben Ariane Stewart Kelly Jones Todes Andrew writes A singer- An ex-MU Ariane for The Times, The songwriter, one half Official and long- Todes is a journalist Guardian, Classical of pop-jazz duo time member, Ben specialising in string Music and BBC Music Tracey & Jason, and is now a freelance music and was editor Magazine, among an MU member. Tracey music business of The Strad magazine. others. He is also has also written for consultant and project She plays violin in the Director of books on pop, jazz manager for British various amateur Southwark Voices. p10 and rock. p50 Underground. p22 orchestras. p14 Cover: Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita Photo: Joseph Branston. © MU 2019 Photographed at rwcmd.ac.uk Photo: Joseph Branston. © MU 2019 The Musician • Spring 2019 BREXIT AND YOU The MU is fighting to protect musicians’ right to travel when working in the EU post-Brexit. We want to hear from you about how Brexit has ! affected your working plans for 2019.#WorkingInTheEU bit.ly/2AzdUAV Spring 2019 frontlineThe MU in action, working on behalf of professional musicians. Touring overseas Latest Update On is set to become Brexit For Musicians’ harder with Brexit. Union Members With the Brexit situation still changing on an almost daily basis, publishing any definitive advice is problematic. As the situation stands, even the current leaving 6 date of 29 March 2019 is still in question. The Union has therefore added a new section to the website with the aim of answering any queries and concerns that musicians may have during the Brexit process. There will be regular updates with further information added throughout the process. MU General Secretary Horace Trubridge says that the Brexit negotiations remain © daveswallace / Getty Images / daveswallace © complex and have many potential risks for musicians.