The Musician Journal of the Musicians’ Union Autumn 2020 theMU.org Eliza Shaddad A singer-songwriter with a global view and a fluid, graceful sound Black Lives Matter Assessing the renewed drive to fight racial inequality in music Income Streams How revenues for musicians have shifted across the decades Getting Creative Tips and techniques on how to boost and manage creativity 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 In-House Solicitor e [email protected] Dawn Rodger Assistant General Secretary East & South East England Phil Kear 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, Geoff Ellerby (Recording & Broadcasting) Sessions Official Graham Street, Sam Jordan Birmingham B1 3JR National Organiser t 0121 236 4028 Dave Webster (Live Performance) Live & Music Writers’ 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 2 Woodside Place, e [email protected] Glasgow G3 7QF t 0141 341 2960 w theMU.org e [email protected] @WeAreTheMU REPORT Keeping Up The Fight How your Union is lobbying government, fighting to get the voices of the forgotten freelancers heard, and battling to protect your employment rights The need for a sector specific financial We have done what we can to help members support package for the music industry’s directly in paying out over £1m from our freelance and salaried community has hardship fund and introducing a three never been more urgent. With the winding month subs holiday for those hardest hit up of the JRS and the SEISS in October and by the lockdown. This is much more than the many, many musicians and others from most unions have been able to do. We have the sector who failed to qualify for either encouraged our industry partners to help, of the Chancellor’s schemes, a bail-out which has resulted in generous donations package is essential. into the hardship fund of £200,000 from PPL and £72,000 from the Mackintosh Foundation We are involved in daily meetings with civil as well as many individual donations from servants and politicians from the DCMS and companies, members and MU supporters the Treasury, and our number one priority is alike. But so much more needs to be done. some kind of accessible financial support It is now the job of this government to step package for musicians to see them through in and save the workforce. Without a sector to when pre-C-19 work opportunities might resume. We are not alone. The TUC, Equity, the GMB, Prospect and BECTU “More needs to be done. 3 all represent members who have lost Photo: Joanna Dudderidge Joanna Photo: almost all – if not all – of their work due It is now the job of this Horace Trubridge, to the shutdown of the live music sector, General Secretary and the call for financial help couldn’t be government to step in louder or more persistently made. But still the government refuses to act. and save the workforce” As I write, we wait with baited breath for news on how the £1.57bn that the Notable achievements specific financial package that can sustain chancellor has earmarked for the arts and The most frustrating aspect of this the workforce through to better times this culture sector will be distributed. Concern intransigence is that we cannot even use government can kiss goodbye to the £5.2bn is growing that the money will simply be traditional Union methods of leverage such that the UK music industry is worth to the used to mothball institutions and hallowed as withdrawing the workforce as there is no economy, and the unquantifiable added value halls until such time as they can safely and bloody work to withdraw from! Despite the that our world leading talent brings to this profitably reopen. This would in effect place lack of movement on a support package, country. Write to your MP, shout it from the the music profession in an induced coma we have made some notable achievements rooftops – only hard cash for the workforce for an indefinite period, and offers little in relation to the published guidance. Our will save our industry, not grants to maintain comfort for the performers and creators persistence saw the removal of references bricks and mortar. that these institutions require if they are to to the use of recordings in performances get back to pre-C-19 production levels. and the removal of limits to the size of wind A big thank you and brass groups. The relaxation of live Finally, in these most terrible times, I pay music outdoors and the pilots for indoor tribute to your staff and officials who have performance all came about as a result of worked tirelessly around the clock to provide our work with the DCMS. the much needed advice and support. Moreover, I pay tribute to the tenacity and resilience of you, the members, who have shown remarkable fortitude in the face of such adversity. Your strength gives us strength, as we continue to strive towards better times. TO HEAR MORE FROM HORACE, Very best wishes VISIT THEMU.ORG Horace Trubridge The Musician • Autumn 2020 Contents Autumn 2020 4 26 “I feel good about our Union. They’ve worked hard during lockdown to encourage and help their members” Steve Sidwell The Musician • Autumn 2020 Black artists speak about their experiences of racial inequality in the music industry Frontline Advice 6 An update on the future of 42 Methods and strategies touring in the EU post-Brexit for boosting your creativity 7 Focus on the MU’s intensive 50 Drummer Ralph Salmins lobbying work at Westminster discusses his kit Reports Your Voice 3 MU General Secretary 9 Interacting with MU members 10 Deputy General Secretary and supporters on Twitter 12 The renewed determination to fight racial inequality in music Profile 20 The new MU website 16 Eliza Shaddad on her musical 22 Focusing on the future of life in lockdown and beyond the classical music sector 26 Composer, arranger and Union Notices Photography Viola Luca Photo: 30 AI and copyright musician Steve Sidwell 2 Key MU contacts 33 Assistant General Secretary 46 Ask Us First 34 How disabled musicians have Reviews 51 Member benefits dealt with the Covid crisis 47 New albums, EPs and 38 Assessing musicians’ income downloads from members streams over the last 50 years 5 MU Contributors Andrew Katie Jumi Neil Stewart Nicholls Akinfenwa Churchman Andrew writes Katie is a Jumi is a Neil is an for The Times, The freelance journalist freelance writer from experienced journalist Guardian, Classical and editor whose London who has in broadcasting and Music and BBC Music features and reviews written for VICE, The print. A former BBC Magazine, among have appeared in Guardian and British national newsroom others. He is also titles such as Mojo, Vogue amongst others. assistant editor, he Director of Southwark The Guardian She is also a music now writes on music Voices. p22 & 26 and Kerrang! p16 supervisor. p12 and the media. p34 Roy Will Neil Henry Delaney Simpson Crossley Yates Roy has Will has A journalist and Henry is a written for Metal contributed to a range editor who has written freelance writer from Hammer, Melody Maker of music magazines, for The Independent, Gloucestershire who and TV’s Tipping Point, including Total Guitar, The Daily Telegraph, has written for titles and is the lead singer Guitarist and Mixmag. The Guardian and as diverse as Classic and drummer with the He has also published The Financial Times. Rock, Total Guitar, two-piece punk rock the book Freedom Neil also fronts the NME and Record band Hacksaw. p47 Through Football. p30 band Furlined. p42 Collector. p20 & 38 Photo: Joby Sessions. © Musicians’ Union Musicians’ © Sessions. Joby Photo: The Musician • Autumn 2020 CORONAVIRUS HARDSHIP FUND To find out if you’re eligible to apply for a ! £200 support grant from the MU, go to musiciansunion.org.uk/HardshipFund Autumn 2020 frontlineThe MU in action, working on behalf of professional musicians. O UK musicians may need work Update On Touring permits to play events such In EU Post-Brexit as the Umbria Jazz Festival Report by Naomi Pohl The MU continues to lobby for musicians to be able to tour easily and with minimal admin throughout the EU post-Brexit. More than 82,000 people have now signed our 6 petition calling for a Musicians’ Passport. The current UK position in the free trade negotiations with the EU means that carnets could be required – even for musicians travelling with their own instruments – and performers are not explicitly covered in the draft agreement. However, there is still time for us to exert influence in the drafting process, and we are Photo: Michele Castellani / Alamy Stock Photo working with UK Music and the Association of British Orchestras to do exactly that.