July/August 2020 Musicians in lockdown: singer Nicky Spence Working in the digital world Making music in lockdown Don’t forget about Brexit
ALLIANZ MUSICAL INSURANCE INSURING THE NATION‘S INSTRUMENTS FOR 60 YEARS
What makes Allianz Musical Insurance different? There’s no excess on our instrument claims, so you can make a claim and get back to playing as soon as possible. We pay out 97% of claims we receive. We’re flexible. Choose the level of cover that suits you best and select optional add-ons if and when you need them. You can make affordable monthly payments with 0% APR. Supporting the music industry; offering support and advice during these turbulent times.
allianzmusicalinsurance.co.uk 0330 100 9903
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020
Welcome
Above: Deborah Annetts Photo: Mark Thompson
I would first like to say thank you to all of you who responded to the ISM’s survey about how the current challenges are affecting you and what you would like the ISM’s priorities to be. Your contributions have been incredibly helpful, and they will shape the services and activities we will be developing over the next few months.
Contents
Guidance and support remain of vital importance to you, especially since the Government advice changes on an almost daily basis. In addition, and perhaps not surprisingly, you want us to campaign to make sure that the Government takes all possible steps to support those working in the music sector. And this means everyone, from teachers, to performers of all types and genres, composers, and conductors.
9
While we were pleased to see that the furlough and self-employed schemes had been extended, we know that there remain profound issues with the self-employed scheme in particular and we will continue to lobby on the unfairnesses of the scheme, which are forcing so many into financial hardship. The ISM is committed to standing by our members; it is vital that in these difficult times all those who need our services can get access to them. So, if you are finding it difficult to pay your subscription please do get in touch with us. We have lobbied the devolved nations for support and have a continuing dialogue with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) about what needs to happen, given that there is no immediate sign of musicians being able to return to performing live in front of audiences. Health and safety must remain a primary concern. But at the same time, with the furlough and self-employed schemes coming to an end soon, we call on the Government to extend the life of these schemes and tailor them to our sector.
Front Cover Nicky Spence Photo: Bertie Watson See feature on pages 20–23 Inset images: Errollyn Wallen Photo: Sir Cam See feature on pages 10–13
We believe that there is much to learn from Germany, where there has been a mixture of financial help and tax measures to support the cultural sector. In our lobbying work we were surprised to learn that the level of funding for Arts Council England (ACE) is the same as that provided by the German Government for cultural activities in Berlin. So even before COVID-19 there were significant issues around how culture is valued in England by comparison with other countries. This edition of Music Journal looks at work in the digital sphere, with three related features all about the shift to digital. Please do read them and let us know your experiences of making the move to online work. We are also delighted to showcase the talents of Nicky Spence, our new ISM Council member, and his experiences of lockdown and the work of Dr Jeremy Huw Williams, the ISM’s Past President, on his love of commissioning new music. As ever, if you have feedback for us at the ISM please do get in touch. Keep safe and well.
4 7
10 14 16 19
News & Campaigns What musicians need from the Brexit negotiations COVID-19 and the shift to digital Using digital to make music during COVID-19 Legal & Business Online learning resources Professional development
20 24
Nicky Spence Commissioning women composers
27 32 33
News from our members Classified advertising News from our corporate members Looking after your health Ask me a question
39 40
Volume 87 / Number 2 Published by: The Incorporated Society of Musicians 4–5 Inverness Mews, London W2 3JQ T: 020 7221 3499 E: membership@ism.org W: ism.org Incorporated Society of Musicians is a limited company registered in England No. 36882. Registered Office as address above. Editor: Deborah Annetts Sub-editors: Vinota Karunasaagarar Clare Stevens Proofreader: Christine Gwyther-Scott All ISM publications are copyright
Nicola LeFanu
Printed by Optichrome, Woking GU21 5HX
Photo: Michael Salander
ISSN 0951 5135
See feature on pages 24–26
Design: cogdesign.com Typography: marcmarazzi.com Advertising: Cabbell Publishing Ltd, T. 020 3603 7940 E. thomas@cabbells.uk Editorial and advertising copy date: 3 August 2020 for September/October issue Price: £7 per copy Subscription: £35 per year Circulation: 10,000 named recipients Views expressed in MJ are not necessarily those of the ISM. The publication of any advertisement does not imply endorsement of the advertiser or the product advertised.
deborah@ism.org
3
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NEWS & CAMPAIGNS
News & campaigns You can also use our updated template letter to write to your MP, to ask that they request that the Government expands the coverage of the SEISS: ism.org/blog/expand-the-seiss You can find the ISM’s updated guidance on the SEISS here: ism.org/advice/covid-19-selfemployment-income-support-scheme The Chancellor also used his announcement to provide more detail about the scaling back of the Government’s contributions through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which will run until October. Due to the likely continuation of restrictions on mass gatherings, affecting live performances, many businesses and organisations in the music sector will struggle to meet their furlough employer contributions, even later in the year. We are calling on the Chancellor to reconsider his decision to scale back the Government’s contributions, and provide the support our sector so desperately needs. We urgently need a conversation on a long-term support package for our sector, which contributes so much to the UK’s economy and global reputation.
COVID-19: ISM responds to the Government scaling back furlough contributions and extending the SEISS On Friday 29 May the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, announced the extension of the SelfEmployment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) for a further three months, after coming under pressure to extend the scheme from sector organisations such as the ISM.
You can use our updated template letter to write to your MP, asking them to request that the Government reconsiders its plans to scale down furlough contributions: ism.org/blog/ covid-19-write-to-your-mp-about-the-jrs See the ISM’s full response to the Chancellor’s announcements here: ism.org/news/ the-ism-responds Read the ISM’s guidance for employed musicians: ism.org/advice/ employed-musicians-financial-advice-covid-19
We will continue to campaign and engage with While we are delighted that the Chancellor has listened the Government and make sure our members get to the ISM and extended the SEISS, we are still calling all the support they need to navigate these on the Government to expand the scheme to cover the challenging times. many people who slip through the cracks and cannot access any government support. We have since written to the Chancellor to request that the SEISS be expanded in its coverage and you can read our latest letter here: ism.org/campaigns/ expand-the-seiss
4
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NEWS & CAMPAIGNS
The ISM’s survey for the self-employed working in the music sector The ISM launched a new survey for those who are self-employed working in the music sector and have received support from the Government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), as well as those who are ineligible for the scheme. The survey asked respondents to detail their experiences of the SEISS or how they are coping without it. The survey closed on 8 June. The results will help the ISM to have a better understanding of the situation of self-employed people and to work more effectively on their behalf.
Schools in England reopened on 1 June The wider opening of schools in England from 1 June is a continuing concern. Plans to get all primary pupils in England back to school before the end of term have been dropped. Some pupils began returning in the first week of June, but head teachers and governors have warned further expansion is not possible while social distancing measures limit classroom capacity. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has suggested that secondary schools might not even fully reopen in September.
We produced some guidance in May (on 15 May ism.org/advice/coronavirus-easingschools and 22 May ism.org/advice/easing-oflockdown-schools-england-reopening) which we will update as the situation develops. The ISM’s view is that the reopening of schools is desirable, but only when it is safe to do so. In the meantime we have been investigating the continuing research into safety issues and possible precautions relating to musicians and music teachers in anticipation of reopening. We have been working with other organisations in the music teaching sector to develop guidance and resources specific to music in educational settings: please visit ism.org to keep informed. We have also written to a number of organisations representing independent schools to set out our view on reopening, and to seek reassurances as to health and safety measures schools are proposing to take. If you are back at school and need employment or contract advice, contact our in-house legal team on legal@ism.org
Continued overleaf È
5
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NEWS & CAMPAIGNS
ISM releases new reports on the need for an overhaul of the UK immigration system and the impact of Brexit on the music profession Make sure you read our next feature ‘What musicians need from the Brexit negotiations’
Black Lives Matter
On 30 April the ISM published a report How Open is the UK for the Music Business?, revealing the need for an urgent overhaul of the current immigration system which regulates musicians from countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) visiting the UK to perform. This study highlights the significant threat facing the UK music industry if the current system for non-EEA nationals is applied to EU nationals, as outlined in the Policy Statement from the Home Office (February 2020). On 13 May the ISM published its fifth annual report, titled Will Music Survive Brexit?, into the impact of Brexit on the music profession. The research, conducted in February 2020, captured the increasing impact of Brexit developments since the referendum and the damage already caused to the music sector.
On 2 June the ISM took part in Blackout Tuesday by not posting on our social media sites, to show support for black communities standing against racism and acts of violence. At the ISM we will explore further the issue of racism within our industry and reflect on what we can do to create change.
The ISM is very concerned that going straight from COVID-19 to the end of the transition period without ensuring enough time to negotiate new trading agreements will be devastating for the music profession and the wider music and creative industries. To avoid irreversible damage, we are calling for the Government to recover some of the time lost to COVID-19 by requesting an extension to the transition period.
One step that we will continue to focus on is lobbying for music to be accessible to all in our schools, irrespective of their background. Even before COVID-19 and the lockdown, there was clear evidence that the various education policies emanating from Whitehall were harming the provision of music and the arts in our schools, and that music was becoming the preserve of those who were educated in the private sector. Now we are seeing the curriculum narrowing still further – there is no music in the materials the Department for Education (DfE) have supplied during lockdown.
Read our reports here: ism.org/news/reports
Prior to lockdown we took part in the consultation on the National Plan for Music Education. We strongly made the case that the Plan should make clear to schools their obligations so that music is embedded in the classroom, rather than becoming an extra curricula activity. This is truer now and we will continue to demand change. While accessibility to music through our education system is a step, which we will continue to pursue, we know that in order to tackle racism in our industry there are many factors to consider. Over the coming months and in our September/October issue of Music Journal we will explore this issue further. External affairs team, 020 7313 9312
6
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | WHAT MUSICIANS NEED FROM THE BREXIT NEGOTIATIONS
What musicians need from the Brexit negotiations With COVID-19 dominating headlines in recent months, we should not forget the other looming challenge facing musicians – Brexit. Dr Naomi Bath explains what the priorities should be for musicians in the ongoing Brexit negotiations
While the focus of the UK Government for most of this year has quite rightly been on how to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, time and resources originally earmarked for Brexit negotiations have slipped away. As this issue of Music Journal went to print, the end of the transition period was still set for 31 December 2020, despite growing concern that this didn’t allow enough time for the UK to negotiate a new relationship with the European Union (EU). The ISM has been campaigning for an extension to the transition period to allow more time for the music sector to recover from COVID-19 and prepare for Brexit. Above: Dr Naomi Bath Photo: Emile Holba
profession could overnight find themselves trying to navigate the entry requirements for each of the 27 EU countries. The best solution is an EU-wide touring visa, which already has strong support from parliamentary committees and music organisations.
2. Negotiate a cultural exemption for musicians temporarily transporting instruments and equipment to the EU When free movement of goods ends after the transition period, new customs requirements will come into force. Musicians will need new documentation to transport instruments and equipment temporarily into the EU, the most likely option being carnets, which can be expensive. The best solution would be a cultural exemption for musicians, or failing that, the Government should cover the cost of carnets.
As detailed in the recent publication of the ISM’s fifth Brexit report, Will Music Survive Brexit? (May 2020), many musicians depend on work in the EU to earn a living. At the end of the transition period, there will be significant changes to how musicians travel, how they transport their instruments and equipment, how they get paid, and what types of insurance they need in order to work in the EU. Until the future relationship 3. Expand the list of CITES-designated points with the EU is agreed between Westminster and Brussels of entry and exit to include Eurostar, we do not know what this will look like. However, the Immingham and Tyne (Newcastle) ISM has put together a set of recommendations for what the Government should do to protect musicians Musicians carrying instruments containing endangered materials on the Convention on International Trade of after the transition period ends. Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) list (e.g. ivory, tortoiseshell, Brazilian rosewood) will 1. Establish a two-year, multi-entry touring only be able to travel through CITES-designated points visa for the EU of entry and exit after the transition period. The ISM Musicians depend on the ability to travel easily and is pleased that following our strong campaigning, cheaply around multiple countries in a short period Dover, Eurotunnel, Belfast Seaport and Holyhead of time. They need simultaneously to be able to were added to the list, but we continue to campaign plan years in advance and to jump in at short notice. for Eurostar, Immingham and Tyne (Newcastle) As freedom of movement ends after the transition to be added. period, musicians will need a mechanism that allows them to continue travelling to the EU to work. Without it, and particularly if the UK leaves without a comprehensive arrangement in place, the music Continued overleaf È
7
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | WHAT MUSICIANS NEED FROM THE BREXIT NEGOTIATIONS
4. Scrap the proposed charge for Musical Instrument Certificates Musical Instrument Certificates for instruments containing CITES materials are currently free but this is under review, with proposed charges coming in this year. This is an additional charge that musicians may be unable to cover, and plans for a charge should be scrapped.
struck in the future, the UK’s copyright laws must ensure fair financial terms for creators and artists.
8. Not apply the current visa system for short term work and visits to EU nationals
Under plans for the new points-based immigration system, the Government intends to apply existing rules for short-term and temporary work in the UK to EU nationals. This not only means that EU musicians 5. Ensure the continuation of the A1 certificate will have to navigate our immigration system for for social security contributions the first time which may act as a disincentive to performing in the UK, but also means UK musicians Musicians currently use the A1 certificate when they will have to overcome entry requirements of EU work in the EU to ensure they are exempt from paying countries because mobility arrangements are outlined social security contributions in more than one EU to be reciprocal. This is likely to add considerable cost Member State. If the A1 certificate system ceases after and bureaucracy to touring. You can read more about the transition period musicians would be in danger of this issue in the ISM’s recent report, How Open is the double deductions in social security contributions. UK for the Music Business? (April 2020)
6. Ensure the continuation of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme 74% of survey respondents said they would not be able to afford private health cover if the EHIC scheme ceased. The music profession relies on the EHIC scheme, especially those with pre-existing health conditions.
7. Ensure that UK copyright laws are not undermined by future trade deals with other countries The Government has said that it will no longer implement the EU Copyright Directive now that the UK has left the EU. Whichever trade deals are
8
9. Provide detailed information on new arrangements well in advance of the end of the transition period The music profession needs information and certainty as soon as possible. The impact of COVID-19 and Brexit is making it very difficult for musicians to continue with their livelihoods. We hope that the Government will listen and heed our advice as they continue their negotiations with Brussels. Join our Save Music campaign to find out how you can get involved, from sharing social media posts to writing to your MP: ism.org/savemusic/signup
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | COVID-19 AND THE SHIFT TO DIGITAL
COVID-19 and the shift to digital Kirsten Peter, ISM’s Digital & Insights Manager, offers guidance to help you adjust to a new way of working – and additional support is available from the ISM if you need it
Above: Kirsten Peter, ISM Digital & Insights Manager Photo: Emile Holba
Whatever new challenges you were planning to tackle in your music career in 2020, adapting your activity to take place in the online world was probably not one of them. Yet from what you tell us on the phone, via email and through our recent member survey, many of you have been able to move successfully to a new way of working. Understandably, musicians would be out meeting students, audiences, and fellow band members face-to-face if they could. But at least for the time being, it seems some form of online working is here to stay.
change again as the situation evolves. Do make sure you keep any online professional information such as your website or Facebook page up to date. For example, if you teach online, make sure people know that is something you offer and how it works (what platform(s) do you use, how long is your standard online lesson?). If you can take on new pupils online, do make that clear too. If you are beginning to branch out into a new areas of music, remember your website acts as a calling card and make sure your biography is up to date.
In our COVID-19 advice hub, we’ve been continuing to gather and share advice from music professionals with experience in these areas, so that you can stay informed and make decisions on where to put your time and energy when it comes to topping up your digital skills.
If you are looking for new ways to promote yourself online, you may be interested in Jaxsta – a website for compiling your professional musical credits to find new work and collaborators. See Professional Development on page 19 for more information on our webinar introduction to the platform that took place in May. ISM members can currently join Jaxsta for free.
In our last issue of Music Journal, we heard from member Pippa Reid-Foster as she told us about moving her music teaching practice online just as lockdown started. Since then, Pippa has been in touch with our podcast team to tell us more about her work a few months into the experience – from using musical games and exercises to the adventure of working towards online exams for her youngest students. You can listen to her experiences at ism.org/news/ism-podcast For online performers, collaboration has been a tough nut to crack. In his article on online real music, bassist John J Williamson provides an introduction to online real-time music software (ORM) explaining how to avoid the lag in sound between musicians and explaining why some genres of music can work better than others. You can find the article at ism.org/ORM-ISM, also read our next feature ‘Using digital to make music during COVID-19’, to see what other musicians have been doing. It is likely that the way you are working now has changed completely from a few months ago and will
There are other ways you can make the most of your membership online. As well our growing library of advice, take a look at our range of digital discounts – you can save money on courses, magazines, tech products and even ticketed streaming platform TicketCo Tv. Find out more at ism.org/ discounts-at-home Fortunately, when it comes to the new normal, there is a keen community out there to help anyone with questions. In our Facebook group, many members are helping each other out on the tech and the techniques they are using to get the best out of the situation. Join by searching on Facebook for ‘ISM Members’ Community.’ Finally, if there’s a topic, digital or otherwise, that you think you and fellow musicians want further in-depth advice on, please do email membership@ism.org and let us know. Find all the ISM’s advice on succeeding online during COVID-19 at ism.org/succeeding-online
9
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | USING DIGITAL TO MAKE MUSIC
Using digital to make music during COVID-19 Clare Stevens finds out how musicians and arts organisations have been keeping busy during lockdown with virtual performances, online teaching and fundraising
Above: Clare Stevens Photo: David Stevens
Make sure you read our next feature, ’Copyright: where you stand as an online musician’ before performing or teaching online
Shortly after one o’clock on Monday 1 June the pianist Stephen Hough walked onto the stage of London’s Wigmore Hall and played Busoni’s arrangement of J S Bach’s Partita No 2 in D minor for violin. He was wearing concert dress and this was a live broadcast on BBC Radio 3, but there was no audience. This was the opening event in a month-long Wigmore Hall and BBC Radio 3 Special Broadcasts Series of weekday lunchtime recitals, featuring solo performers or duos such as oboist Nicholas Daniel with pianist Julius Drake, cellist Guy Johnston with pianist Melvyn Tan, countertenor Iestyn Davies with lutenist Elizabeth Kenny, attended only by a radio presenter sitting half way down the auditorium. It wasn’t the same as a normal concert – hearing silence instead of applause at the end of each piece in Hough’s recital was very strange – but for listeners it conveyed a sense of occasion and of music being performed at that moment. This series is just one of the ways in which BBC Arts, with various partners, has been supporting musicians during this period of crisis, while offering something new for audiences. Another imaginative scheme has been the musical postcards featured on the Breakfast programme on Radio 3 – 30-second pieces commissioned by the broadcaster for solo instrumentalists from the BBC orchestras around the country. There was Postcard for Magdalena, written by Errollyn Wallen for Miwa Rosso, principal cellist of the BBC Concert Orchestra; Veiled Light by Daniel Kidane, for violinist Molly Cockburn of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Glás by Elaine Agnew, for Chris Blake, principal oboist of the Ulster Orchestra (with which the BBC has a special relationship). The Welsh music centre Ty^ Cerdd has commissioned an additional similar set of ten pieces for members of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. And The Scotsman newspaper has commissioned a series of online
performances by artists from a variety of disciplines, introduced by the paper’s critics. Musical offerings in this series included a performance by Jane Atkins of the Scottish Ensemble of the slow movement of Hindemith’s viola sonata, introduced by music critic Ken Walton. The summer of 2020 may not seem like summer without the usual seven weeks of BBC Proms public concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, but at the time of writing artistic director David Pickard is hoping that a fortnight of live events at the end of the season will be possible. Prior to that the Proms will consist mainly of carefully curated archive broadcasts, but the festival will kick off on 17 July with a virtual ‘mash-up’ of all nine of Beethoven’s symphonies, arranged by Iain Farrington, with what Pickard describes as ‘the most ambitious lockdown orchestra ever’, consisting of more than 350 musicians from the BBC orchestras and the BBC Singers. If you Googled ‘Glastonbury’ at the beginning of June the first link that came up simply said ‘Cancelled’, which was particularly sad in the year the festival was to have celebrated its 50th birthday. But the BBC marked the anniversary with a series of ‘Glastonbury Experience’ broadcasts over what would have been the festival weekend, 25-29 June. While some festivals have cancelled their 2020 events completely and furloughed most of their staff, others are making plans for smaller events later in the year, such as Presteigne Festival’s Winter Weekend booked for 27-29 November. George Vass, artistic director of Presteigne Festival, has also announced that some of the festival artists will provide online performances over August Bank Holiday weekend when the summer festival would have been happening in the Welsh town and the festival orchestra will convene when regulations permit to record some previous Presteigne commissions.
Left: Fenella Humphreys Photo: Alejandro Tobagno
Continued overleaf È
11
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | USING DIGITAL TO MAKE MUSIC
Donations, including some from ticket purchasers in lieu of refunds, and rescue grants from arts councils and other funders are enabling some festivals and venues to pay the performers they had booked at least a percentage of their fees, though artists are reporting a wide variation between different organisations in this respect. While musicians are continuing to be inventive and diligent in their use of technology to create online performances, for most these are primarily a way of focusing their working routine and maintaining a connection with their audiences rather than a source of income. Some performers invite their viewers to donate to musical charities – violinist Fenella Humphreys, for example, should have been the soloist in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with the European Union Chamber Orchestra in May, but instead she performed a live YouTube concert for them from her living room as part of her #homemadeconcerts series.
Below: Errollyn Wallen Photo: Sir Cam Below right: Stephen Hough plays at Wigmore Hall in the first of BBC Radio 3’s live lunchtime recital broadcasts Photo: Doug Peters PA Wire
12
Another violinist, Tamsin Waley-Cohen, is the instigator of the Living Room Live online concert series, which features performers such as recorderplayer Tabea Debus, pianists Cordelia Williams and George X. Fu, cellist Laura van der Heijden and cellist, composer and singer Zoë Martlew. The project website has a prominent ‘Donate’ button and the aim is that participating artists should be paid a reasonable fee. The Living Room Live series includes some concerts specially geared to children, who are well catered for by online initiatives. Sound and Music has made
‘Minute of Listening’, its curated educational resources for EYFS, KS1 and KS2 pupils, available to parents and educators who suddenly find themselves having to provide home schooling. Devised to promote reflective listening, creative thinking, and the development of cognitive skills, the resources take children on a sonic journey through a wealth of listening experiences, from Beethoven to Björk, cityscapes to sandy shores. Throughout June the National Youth Choir of Scotland offered ‘Wee Summer Sing’, weekday sessions of musical games and songs for children aged five to eight, funded by the Youth Music Initiative. A new song or rhyme was taught Monday to Thursday, and on Fridays children were invited to sing all their favourites together. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales, which recorded the first BBC Ten Pieces works to support schools’ music, is also offering a vast amount of online material which parents, teachers and young people can dip into. Northern Ireland Opera offered an introduction to the science of singing for children of primary school age by Dr Trevor Agus, a Lecturer in the Sonic Arts Research Centre at Queen’s University Belfast. They also presented a spectacular online fundraising concert on Bank Holiday Monday, billed as a ‘thank you’ to NHS staff and other frontline workers, introduced by BBC Radio 3’s Sean Rafferty and featuring stars such as flautist Sir James Galway and pianist Barry Douglas as well as Ulster Orchestra players and Northern Ireland Opera Singers performing from their homes.
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | USING DIGITAL TO MAKE MUSIC
Staffordshire charity Realise, which aims to build resilient local communities through support with issues ranging from mental health and skills to employment, financial management and well being, is the beneficiary of a virtual Northern Soul Night at Home on 25 July. Tickets for access to the online performances by Stoke-on-Trent-based Passion and the Veins cost £20; attendees are urged to stock up on pizza and prosecco and dance the night away in their kitchen, lounge or garden, with proceeds going towards delivering essential food items and prescriptions to vulnerable people and provide a friendly voice to ease mental health and social isolation.
and are continuing to run virtual choir practices or encouraging their singers to record their lines in isolation for contributions to online services. Conductor Ralph Allwood, the Roldolfus Foundation and the ChoralEvensong.org website recruited an enormous choir of accomplished singers to put together a service featuring some of the best-loved Evensong music, with prayers by the Revd Richard Coles and lessons read by Stephen Fry and Simon Russell Beale, streamed on YouTube in May.
Below: United We Stream club night
A more informal vocal project is the series of weekly singalong concerts and workshops on Zoom led by members of medieval music group The Telling at North of the border, a group of musicians in Glasgow 11 am on Friday mornings. They have also been set up the Music 4 the Isolated Generation Facebook running a game of musical #TuneTag; every day they page at the start of the pandemic and have seen post a short film of one of their musicians performing visitors to their site increase steadily as they have a short piece before tagging someone else to perform hosted a wide range of virtual gigs, from punk and pop the next day. to electronic and classical. They ask for donations in LINKS order to help cover costs and pay performers, but the General advice on putting together virtual reality performances can be enjoyed free of charge. concerts can be found on the Music Industries But of course one of the best things about online Association website: mia.org.uk/2020/05/ performances is that they are international, so covid-19-and-the-live-music-industry/ wherever you are in the world you can enjoy charity You can find lists of streamed events on eventbrite.co.uk, ticketmaster.co.uk and timeout.com. In addition, dedicated sites are emerging listing many of the online live-streaming gigs set to take place. These include stayathomefest.com and brooklynvegan.com. The social media pages of individual artists, venues There cannot be many online music education projects or record labels are also a good source of information quite as ambitious as The Benedetti Sessions, a three- about virtual performances. week project led by violinist Nicola Benedetti and bbc.co.uk/arts/culture in quarantine niopera.com funded by her new charitable foundation. Intensive coaching was offered to both children and teachers by benedettifoundation.org nycos.co.uk a very experienced team of tutors including Benedetti presteignefestival.com facebook.com herself, culminating in a virtual performance by scotsman.com bbcnationalorchestraofwales literally thousands of people from all over the world, concerts by big names like Elton John, Chris Martin and P!nk, sessions by New York-based jazz musicians, DJ nights from Berlin’s hippest clubs, experimental sets from an emerging artist’s living-room in your home city or star-studded archive performances from venues that you can only dream of attending in person.
including international soloists like Pekka Kuusisto. The sessions also included reflective discussions such as a fascinating and incredibly honest look at the issue of performance nerves, with professional soloists contributing their own horror stories about performances they would rather forget, as well as offering advice. All the sessions remain available to watch via the Benedetti Foundation website.
facebook.com/ Music4theIsolatedgen
soundandmusic.org
facebook.com/ulsterorchestra
thetelling.co.uk
fenellahumphreys.com
unitedwestream.berlin
livingroom-live.com
wigmore-hall.org.uk
therodolfusfoundation.org.uk
nespa.scot (Aberdeen and North East Scotland Music Festival)
The Aberdeen and North East Scotland competitive festival moved all its activity online at the beginning of June, with very successful results according to conductor Andrew Nunn, one of the adjudicators: ‘Some performances were recorded by groups just before lockdown, but other virtual performances were put together specially for me to judge! It was really amazing.’ Church musicians have been hard hit by the COVID-19 lockdown, with some organists furloughed and choirs stood down, while others have been retained
13
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | LEGAL & BUSINESS
Copyright: where you stand as an online musician John Robinson, ISM’s Head of Compliance & Legal, provides a guide to staying on the right side of the complex laws that govern using, performing and broadcasting other people’s material
During the coronavirus pandemic digital communications make many things possible, such as teaching and performing, either live as a stream, or recorded and made available to the public on demand. However in this digital environment music writers’ and publishers’ rights still remain in force. Here is some practical advice that considers some of the copyright implications involved in moving to an online performing or teaching environment. As an ISM member you can contact our legal team legal@ism.org with any queries. Above: John Robinson, ISM Head of Compliance & Legal Photo: Emile Holba
Copyright: some background The main copyright legislation in the UK (the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988 – ‘the Act’) creates certain rights in relation to certain types of work, including musical literary works (which embrace lyrics and libretti), sound recordings, published editions, and performances. The Act grants the person who owns the rights in these works the exclusive right to do certain things with the works they own, including copying the work, issuing copies to the public, renting or lending the work, performing, showing or playing the work in public, communicating the work to the public (e.g. by broadcasting/streaming it or making it available online for viewing on demand) and making an adaptation to the work or doing any of the foregoing relation to that adaptation. This means that if you want to use any works in copyright, you will need a permission of some kind from the rights holder – or you must be able to show that you are covered by an ‘exception’ to copyright (a provision in the Act which means that you do not require rightsholder permission to use a work).
14
Music and lyrics remain in copyright until 70 years after the death of the author of the work (or the death of the last of the authors in the case of joint works eg Lennon and McCartney works: these will be in copyright until 70 years after Sir Paul McCartney dies).
Performing online Performances: live streams If you perform music in copyright for a one-off, live-streamed performance, you are creating ‘usergenerated content’ (‘UGC’) which incorporates copyright works. In streaming your performance of a copyright work over the internet, you will be communicating the work to the public, so you will need to be covered by a licence of some kind. Several of the big platforms, such as YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, have blanket agreements with the music copyright collecting societies such as PRS for Music. There may also be agreements directly with music publishers. All these allow the repertoires covered by the publisher or collecting society on the platform. However, it is not entirely straightforward, as not all copyright works will be covered, and permitted uses may differ. So you will need to check. Performers also have the right to give consent to their performances being communicated to the public – before the performance happens.
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | LEGAL & BUSINESS
Performances: on demand If you make copyright material available for ondemand viewing, eg via a performance which you video record and post to YouTube, you are using other exclusive rights: in this case the right to copy the music by recording it, and then synchronising the recording to the video. Performers also have the right to consent to the performance being recorded, and to that recording being made available to the public on demand.
What does this mean in practical terms and what should you do?
Online teaching If you want to play music yourself in your lessons, or play extracts of recordings and display sheet music on screen, several rights in the Act will be involved, in relation to several different types of work. • Musical and literary works, and published editions of music. Performing musical and literary works in an online lesson means you will be communicating the works to the public. If you display the sheet music or score (or text) on screen during your live stream, you are making a copy of the typographical right in the publication you are using.
To assist you with online teaching, see our next feature ‘Online learning resources’
As far as copyright in musical works is concerned, the licensing framework is rather fragmented, and you will • Sound recordings. If you play recordings of music or words (e.g. from a CD, MP3 player etc) you will need to be careful to try and get permissions for your be communicating the sound recording to the live streams, possibly from a variety of sources. public. The rights for the sound recordings usually Please be aware that the licensing landscape in the belong to a record company, though if you made online world is variable and ever-changing. your own recording, you may be the rights’ owner Generally speaking, all online platforms state that in the sound recording. it is the user’s responsibility to clear any relevant • Performers’ rights. Performers have the right copyrights. They also provide systems (some stricter to give consent to their performance being than others) for the copyright owner to give notice communicated to the public, although in the that their rights have been infringed, which can result majority of cases involving previously recorded in the material you have posted being taken down or performances, performers will already have monetised by the copyright owner. given consent to the record company who made • If the writer is known to you personally then do the recording. make sure you ask their permission • If in any doubt, try to contact the publisher where reasonably possible
What does this mean in practical terms and what should you do?
• Check the online service’s terms and conditions
If you give lessons via live streams on a one-to-one basis, using a closed, secure video-conferencing app such as Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Team, Google Hangouts and so forth, and you do not record or permit your pupils to record the lessons, it is unlikely that there would be any actionable infringement if you use copyright music or recordings. The usual rules around ‘fair dealing’ under copyright law for the purposes of private study and research will apply. This means that reproduction of short extracts of music is permissible.
YouTube has a list of licensed works, which you can find under ‘Music Policies’. This list will also tell you which uses the music is licensed for. If you cannot contact, or identify, the publisher, then please be aware that the online service’s copyright take-down policy could come into effect. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter all operate various different take-down policies, ranging from interrupting your stream with a notice of copyright infringement or advertisements, to blocking the stream or suspending your account.
However, please be aware that if you or your pupil take advantage of any facility to record the lesson, and then share it online, this could potentially lead to copyright infringement. So we advise you to ask your pupils not to do this. If you normally teach in a school under a contract of employment or a service contract with a school, and you are conducting lessons online, then your activity may be covered by the school’s SPML (School Printed Music Licence). Check this with the school.
15
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | ONLINE LEARNING RESOURCES
Online learning resources While some schools in the UK began to reopen in early June, others plan to wait for the new term to start in September. Whether you are a teacher, parent or student, there are numerous online learning resources that you can utilise, many of which are being offered free of charge or at a discounted rate during the coronavirus pandemic. These include materials for primary, secondary and instrumental learning. For primary years Collins Music are offering free access to Music Express, their digital resource for teaching primary music that is accessible to nonmusicians, as well as music specialists. Teachers can visit their teacher support page and free access is also offered to parents.
For secondary students, NMC Recordings has a free GCSE Dance resource in partnership with Rambert Dance Company; Steinberg has released a free, extended trial suite of music production, notation, editing and VST instrument software called the StayHome Elements Collection; and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance is offering a selection of online courses for musicians of all genres and experience levels to engage with.
Other organisations such as Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG), Charanga and the Scottish Association for Music Education (SAME) have resources for both primary and secondary years. BCMG has developed online resources for children Hal Leonard Europe are publishing free lesson plans called Creating Music at Home. The resources are designed for both children who play an instrument, for teaching music at home on the Musicroom blog including at a beginner level, and those who don’t. provided by Rhinegold Education. They are also contributing the sheet music for Gareth Malone’s Great Charanga has produced seven new resource packs British Home Chorus, which is attracting thousands of aimed at primary students (one for each year group) and their ‘Music At Home’ series complements all singers every day. existing, shareable content available in the Musical Hertfordshire Music Service has put together a page School and Music Professional programmes. For of free online content including weekly online music secondary students, Charanga are offering free access activities collated by its Primary Music Consultancy to VIP Studio Sessions, which gives young people team and templates for planning online resources, online access to an award-winning range of music while Inspire-works are offering daily free live online creation tutorials and a new-look online studio. drumming workshops. KS3, GCSE and BTEC students can use VIP to record M:Tech Education has created a free online music performances, to finish their coursework and to make platform called Team Tutti, for all Key Stage (KS) 2 music at home. And SAME has released a package children and primary schools; and Orff UK has put of support learning and activities, including COVIDtogether videos to encourage young children to do 19 information and guidance, as well as primary, simple composing at home. secondary, music tech and instrumental resources. If you are looking for songs then Portsmouth Music For instrumental teaching and learning, in addition Hub has launched Song Source, a free digital song to the already mentioned offerings Alfred Music is bank with over 200 original songs for primary-aged providing a free trial of notation software Finale v26 for children. Pro Corda has launched Create Together, 60 days and the ABRSM has recently launched PlayOn, Wherever!, live online workshops specially created a new online platform designed to support and for children with special educational needs and inspire music making at home. Other organisations disabilities; and Starshine Music is offering 30 free such as The Academy of Music & Sound are story and song downloads for KS1 and 2 through its offering free guitar lesson videos, a free songwriting new home schooling hub. course and free online courses in hip hop and rap songwriting, and sound production; and The Curious Piano Teachers are giving piano teachers free access to their online membership site for one month.
Continued overleaf È
17
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | ONLINE LEARNING RESOURCES
To help you or your students with practising your instruments, RSL has launched Practise with Purpose, a free practice diary to help musicians vary their routines to stay positive and motivated, while Young Classical Artists Trust artist Mayumi Kanagawa, awarded violinist of the 2019 Tchaikovsky Competition, has shared a scale practice video to help other musicians practising at home. And if you’re interested in composing, Len Rhodes Music has published a free leaflet Composition in the Private Studio – twenty ideas to get you started. For group learning, Trinity Laban has put together Making Music with Others, a free online course in collaboration with FutureLearn. It offers an introduction to group music-making and the social contexts in which musicians participate. TiME (Technology in Music Education) has compiled a page of music tech resources for teachers, parents and learners, as well as audio exercises to help people with stress.
Other organisations such as Gresham College are live streaming music lectures free of charge, including lectures on the Ballets Russes and Musical Endings; RCO (Royal College of Organists) has made access to iRCO, its digital content hub for organists and choral directors, free to all and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) has launched RCS at Home, an online community to spread joy and combat isolation by showcasing work, ideas and conversations from students, staff and alumni. The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) offers various online resources to support churches and church communities, including webinars, a daily Hymn for the Day, Sunday Self-Service and vocal warm-ups. And Stagecoach Performing Arts has launched stagecoachathome, an online learning studio providing free singing, dancing and acting education for young people aged 4-18. For a full list of online learning resources offered by our corporate members and partners, please see: ism.org/advice/online-learning-resources
ISM gift membership from just £15 Be instrumental in supporting your pupils’ or colleagues’ careers by giving the gift of ISM membership. ISM membership makes the perfect gift for any studying musician or professional at the start of their career. Student membership is just £15, or for recent graduates and those with 10 or fewer years’ experience, ISM early career membership is just £50.
18
Alternatively, for established music professionals with more than 10 years’ experience, you can help protect and enhance your colleagues’ careers with ISM full membership for just £181. To order a gift membership, simply call 020 7221 3499, Monday – Friday, 9:30am – 5:30pm. Find out more at ism.org/gift-membership
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Professional development The ISM provides you with opportunities to build up your skills in the digital arena with our advice pages and webinars. We also have a collection of professional development videos and resources available to members and the wider music sector through our sister charity, The ISM Trust.
Upcoming webinars: A summer of mental health support
Jaxsta Pro: A valuable promotional tool Jaxsta is the largest official music credits profile site and has been described as the ‘IMDb for music’ Josh Jackson from Jaxsta teaches you how to make the most of Jaxsta Pro, takes you through how to set up your profile and discusses some of the ways other areas of the industry are using the platform. Watch the recording here: bit.ly/2TXVncO
Due to the increased pressures that musicians are facing in the aftermath of COVID-19 we have organised New ISM Trust resource a series of webinars to support your mental health Musical understanding: the philosophy, content and and wellbeing. You can find more information on our interpretation of National Curriculum music in England website at ism.org/professional-development/ webinars The scheduled webinars are: Are you currently reviewing the nature, purpose and Looking after your mental health in the new normal, design of your curriculum music provision (what is Wednesday 1 July 2020 2-3pm with Nick Gendler, sometimes referred to as ‘curriculum intent’)? a career coach and therapist Or are you a lead member of any national or regional Mental health for musicians, with Rachel Jepson, Thursday 23 July 2020 2-3pm. Rachel Jepson is a qualified counsellor and founder of ‘Counselling for Musicians’ Emotional Body: how to use Feldenkrais to self regulate, Wednesday 12 August 2020 2-3pm with Emma Alter, Feldenkrais practitioner
organisations (including music Hubs), a school leadership team, or a lead teacher of music in schools? If so, these new reports and additional resources from the ISM Trust provide essential reading. The reports were written by Kevin Rogers, music educator, adviser and former inspector, and reviewed by Ros Asher, Creative Leadership in Performance Consultancy. ism.org/musical-understanding
Catch up – Past webinars: Music teaching for blind children with Amber Sound Touch In partnership with the ISM Trust, The Amber Trust is launching a major new online resource for teaching music to blind children: Amber Sound Touch. The online teaching aid comprises a set of 13 engaging videos complemented by a comprehensive written guide, dealing with important topics such as learning to play by ear, guidelines for appropriate touch in teaching technique, notation, improvising, practice and performance. Professor Adam Ockelford from The Amber Trust gives an introduction of this pioneering website and how it can be used by all music teachers. Watch the recording here: bit.ly/3d4ygnB
19
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NICKY SPENCE
Nicky Spence The singer and recent recruit to the ISM Board tells Clare Stevens about his experience of lockdown
Operatic tenor Nicky Spence describes himself DV VSHQGLQJ WKH ÀUVW IHZ ZHHNV RI WKH &29,' ORFNGRZQ LQ PRXUQLQJ IRU VL[ RU VHYHQ PRQWKV· ZRUWK RI SHUIRUPLQJ HQJDJHPHQWV WKDW KDYH YDQLVKHG OLNH TXLFNVDQG IURP KLV GLDU\
Above: Clare Stevens Photo: Alex Ramsay
¶, ZDV VR ORRNLQJ IRUZDUG WR PDNLQJ P\ GHEXW DV WKH 3ULQFH LQ 'YRUiN·V Rusalka at the Grand 7KHDWUH LQ /X[HPERXUJ LQ $SULO IRU H[DPSOH · KH VD\V ZLVWIXOO\ ¶,·G VSHQW DERXW VL[ PRQWKV JHWWLQJ DQ HQWLUH RSHUD LQ &]HFK RͿ ERRN DQG UHDG\ WR SHUIRUP ² WKHUH·V D ORW RI JUH\ PDWWHU LQYROYHG LQ WKDW SURFHVV D ORW RI PLVVHG ELUWKGD\ SDUWLHV DQG EHHUV ZLWK IULHQGV EHFDXVH \RX·YH JRW WR GR D FHUWDLQ QXPEHU RI KRXUV· JULQG DW LW HYHU\ GD\ 1RW EHLQJ DEOH WR VLQJ LW LV UHDOO\ XSVHWWLQJ ·
SHUIRUPHUV VWDUWLQJ RXW ZKR ZHUH UHO\LQJ RQ VRPH SLYRWDO ELJ EUHDNV ZKLFK WKH\·YH ORVW ¶)LQDQFLDOO\ LW LV YHU\ GL΀FXOW IRU HYHU\RQH QR PDWWHU ZKDW VWDJH RI WKHLU FDUHHU WKH\ DUH DW ,W IUXVWUDWHV PH WKDW WKHUH KDVQ·W EHHQ DQ LQGXVWU\ standard in terms of compensation for cancelled HQJDJHPHQWV ² WKHUH LV D KXJH YDULDWLRQ LQ WKH SHUFHQWDJHV RͿHUHG E\ GLͿHUHQW RUJDQLVDWLRQV 7KHUH KDYH EHHQ WLPHV ZKHQ , KDYH IHOW YHU\ GHVSRQGHQW WRR DERXW WKH DPRXQW RI VWDWH VXSSRUW RͿHUHG WR IUHHODQFH PXVLFLDQV ZKR DUH VWUXJJOLQJ
+H ZDV DOVR WR KDYH VXQJ /HQVN\ LQ Eugene Onegin DQG DSSHDUHG DW WKH %%& 3URPV DQG D %%& OXQFKWLPH UHFLWDO DW WKH :LJPRUH +DOO ZDV VFKHGXOHG IRU -XO\ IHDWXULQJ -DQiĀHN·V The Diary of One Who Disappeared 2QH UD\ RI OLJKW LQ WKH UHFHQW JORRP ZDV WKH QHZV WKDW 6SHQFH KDG ZRQ WKH %%& 0XVLF 0DJD]LQH 9RFDO $ZDUG IRU KLV UHFRUGLQJ RI WKLV ZRUN RQ +\SHULRQ ZLWK SLDQLVW -XOLXV 'UDNH :KLOH 6SHQFH KRSHV WKDW PDQ\ RI WKH FDQFHOOHG SURGXFWLRQV ZLOO EH UHLQVWDWHG RQFH SXEOLF SHUIRUPDQFHV FDQ UHVXPH RSHUD FRPSDQLHV· calendars are planned many years ahead and WKHUH FDQ EH QR JXDUDQWHHV WKDW WKH SODQQHG casts can be reassembled and the operas slotted LQWR IXWXUH VFKHGXOHV Left: Nicky Spence Photo: Bertie Watson Right: Nicky Spence in The Magic Flute Photo: Scottish Opera (photo taken prior to the COVID-19 lockdown)
7KH ZKROH VLWXDWLRQ LV XQQHUYLQJ KH DGPLWV ¶:H·UH DOO LQ WKH VDPH SRVLWLRQ DQG QRERG\ LV DQ\ PRUH LPSRUWDQW WKDQ DQ\RQH HOVH EXW LW LV VWUDQJH WR KDYH IHOW TXLWH FRQÀGHQW DERXW \RXU SODFH LQ WKH PXVLFDO ZRUOG DQG WKHQ VXGGHQO\ WR IHHO DV ZH DOO GR WKDW \RX DUH RQ YHU\ VKDN\ JURXQG ZLWK ZKDW LW IHHOV OLNH WR EH DQ DUWLVW DQG ZKHWKHU LW IXQGDPHQWDOO\ PDWWHUV , UHDOO\ GR IHHO IRU \RXQJHU Continued overleaf È
21
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NICKY SPENCE
Above: Nicky Spence singing the role of Tichon in Janáček’s Kat’ya Kabanova at Seattle Opera Photo: Philip Newton (photo taken prior to the COVID-19 lockdown)
22
² LW VHHPV DV WKRXJK VRFLHW\ GRHV QRW YDOXH WKH DPRXQW RI HͿRUW ZH SXW LQWR KRQLQJ RXU FUDIW IRU WKH DXGLHQFHV ZKLFK EULQJ D ORW RI DUWLVWLF ZRUWK DQG ÀQDQFLDO EHQHÀW WR WKH HFRQRP\ · 6SHQFH LV RSWLPLVWLF E\ QDWXUH KRZHYHU DQG LW ZDV QRW ORQJ EHIRUH KH KDG VFUHZHG WKH OLG EDFN RQ WKH JLQ ERWWOH RQ ZHHN QLJKWV DW OHDVW DQG VWDUWHG WR ORRN RQ WKH EULJKW VLGH RI WKH ORFNGRZQ FKDOOHQJH ,W KDV JLYHQ KLP PRUH WLPH KH DGPLWV WR IRFXV RQ SUHSDUDWLRQV IRU KLV ZHGGLQJ WR SLDQLVW '\ODQ 3HUH] HDUO\ QH[W \HDU DW 'UXPWRFKW\ &DVWOH LQ $EHUGHHQVKLUH ¶,·P VR OXFN\ WR EH ORFNHG GRZQ ZLWK VXFK D ORYHO\
SHUVRQ DQG ZH·UH DOUHDG\ EXV\ ZLWK WKH KRW JOXH JXQ PDNLQJ WDUWDQ ERXWRQQLqUHV IRU WKH JXHVWV· UHDGLQJ DQG JDUGHQLQJ ² ERWK RXWGRRUV DQG LQGRRUV LQ WKHLU KRPH LQ 6RXWK (DVW /RQGRQ DV ZDV REYLRXV IURP WKH KHDOWK\ ORRNLQJ KRXVH SODQWV LQ WKH EDFNJURXQG DV ZH FKDWWHG RQ =RRP ¶,·P XVHG WR KXVWOLQJ DQG OHDUQLQJ PXVLF DOO WKH WLPH ² , ZDV VLJQHG E\ 'HFFD ZKHQ , ZDV YHU\ \RXQJ DQG , KDYHQ·W UHDOO\ VWRSSHG ZRUNLQJ VLQFH ,W KDV EHHQ TXLWH QLFH WR EH DEOH WR WDNH P\ IRRW RͿ WKH JDV DQG GLVFRYHU ZKHWKHU ZH DOO VWLOO KDYH OLNHDEOH SHUVRQDOLWLHV EH\RQG WKH FRQFHUW SODWIRUP · KH VD\V
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NICKY SPENCE
œ,¡YH DOVR EHHQ GLYHUVLI\LQJ P\ PXVLFDO SURMHFWV DQG ,¡P QRZ UHDOO\ EXV\ ZLWK PHQWRULQJ WHDFKLQJ VRQJ FODVVHV DQG GLVWDQFHG SHUIRUPDQFHV VXFK DV D )DFHERRN OLYH HYHQW IRU (QJOLVK 1DWLRQDO 2SHUD DQG D /RQJ'LVWDQFH/LHGHU UHFLWDO ZLWK 5RJHU 9LJQROHV RQ 7ZLWWHU , OLNH WKH ZD\ WKDW SHRSOH KDYH EHHQ FRQQHFWLQJ ZLWK RQH DQRWKHU LQ VR PDQ\ GLͿHUHQW ZD\V DFURVV WKH ZRUOG WKURXJK RQOLQH SHUIRUPDQFHV ,W¡V YHU\ GLͿHUHQW IURP WKH WUDGLWLRQDO FRQFHUW RU RSHUDWLF VWDJH EXW WKLQJV DUH JDLQHG DV ZHOO DV EHLQJ ORVW ¡ 6SHQFH LV LQYROYHG ZLWK VHYHUDO FKDULWDEOH SURMHFWV DQG LV UHOLVKLQJ EHLQJ DEOH WR JLYH WKHP PRUH WLPH +H LV SDWURQ RI %ODFNKHDWK +DOOV &RPPXQLW\ 2SHUD DQG KRVWHG D YLUWXDO RSHUD JDOD IRU WKHP LQ 0D\ œ:H¡UH KHOSLQJ WKH FRPPXQLW\ FKRUXV WR OHDUQ WKLQJV OLNH WKH 7H 'HXP IURP Tosca – LW¡V UHDOO\ LPSRUWDQW IRU WKHP WR FRQWLQXH WR KDYH D GLJLWDO SODWIRUP IRU VRFLDOLVLQJ DQG OHDUQLQJ ¡
+H LV DOVR DQ DPEDVVDGRU IRU +HOS 0XVLFLDQV 8. DQG UHFHQWO\ MRLQHG WKH %RDUG RI WKH ,60 œ, KRSH , FDQ EULQJ HQHUJ\ DQG HQWKXVLDVP WR WKH UROH VKDUH P\ NQRZOHGJH RI WKH ZRUNLQJ FRQGLWLRQV WKDW RSHUD VLQJHUV H[SHULHQFH DQG EH D JRRG SRVLWLYH VSRNHVSHUVRQ ,¡P YHU\ NHHQ WR KHOS VXSSRUW \RXQJHU SHUIRUPHUV JLYH WKHP WKH EHQHÀW RI ZKDW ,¡YH OHDUQHG DQG KHOS WR PDNH WKHP PRUH UHVLOLHQW IRU RXU HYHU FKDQJLQJ SURIHVVLRQ¡ œ, WKLQN WKH ,60 LV GRLQJ D IDQWDVWLF MRE DW UHSUHVHQWLQJ PXVLFLDQV GXULQJ WKLV GL΀FXOW WLPH , UHDOO\ WKLQN ZLWK +HOS 0XVLFLDQV 8. WKH\ DUH OHDGLQJ WKH ZD\ LQ RͿHULQJ GRZQ WR HDUWK ÀQDQFLDO DQG KROLVWLF VXSSRUW ZKLFK LV PDNLQJ D UHDO SDOSDEOH GLͿHUHQFH GXULQJ WKH FULVLV ¡ nickyspence.com
Recommend a friend and save up to ÂŁ20 Know a friend or colleague who would beneďŹ t from ISM membership? We’ll give you money off your next year’s membership fee every time someone you recommend joins us at the full or early career rate – ÂŁ20 off if you are a full rate member, or ÂŁ10 off if you are an early career rate member. If they join at the full rate, we’ll give them ÂŁ10 off their membership fee too.
Send the name and email address of the friend(s) you are recommending to membership@ism.org Ask your friend to quote the code FULLREC if they are joining us at the full rate or EARLYREC if they are joining at the early career rate. Please note: the number of rewards you can redeem is limited to the value of your subscription upon renewal Find out more at ism.org/recommend
Play: A psychological toolkit for optimal music performance ISM members receive 20% off when they purchase pioneering toolkit Play from the ISM Trust website. The toolkit is available as an eBook priced at just ÂŁ4 for members (usually ÂŁ5) or a limited edition printed book priced at ÂŁ8 (usually ÂŁ10). Sample chapters are also available for free on the website.
The ISM podcast series The ISM podcast explores the issues music professionals face in the world today with high proďŹ le guest speakers from across the music sector.
Play: A psychological toolkit for optimal music performance is a groundbreaking guide by Gregory Daubney, CPsychol, MSc and Dr Alison Daubney. Play is packed with approachable practical strategies to help musicians of all ages manage performance anxiety and overcome common psychological obstacles.
Our latest episode is a discussion with music teacher Pippa Reid-Foster about her experience of transitioning to online teaching as a result of COVID-19. Other recent episodes tackle the dual threats of COVID-19 and Brexit facing the music industry with researcher Dr Naomi Bath, and the gender gap in music with consultant Vick Bain.
ismtrust.org/play
ism.org/podcast
23
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | COMMISSIONING WOMEN COMPOSERS
Commissioning women composers Baritone, Dr Jeremy Huw Williams, the ISM’s immediate Past-President, discusses his love of commissioning and recording new music, and his newest CD, Women’s Voices
Above: Dr Jeremy Huw Williams Photo: Raphaëlle Photography
Clockwise from top: Eleanor Alberga Photo: Benjamin Ealovega Cecilia McDowall Photo: Andrew McDowall Nicola LeFanu Photo: Michael Salander
0\ ORYH RI QHZ PXVLF EHJDQ DV D WHHQDJHU , YLYLGO\ UHPHPEHU WKH H[FLWHPHQW RI WDNLQJ SDUW DW WKH DJH RI DV D PHPEHU RI WKH ORFDO FRXQW\ \RXWK FKRLU LQ WKH ÀUVW SHUIRUPDQFH DQG SUHPLHUH FRPPHUFLDO UHFRUGLQJ RI 7KH %HOOV RI 3DUDGLVH 2S E\ WKH SUH HPLQHQW :HOVK FRPSRVHU $OXQ +RGGLQRWW 7KH WKULOO DQG SULYLOHJH WKDW , IHOW DW SDUWLFLSDWLQJ LQ D FUHDWLRQ DW WKLV OHYHO ZLWK IXOO RUFKHVWUD ZDV DQ H[KLODUDWLQJ H[SHULHQFH OHDYLQJ D ODVWLQJ LPSUHVVLRQ RQ PH DV , ODWHU HPEDUNHG RQ D FDUHHU DV D SURIHVVLRQDO VLQJHU $V D &KRUDO 6FKRODU DW 6W -RKQ·V &ROOHJH &DPEULGJH XQGHU *HRUJH *XHVW PDQ\ SUHPLHUHV EURXJKW PH LQWR FORVH FRQWDFW ZLWK D JUHDW QXPEHU RI ZHOO NQRZQ FRPSRVHUV LQFOXGLQJ P\ SHHUV DW &DPEULGJH 7KRPDV $GqV -XOLDQ $QGHUVRQ -XOLDQ 3KLOOLSV DQG (GZDUG 'XGOH\ +XJKHV DPRQJ PDQ\ RWKHU WDOHQWHG FRPSRVHUV
$OEHUJD LQ 1LFROD /H)DQX LQ DQG DQG +LODU\ 7DQQ LQ ,Q , UHFRUGHG ÀYH SURJUDPPHV RI *UDFH :LOOLDPV·V VRQJV IRU %%& 5DGLR FHOHEUDWLQJ WKH FHQWHQDU\ RI KHU ELUWK ZKLFK ZKHWWHG P\ DSSHWLWH IRU UHFRUGLQJ D FRPSOHWH &' RI KHU VRQJV VKH ZURWH PRUH WKDQ VRQJV WR FRPPLVVLRQ ,Q , DSSURDFKHG 2GDOLQH GH OD 0DUWLQH] ZLWK WKH LGHD DQG VKH DFFHSWHG P\ SURSRVDO /RUHOW UHOHDVHG WKH &' LQ
:KLOH , FRPPLVVLRQ FRPSRVHUV LUUHVSHFWLYH RI JHQGHU &HFLOLD 0F'RZDOO ZDV WKH ÀUVW ZRPDQ ZKRP , FRPPLVVLRQHG LQ DQG 6KH ZDV IROORZHG E\ %DUEDUD -D]ZLQVNL LQ (OHDQRU
The Boatswain’s Mate LQ 7KLV \HDU , FRPPLVVLRQHG /H)DQX WR ZULWH Triptych for baritone and chamber RUFKHVWUD 7KH ZRUOG SUHPLHUH LV VFKHGXOHG WR WDNH SODFH LQ
, XVXDOO\ JLYH IUHH UHLQ WR FRPSRVHUV WR FKRRVH WH[WV WKDW LQVSLUH WKHP ZLWK FHUWDLQ H[FHSWLRQV VXFK DV 0F'RZDOO·V VRQJV ZKLFK ZHUH ZULWWHQ DW P\ UHTXHVW WR FHOHEUDWH WKH '\ODQ 7KRPDV &HQWHQDU\ LQ :KDW LV LQWHUHVWLQJ LV WKDW PRVW RI WKH ZRPHQ ZKRP , KDYH FRPPLVVLRQHG KDYH FKRVHQ HYRFDWLYH SRHPV E\ ZRPHQ SRHWV ,QGHHG $OEHUJD FKRVH SRHWU\ E\ *HRUJH (OLRW (PLO\ %URQWs DQG (OL]DEHWK %DUUHWW %URZQLQJ , EHJDQ FRPPLVVLRQLQJ PXVLF DW WKH DJH RI WKH ODWWHU OLNH WKH FRPSRVHU KDG JURZQ XS LQ YHQWXULQJ WR DVN +RGGLQRWW ZKR EHFDPH WKH VXEMHFW -DPDLFD HDFK HQFDSVXODWLQJ VRPH DVSHFWV RI WKH RI P\ 3K' IRU D QHZ SLHFH %HWZHHQ DQG KXPDQ VRXO·V SHUFHSWLRQV 2I WKH PHQ ZKRP , KDYH , FRPPLVVLRQHG KLP WLPHV LQ ZRUNV IRU EDULWRQH FRPPLVVLRQHG RQO\ D KDQGIXO FKRVH WR VHW SRHPV DQG SLDQR KDUS FKDPEHU HQVHPEOH FKDPEHU E\ ZRPHQ ZKLFK JLYHV RQH PXFK IRRG IRU WKRXJKW RUFKHVWUD DQG IXOO RUFKHVWUD DQG KDYH UHFRUGHG DOO 0\ UHODWLRQVKLS ZLWK GH OD 0DUWLQH] DQG RI WKHVH ZRUNV FRPPHUFLDOO\ ZLWK WKH H[FHSWLRQ RI /H)DQX EHJDQ VLPXOWDQHRXVO\ LQ ZKHQ , WKH ZRUN ZLWK IXOO RUFKHVWUD ZKLFK ZDV EURDGFDVW FUHDWHG WKH UROH RI 'RPHQLFR LQ /H)DQX·V VHYHQWK RQ %%& 5DGLR 6XFK LV P\ HQWKXVLDVP DQG RSHUD Dream Hunter ZKLFK ZDV FRQGXFWHG E\ FRPSXOVLRQ IRU SHUIRUPLQJ QHZ PXVLF WKDW , KDYH GH OD 0DUWLQH] ,Q , FUHDWHG WKH PDLQ UROH FRPPLVVLRQHG PRUH WKDQ ZRUNV GXULQJ WKH SDVW LQ /H)DQX·V HLJKWK RSHUD Tokaido Road , YHU\ PXFK WKUHH GHFDGHV PDLQO\ IURP %ULWLVK EDVHG FRPSRVHUV DGPLUH KHU O\ULFDO PXVLF , KDYH ZRUNHG RQ VHYHUDO , KDYH DOVR FRPPLVVLRQHG PDQ\ FRPSRVHUV LQ WKH RWKHU RSHUDV ZLWK GH OD 0DUWLQH] VLQFH WKDW WLPH 86$ &DQDGD ,QGLD &KLQD DQG -DSDQ ZKHUH , LQFOXGLQJ KHU RZQ RSHUD Imoinda LQ DQG D SHUIRUPHG WKHLU UHVSHFWLYH ZRUNV UHFRUGLQJ RI WKH WLWOH UROH RI (WKHO 6P\WK·V RSHUD
Continued overleaf È
25
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | COMMISSIONING WOMEN COMPOSERS
,Q , DSSURDFKHG /H)DQX DQG UHTXHVWHG WKDW KHU PRWKHU (OL]DEHWK 0DFRQFK\·V Four Shakespeare Songs EH UHFDVW IRU EDULWRQH VKH DJUHHG DQG &KHVWHU 0XVLF SXEOLVKHG WKH QHZ YHUVLRQ RI WKH VRQJV ZKLFK , SHUIRUPHG IRU WKH ÀUVW WLPH LQ $ODEDPD ODVW \HDU 7KLV FRQFHUW DOVR LQFOXGHG ZRUNV WKDW , KDG FRPPLVVLRQHG EHWZHHQ DQG E\ $OEHUJD /H)DQX 0F'RZDOO -D]ZLQVNL DQG 7DQQ 7KH SURJUDPPH ZRUNHG ZHOO , SHUIRUPHG LW HOVHZKHUH LQ WKH 86$ DQG DSSURDFKHG GH OD 0DUWLQH] ZKR KDSSLO\ OLNHG WKH LGHD RI UHFRUGLQJ LW Women’s Voices ZDV UHFRUGHG LQ $XJXVW DQG UHOHDVHG E\ /RUHOW LQ $SULO
Below: Jeremy Huw Williams & Caryl Hughes Photo: Greg Tresize (photo taken prior to the COVID-19 lockdown)
26
, KDYH UHFRUGHG &'V DV D VRORLVW DQG WKHUH DUH VHYHUDO PRUH LQ WKH SLSHOLQH ,Q $XJXVW , VKDOO EH UHFRUGLQJ D &' RI WKH VRQJV RI $UQROG %D[ LQ -DQXDU\ WKH VRQJV RI 5KLDQ 6DPXHO WKH GR\HQQH RI :HOVK FRPSRVHUV LQ $XJXVW WKH VRQJV RI $PHULFDQ FRPSRVHU %HWK :LHPDQQ DQG LQ 'HFHPEHU WKH YRFDO ZRUNV RI 3DUDP 9LU 7KH UHFRUGLQJ RI (WKHO 6P\WK·V The Boatswain’s Mate is on Restrospect Opera; My Last Duchess – The Songs of Grace Williams RQ /RUHOW DQG &HFLOLD 0F'RZDOO·V Theatre of Tango RQ 'XWWRQ (SRFK jeremyhuwwilliams.com
Women’s Voices, featuring music by Elizabeth Maconchy, Nicola Lefanu, Hilary Tann, Eleanor Alberga, Barbara Jazwinski and Cecilia McDowall performed by Jeremy Huw Williams (baritone), Paula Fan (piano), Yunah Lee (soprano), Lauren Rustad Roth (violin), Timothy Kantor (violin), Molly Gebrian (viola) and Theodore Buchholz (cello) is available for purchase as a CD or download from LORELT (Lontano Records Limited) catalogue number LNT143 lorelt.co.uk
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS
NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS We welcome your brief news (max. 150 words) and high res images. Please email mj@ism.org. The next deadline for copy is 3 August for the September/October issue.
Dr Hilary Bracefield 30/6/1938 – 22 /04/2020 ISM member since 1976
The musicologist Dr Hilary Bracefield, who has died with COVID-19 while suffering from cancer, was a longstanding member of the ISM who also served on the ISM Council for many years and was a knowledgeable and lively contributor to meetings and conferences. Born in Dunedin, New Zealand, Bracefield studied at Otago University, moving to the UK to undertake research at Birmingham University. She taught part-time at Worcester College of Education before taking up a post in 1976 at Ulster Polytechnic (now Ulster University), where she was Head of Music 1988–2003 and earned a reputation as a brilliant supervisor and inspiring teacher. ‘Hilary was a force to be reckoned with as Head of Music at Ulster University, Jordanstown,’ writes her former student Majella Hollywood, now chief executive of Chamber Choir Ireland. ‘Ever present at all music department events, she ran a tight ship and was a close ally of students in her charge, always approachable and on our side. Her enthusiasm for new music was evident and instilled in us by
way of opportunities to experience some incredible contemporary music performances.’
Sonja Grossner
Bracefield was instrumental in setting up the Sonorities festival of contemporary music in Belfast, and for two decades was joint editor of the ground-breaking journal of contemporary music, Contact. She was vice-president of the Royal Musical Association 2004-11 and founded an Irish chapter of the association, which later became the Society for Musicology in Ireland (SMI). In a tribute on the SMI website, Professor Piers Hellawell wrote: ‘No one who saw Hilary playing John Cage on a toy piano can forget it. Her Mushroom Group was a forerunner of today’s CoMA Ensembles, involving students in the playing of Riley’s In C and numerous other works in the experimental tradition. Today’s vigorous new music scene in Northern Ireland includes leading lights – promoters, ensemble directors and composers – who owe to Hilary their introduction to new music.’
ISM member since 1986
She served on the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the Belfast Music Society and the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment and contributed greatly to the Open University in Northern Ireland, which recognised her work with the award of an honorary MUniv in 1999.
14/12/1942 – 12/04/2020
A tribute by her friend Duncan Honeybourne
Sonja Grossner, who died on 12 April aged 77, was a prolific composer whose output included six string quartets, two symphonies, several piano sonatas, chamber music, songs, and a ballet, The Little Match Girl. Her music is gritty and powerful, angular and lyrical by turns. Destiny and From Dark to Light were recorded by the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra during the Vienna Modern Masters Festival, and Grossner’s music has been performed frequently in Germany, France, Ireland and the Czech Republic as well as in the UK. Her works have been premiered by major artists including the Vellinger Quartet and the BBC Singers. Born in Maidenhead in 1942 to German émigré parents, Sonja moved to East Germany in 1960 and studied violin and composition at the Carl Maria von Weber Hochschule in Dresden. She worked as a violinist in the Freiberg State Theatre Orchestra and the Dresden Operetta Theatre, returning to Britain in 1984 and gaining MA and PhD degrees in composition. Continued overleaf È
27
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS
New music from Ian Higginson A composer, conductor, organist and music teacher from Gloucestershire, Ian Higginson is Organist and Director of Music at the University of Gloucestershire, organist and piano tutor at St Edward’s School, Cheltenham and Sir William Romney’s School, Tetbury, and conductor of Jubilate Chamber Choir, Cheltenham and Cirencester Philharmonia. As a composer, Ian’s large compositional output has been highly acclaimed in the UK and USA. Publishers include Boosey & Hawkes, ABRSM Publishing, Trinity Publishing, RSCM, Lorenz, St James Music Press and Parish Publications.
Above: Susan Heaton-Wright
Right: Ian Higginson
Susan Heaton-Wright named as inspiring female entrepreneur ISM Fellow Susan Heaton-Wright has been named a top 100 inspirational female Entrepreneur in the #ialso100 for 2020. Susan is the MD of award-winning company Viva Live Music, organising live musical entertainment in UK and Europe for corporate clients; she also empowers individuals and teams to create impactful performances in business conversations with Superstar Communicator with a number of high profile corporates. Susan was recognised for her volunteer and fundraising activities: she is a former trustee of the MidHerts Music Centre; has fundraised for the Cinnamon Trust and Aspire, and annually volunteers in Athens, supporting NGOs with music-related workshops for the refugees. Susan said: ‘I was truly honoured to be nominated and listed by one of my clients. I hope this highlights the power of music, and how skills acquired through participating in musical activities are essential for everyone’. vivalivemusic.com
28
Some works have also been selected for music examination boards. Highlights include performances of Ian’s Christmas music at the RLPO and CBSO carol concerts. ‘ … A composer not afraid to write a simple unaffected melody … expertly crafted … imaginative...’ John Rutter Parish Publications will soon publish an album of Ian’s works for organ entitled Organ Sound Colours (Volume 1), a collection of contrasting music which is available from RSCM Music Direct; plus Lorenz Corporation
USA have recently published his A Cotswold Collection for organ. Ian is delighted to accept commissions – for further information, e-mail him at parish2@blueyonder.co.uk
90th birthday greetings to Betty Roe Betty Roe MBE, one of Britain’s finest composers of English song, celebrates her 90th birthday in July 2020. Born in 1930, Betty began writing music early in her teenage years when, during the 1939-45 war, she found herself helping out at the local church with the choir practices. Very soon she had her own boys’ choir and was forever searching for appropriate music for them to sing. She later won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music Junior Department, which enabled her to have lessons for free at the Royal Academy of Music every Saturday morning. She later attended the Royal Academy again as a senior student. Betty’s musical career has seen her compose over 200 works including operas, solo songs, choral music or musicals, and entertainments for children. You can read our ‘Ask me a Question’ with Betty from ISM Music Journal March/April 2015 at ism.org/features.
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS
Right: Youth Music Centre (photo taken prior to the COVID-19 lockdown)
facebook.com/theharpchannel/ videos/670968317021887/?vh=e Sioned has enjoyed making new friends on the doorstep while performing mostly lighter music, folk songs … and some Bach and John Thomas, for the NHS on Thursday evenings.
Online voice care with Dr Jenevora Williams
Youth Music Centre transforms itself into an online music school
Term is in full flow, but anyone who would like to try out the many classes can still contact Marina Solarek via the website.
The long-standing Saturday morning Youth Music Centre in North London, originally founded by the legendary Emanuel and Kay Hurwitz, has decided not to be disheartened by the coronavirus lockdown and is running its full timetable live online every Saturday morning on the Zoom platform. Artistic director Nigel Goldberg says: ‘To tackle the technical problem of latency in musicmaking online, many classes such as orchestras and ensembles had to be restructured. With the spirit, energy and hard work of all staff at YMC the orchestras and chamber music classes have modified into classes on music appreciation, involving PowerPoint presentations, lessons in bowing technique, tuning and performance sessions. Other classes like Choir, Voice, Aural, Theory, Instrumental beginner and Junior Musicianship for toddlers are all up and running at their usual times on a Saturday morning. Teachers send “invitations” to parents to log on and the class is up and away. The timetable runs like clockwork under the watchful eye of our busy administrator, Marina Solarek who brilliantly manages everything in the background, solving any technical problems arising during a YMC morning. Under the motto “the show must go on” YMC is determined to carry on the musical education and community of its young musicians.’
youthmusiccentre.uk
Sioned Williams: This strange year so far! The launch of Dwylo Dethol, a harp duo of Sioned Williams and Anne Denholm, on 10 January at the RAM, explored the duos for two harps by John Thomas, with a script based on Sioned’s work as Research Fellow at the RAM. Introduced by Diana Hughes, great-grand daughter of John Thomas, the event was full to capacity and received some wonderful comments. Also in January Sioned performed the rarely heard Lyra Angelica by William Alwyn with the Oare String Orchestra in Kent, conducted by Peter Aviss. In March, Sioned adjudicated and gave a ‘tips and hints’ class to younger harpists (kindly sponsored by Pilgrim Harps) and performed ‘A spiral of discovery and adventure’ at the Norfolk County Music Festival.
Dr Jenevora Williams is now able to offer Singing Voice Rehabilitation for you at home with an online service. If you need a complete package of holistic care, do apply through the Voice Care Centre. It is the largest private multidisciplinary centre for voice in the UK, named Healthcare Provider and Social Enterprise of 2019 at the Industry Minds Awards. The Voice Care Centre now offers: Pain Free Vocal Massage, Speech Therapy, Performance Mindset Coaching, Vocal Osteopathy, Vocal Coaching and BAPAM-registered Vocal Rehabilitation for complete vocal wellbeing experience. The centre also has private links to top voice surgeons for immediate referral, and a performance specialist psychotherapist should mental health issues need immediate attention. All of our services can now be accessed AT HOME in your living room with our tailor-made ONLINE services. This means that immediate and powerful interventions can happen without the need to leave your home. voicecarecentre.co.uk
During lockdown, Sioned continues to research, and to review CDs and written music. She was interviewed live for an hour by Jana Boušková at the 1st Worldwide Online Harp Congress on The Harp Channel on 3 May. facebook.com/theharpchannel/ videos/232342898018084/ She was also shown performing the European premiere of Paul Patterson’s Spiders at the World Harp Congress in Vienna, 1987. Continued overleaf È
29
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS
Scores from Robert’s vast catalogue of compositions are still being added to Sheet Music Plus. Musicians finding the coronavirus restrictions a struggle may enjoy downloading and learning one of the dozens of instrumental solos, piano pieces, and chamber and choral works now available. Further details about all Robert’s compositions can be found on his website, roberthowardmusic.co.uk
Enjoy a flute retreat in Spain this summer International flautist Alexandra Bass is running a very special retreat for female players this summer at Molino del Rey, Spain, combining music and yoga. ‘The Magic of the Breath’ will run 17–23 August and features masterclasses by guest artist Atarah Ben-Tovim MBE.
Above: Music Playtime (photo taken prior to the COVID-19 lockdown)
Music Playtime goes online Music Playtime, the new, topic-based music resource for EYFS and KS1, is now online! Music Playtime was commissioned from Sandy Holland by the Lancashire Music Service and includes over 100 teaching demo videos. Local children and teachers were actively involved throughout the project, which covers all the elements of music in playing, singing, movement, listening, creativity, relating sounds to symbols and crosscurricular activities. The reviews are outstanding: ‘… an excellent resource for teachers working with Nursery or Key Stage 1 children ... ‘ Richard Crozier ‘… an outstanding education resource where the love of music is at its very essence ... ‘ Karen Marshall Subscribe here: music-playtime.com
30
Composer makes the most of lockdown Dr Robert Howard’s compositions continue to find a way of being heard, even in these unusual times. The Liverpool Cathedral-based community choir Liverpool64 sang Robert’s moving 2017 anthem Alleluia in early April. Singers rehearsed together online and recorded their individual performances at home, before director Stephen Mannings edited the final piece – a great technological accomplishment as well as a musical one. The recording was used again by Prescot Parish Church for their Easter Day service, published to both Facebook and their website, prescotparish.org.uk. Tenor David Kernick had planned to give the premiere of Robert’s God So Loved the World on Good Friday. Circumstances delayed the performance, but David nevertheless was able to introduce Prescot Parish Church Choir to the beautiful new setting as part of an online tutorial.
Alexandra writes: ‘You can awaken your true authentic self in a safe and calm place, where the support and conditions make it possible to gain clarity, self-confidence, knowledge and fulfilment, whilst exploring your creativity and musicianship and experiencing life in the moment. Empower yourself and take your flute playing to the next level, in a caring, friendly, compassionate and noncompetitive atmosphere. All levels are welcome! ‘The luxury yoga centre is set over several terraces amongst orange groves, in the spectacular nature reserve of Andalusia’s Sierra de las Nieves, only 50 minutes from Malaga airport and 38kms from the magical city of Ronda. Social distancing measures will of course be in place if still required.’ Further details and booking through Trybooking can be found at alibasmusic.com
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS
You just need a quiet space, comfortable clothing, access to the internet, a digital device, a glass of water and headphones for a better experience Do you want to feel more calm of sound. Each session is 60 minutes and focused? long including a 15-minute final sound Composer, pianist, special needs music meditation, humming practice and teacher and film-maker Sergio Lopea social chat or feedback. All the music Figueroa (aka ‘The Humming Man’) is used in the training and meditations offering HUM at HOME, a free online is originally composed by Figueroa. mindfulness training and introduction The project runs as a 10-day cycle with to Polyhum, a new practice of social a pause in between. ‘The feedback and creative mindfulness he has been I am getting is great,’ says Sergio, ‘but developing over the last five years. I would like to make more people aware
Hum at Home with Sergio Lopea Figueroa
of the opportunity.’ More information on the HUM at HOME website humathome.co.uk
MEMBER COMMENTS Hi there ISM – just a quick one to say how impressed I have been with the info and support you have offered so far in relation to COVID-19. So many queries on so many different issues and every time they’ve arisen I’ve found exactly the info I needed that day in an email or update from you. I’ve always felt membership was expensive but now I see the true value of what you offer – what a fantastic team. Thank you for your support and the obvious hard work you are putting in to helping us all through this difficult time.
Like many, as a result of the pandemic I have been unable to work as usual (I’m a Classical Guitar teacher). I was asked to teach some of my pupils online and despite this being quite a new way of teaching for me I have got on very well indeed and have appreciated the helpful articles that the ISM has published.
ISM Member since 2017
Thank you for all your hard work and help and the support you are giving us.
Thank you very much for this webinar, it was very informative and helpful indeed.
Dr Ikuko Inoguchi Member since 2016
Member since 1998 This is very kind, thank you for your help. I do find ISM newsletters very helpful.
Mr William Morris FISM Member since 1992
Thank you for your webinar, which was authoritative, energetic and full of material information. David Morris Member since 2018 Thank you again for such an informative webinar, I really enjoyed it and it feels good to have professional support from the ISM Miss Vivienne Farris MISM Member since 2017 Thank you for the webinar on the issues of the self employed grants from HMRC. It was very helpful and covered so much ground Ms Luise Horrocks MISM Member since 2015
OBITUARIES We are sorry to announce the deaths of the following members: Hilary M Bracefield of Newtownabbey
Andrew Clark of Wakefield
Dr Mary Remnant of London
Orience E Burton of Warminster
Tony Douglas MBE of London
Stephanie M Vale of Droitwich
Neil Butterworth of Greenlaw
Sonja Grossner of Loughborough
David Ward of Rickmansworth
Fiona Cameron of East Preston
Bernard Hall-Mancey of Bromsgrove
John Caudwell of Chatham
Angela Morse-Glover of Redhill
31
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020
Classified advertising HOW TO BOOK: please send advertisement copy with payment (cheques payable to the ‘Incorporated Society of Musicians’ or T: 020 7221 3499 with credit card details) to the ISM, 4–5 Inverness Mews, London W2 3JQ or email mj@ism.org Copy date by 3 August for the September/October issue. PRIVATE AND TRADE 50p per word, minimum £5. Advertisements from ISM members are half-price (i.e. 25p per word, minimum £2.50). Name, address and contact details must be paid for if included. Box numbers £2 extra. Prices include VAT. A series of six or more identical insertions qualifies for 10% discount.
FRENCH HORNS, Several from £150 01747 828552
DOUBLE BASS PAESOLD concert model 590. Excellent condition cost £3k plus in 1997, £895 ONO 01747 828552
VARIOUS BRASS, WOODWIND & STRINGED instruments for sale and/or rental. Tel: MUSIC COPYING SERVICE. Quality printed 07974 412269 music produced at reasonable prices. For further details contact David Turner, STUDENT CELLOS, mostly German, various computer based music copyist, at sizes, from £100. Tel. 07974 412269 23 Overbrook, Hythe, Southampton SO45 5BE, Tel: 02380 848146, BASSOONS several. 07974 412269 email: dfturner@waitrose.com SPINNETT WITTMAYER (German) 4 octaves, C-D, light walnut. VGC needs tuning, hence £395 for a quick sale. Tel 07974 412269
ISM early career membership – just £50 In response to the increased financial difficulties faced by those at the start of their careers, any musician with fewer than 10 years’ professional experience can now join the ISM for just £50 a year.
If you know someone at the start of their career who would benefit from the expert advice and support of the ISM, why not recommend us to them? You could save up to £20 on your membership fee. Find out more at ism.org/recommend
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NEWS FROM OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS
NEWS FROM OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS We welcome your brief news (max. 150 words for platinum and gold members, max. 100 words for silver members) and good photographs. Please email mj@ism.org. The next deadline for copy is 3 August for the September/October issue.
live music once more, it will always be handy to have these alternative skills tucked up our sleeves. For advice, send an email to contact@ impulse-music.co.uk or call Geraldine or Sarah on 01760 441448.
Birmingham City University
Above: Impulse Music Consultants
Impulse Music Consultants
Right: Bristol Plays Music (photo taken prior to the COVID-19 lockdown)
As lockdown progressed through the months of March, April and May, we witnessed an outpouring of unstoppable creativity from individual musicians, ensembles, choirs and orchestras. Performances were given in front gardens and from balconies. Advice on online teaching inspired musicians to continue to pass on their skills. The split screen, multi-performer videos hit our screens, as never before – all demonstrating the passion with which we engage with our art.
Right: Lowkey at The Glee Club Birmingham April 2019 Photo: Wayne Fox Photography (photo taken prior to the COVID-19 lockdown)
The Birmingham live music venue map Researchers from three UK universities can be accessed and contributions have launched an interactive live made to it here livemusicresearch. music venue map and database for online/blmp/ the city of Birmingham, to help track the impact of global music trends Bristol Plays Music and international events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the UK’s exit from the European Union. The vital new resource has been developed by the Birmingham Live Music Project (BLMP) team, made up of academics from Aston University, Birmingham City University and Newcastle University, and features around 200 music venues with B-postcodes, ranging from the 15,800 capacity Utilita Arena to the tiny Lamp Tavern, home to the Black Diamond Folk Club.
At Impulse, we scurried to learn the basics of home-recording, both audio and video, using USB mic and freely available computer programmes and sitting through helpful livestreamed demos. (See youtube.com/ watch?v=p8sccRn3Jas for the video pictured above.) Music workers and fans from across the city are now being invited to We are more than happy to provide contribute recommendations for advice on how to get started with current venues to be included on hardware, software, recording the map to ensure the database is techniques, editing, synchronization and distribution via a YouTube channel. comprehensive, in order to accurately track socio-economic, political and More than at any other time, this geographical changes in Birmingham’s global episode has catapulted us into live music industry over the coming a greater degree of self-sufficiency, months and years. and although we long to return to sitting down next to others to make
In October 2019, BLMP published a report which said that a significant drop in music tourism and an exodus of firms vital to the local infrastructure were amongst a number of Brexit-related concerns voiced by policymakers, academics, industry figures, and media representatives.
Bristol Plays Music, the city’s awardwinning music hub, has responded to the closure of schools and need for lockdown learning by creating a Virtual Academy, providing existing and new music students with individual music lessons. The new Virtual Academy is an online music lesson programme, covering most instruments for children and young people currently learning at all levels, aged 7-18. Bringing Bristol Plays Music tutors to homes via video calls, lessons will be 20 minutes long for primaryaged children or 30 minutes long for secondary-aged children, delivered individually online. The move enables children already learning with a Bristol Plays Music tutor, either in school or at one of its music centres, to be paired with their regular tutor and continue their Continued overleaf È
33
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NEWS FROM OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS
education from home, as well as inviting new pupils to start learning in lockdown. Bristol Plays Music is run by Bristol Music Trust, which also runs Colston Hall, and they have also announced that children of key workers or those financially impacted by the virus outbreak will be able to apply for free bursary places. For more information visit bristolplaysmusic.org/ virtual-academy
Society for Music Analysis Have standards of music literacy declined? Does this pose a threat to higher education courses? If so, how might a perceived gap be addressed? These are the questions that underpin the Music Literacy Project funded by the Society for Music Analysis (SMA), Questioning the Gap in Music Literacy: Defining a role for the SMA. Join us for an online study day on 15 July 2020, devoted to music literacy.
and ISM members are entitled to a further 30% off annual subscriptions (please visit mailchi. mp/informance/ism-memberoffers for more information on ISM member discounts). Please visit our courses and events page (practisingthepiano.com/ courses-events/) for further details on upcoming events.
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama is delighted to announce that Robert Plane, Principal Clarinet of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, is its new Head of Woodwind Performance. Robert, who has been a clarinet tutor at the College for the last 20 years, starts his new position in September. ‘It’s an honour to be able to continue and build on the superb work undertaken by my distinguished predecessors and to become such an integral part of the College’s dynamic leadership team,’ said Rob.
Further information about the study day and links to the surveys can be found on the SMA website sma.ac.uk/ Rob’s post will focus on nurturing RWCMD’s presence on the music-literacy-project/ or contact international stage in tandem with mcqueensma@gmail.com deepening the College’s relevance to its local communities and its roots Practising the Piano within Wales. Practising the Piano launches online ‘Collaboration and innovation must workshop and events programme. be at the heart of everything we do,’ Following on from successful pilot he said. ‘COVID-19 has highlighted events in April and May, Practising the just how creative, resourceful and Piano has developed an extensive programme of online events and workshops. Aimed at pianists and piano teachers, these include a series of Zoom sessions on piano technique and practising strategies based on Graham Fitch’s e-book series and online materials. Several free events have also been broadcast on Facebook live, including a ‘Practice Clinic’, a technique demonstration and a presentation on a popular work by Brahms. Videos from past events are available from our Facebook page and on our YouTube channel.
Right: Robert Plane
34
A 40% discount on all paid events is available to subscribers to the Practising the Piano Online Academy
adaptable the musicians of the future will need to be. Employability is everything, and I hope to instil a caring, supportive and demanding work ethic in the department. We’ll strive for the very highest standards and to fulfil each student’s potential across the whole spectrum of what it means to be a musician.’ During the current COVID-19 lockdown Rob has performed socially-distanced concerts to his street and on social media with his family and professional musician neighbours. The ‘Cardiff Street Orchestra’, which boasts four members of staff at RWCMD, has appeared on Radio 4’s Today programme and the BBC’s Britain’s Volunteer Army.
Collins Music Out Now! More Ukulele Magic Tutor Book 2 Continue your musical journey on the ukulele! Fully supported with audio performances and backings, this second book builds on the learning in Book 1 with new chords, scales, finger-picking patterns as well as opportunities for composing, improvising and ensemble playing. The teacher’s edition includes a downloadable whiteboard e-book with embedded audio and video demos, making it ideal for whole-class teaching.
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NEWS FROM OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS
in the field of music for helping individuals under pressure deliver their best. aotos.org.uk/events/diary/event/ autumn-2020/
Right: Linda Hirst
Vocal health: Advice for people experiencing voice difficulties following infection with COVID-19 is now available from the Voice Care section of our website.
britishvoiceassociation.org.uk Please stay safe and do consider Out Now! Get Set! Piano: becoming a member! The support for My First Piano Book singing teachers from our membership Music Mind Hub is proving to be a real tonic in the Music Mind Hub has just launched Get Set! Piano for your young technical world of online teaching! its online membership platform, to beginners! help musicians navigate the mental Do visit our website where you will My First Piano Book introduces young challenges of their career. We are find lots more information. children to the piano and musiccurrently adapting our offerings to making through fun activities, rhymes, aotos.org.uk develop a range of resources to help songs and pieces. with the COVID-19 crisis, around issues ranging from anxiety and depression My First Piano Pieces, Puzzles & to self-motivation and how to make Activities includes traditional and new income, deal with money worries or pieces, plus lots of additional activities both. In recognition of the financial to consolidate learning and offer an crisis and uncertainty facing many extra layer of fun. musicians at this time, we have Stay tuned! not only substantially lowered our member fees, but we are offering a Sign up to our newsletter at free 30-day trial. collins.co.uk/music and follow us on Twitter @CollinsMusicEd. More info and sign-up at: musicmindhub.org/
Association of Teachers Of Singing (AOTOS)
Steinberg
Moving forward with COVID -19 Aotos autumn conference
British Voice Association
1 November 2020 (either in person at St Paul’s Girls’ School or online with streaming capabilities). We have been working hard to set up events moving forward and we are delighted to announce that our Autumn Conference will be taking place whether online or in person on 1 November in London. The programme will be entitled ‘The Confident Performer’ and looks at all aspects of performance anxiety and how to overcome this. Our speakers include Leontine Hass, principal of Associated Studios London Performing Academy, Linda Hirst, Trinity-Laban and Gary Leboff, originally a sports psychology coach who has become renowned
The British Voice Association (BVA) needs a new Company Secretary. This highly varied position is responsible for ensuring the effective governance of the organisation. It necessitates a good understanding of a charity’s responsibilities and knowledge of the statutory and regulatory policies and procedures that underpin it. This voluntary position is ideally suited to someone with a relevant professional or educational background, or who has otherwise gained appropriate experience eg in another voluntary setting.
Steinberg recently released Dorico 3.5, introducing new iterations of its music notation software family with new features that expand its notational capabilities and make the workflow more customizable and streamlined. Building on the unique and groundbreaking features introduced last autumn, Dorico 3.5 brings greater power, greater refinement, and greater customization. Pitch before duration input, richer smarter VST Expression Maps, figured bass, and condensing for divisi, are some of the exciting, brand new features added on Dorico 3.5.
In addition, there are many more improvements included, such as expanded guitar notation, with support for vibrato bar dips, scoops, dives and bends, tapping, and Choice for Voice – new dates: hammer-on/pull-off, easier slur the BVA’s international three-day editing, smarter slur placement, conference will now take place on 3-5 improved collision avoidance, more September 2021 at Leeds College of flexible beaming, as well as many Music. See our website for all the latest refinements to the user interface. information (details below).
Continued overleaf È
35
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NEWS FROM OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS
Visit new.steinberg.net/dorico to download the new trial version of Dorico Pro or Dorico Elements and try all the exciting features now available in 3.5 for 30 days.
Making Music Making Music is proud to have launched our first ever Virtual Concert Series, which is being broadcast every fortnight up to September 2020 on our YouTube channel. Right: Angus Smith Photo: Eric Richmond
Right: Awards for Young Musicians Photo: Edward Webb
Our member groups may not be able to meet in person at the moment, but many have been busy meeting up and making music together online from their homes. We are bringing these online performances together and giving them a virtual platform so that audiences can experience and enjoy the wonderful variety of leisure-time music being created all across the UK.
The policy provides you with all the cover you need to ensure your instrument is protected but removes all the unnecessary extras you don’t need at this time, and is perfect for those looking to insure their instrument during the lockdown. Then as soon as the travel restrictions are removed, a member of the Lark Music team will contact you to review your policy cover and make the relevant amendments to ensure the correct cover is in place.
teachers are delivering exercises over the phone, or simply posting work to their students. Additional approaches include using the programme’s personal bursaries to purchase CD players for students, so teachers can record lessons onto a CD and deliver them by post. All these measures are aimed at meeting each young person’s musical needs to ensure that no matter what their circumstances, all are still able to access musical learning.
For further information or a quote, please call 020 3846 5251 or visit astonlark.com/larkmusic
Stainer & Bell are thrilled and honoured to announce the appointment of Angus Smith as their new Choral Ambassador, taking up a newly created role which at every level will deepen and enhance the company’s commitment to the choral community.
a-y-m.org.uk Lark Music understands that your instrument is your livelihood, so will Stainer & Bell ensure you are protected and that you have the flexibility to revise your policy Stainer & Bell appoints new Choral Ambassador. at any time.
Awards for Young Musicians Awards for Young Musicians ensuring equal access to digital music education. As music lessons are moved online due to the coronavirus pandemic, Awards for Young Musicians (AYM) has been working with Local Coordinators to help those young people on their Furthering Talent programme who may not have the technology or connectivity to access their lessons this way.
The concerts are free for anyone to view, and will remain available to watch after each premiere. Just tune in fortnightly to watch previous concerts: youtube.com/makingmusic and subscribe to catch future broadcasts. If you’re involved in a Making Music member group, you can find out how to submit a recording for your group at makingmusic.org.uk/ virtual-concerts AYM is collaborating with partners and teachers across the sector to come up with new ideas and creative approaches Lark Music launches Practising Only policy. to ensure equal access for all. In response to the coronavirus travel This includes purchasing phone restrictions, Lark Music has launched data packages for students without a Practising Only policy with tailored a broadband connection and partannual cover for stay-at-home funding a broadband connection musicians from £25. for others. Some Furthering Talent
Lark Music
36
As founder, manager and artistic programmer of the internationally regarded Orlando Consort, now in its fourth decade, Angus needs no introduction to choral singers, conductors, musicologists, nor indeed anyone touched by his vast contribution to our understanding of medieval and renaissance repertoire, as well as contemporary music, through the Orlando’s commissioning of numerous pieces from living composers. As artistic director in recent years of two major chamber music festivals, Sheffield’s Music in the Round and Music at Paxton in the Scottish Borders, he has extended his plethora of skills to bringing a broad range of repertoire to the wider community, a core principle of his professional life.
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NEWS FROM OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS
Get £10 off your membership fee Take the hassle out of renewing your membership by setting up an annual Direct Debit. Your membership will automatically renew every year and you won’t have to contact us unless you wish to cancel or change your payment method. If you are a full member, you will get £10 off your membership fee if you pay by annual Direct Debit. It’s quick and easy to set up Direct Debit payments with us. Simply login at ism.org/direct-debit, call us on 020 7221 3499 or email membership@ism.org
Make musical connections with Member Connect Have you set up your profile on Member Connect? This is a new online service for ISM members who wish to connect with other members of our community in a safe and secure way. You can search for other members using a wide range of options including location, musical profession, genre and instrument. Log in to update your profile at ism.org/member-connect
Do you know someone who needs our help? Visit our website to see how we help young instrumentalists like Iliana
Iliana©SCG Photography
Find out how you can support us in our work and make a donation to help us ‘Raise the Roof’ on our new home
Benslow Music Instrument Loan Scheme - lending instruments to young musicians since 1932
www.benslowmusic-ils.org 01462 420748 Registered Charity No 313755
37
ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2020 | NEWS FROM OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS
stainer.co.uk
We are very grateful to all our corporate members for their support.
PLATINUM CORPORATE MEMBERS
ABRSM
GOLD CORPORATE MEMBERS
Music Mind Hub
Benslow Music Instrument Loan Scheme Black Dress Code
Allianz Musical Insurance
Musicians Insurance Services
Duet Group
NMC Recordings
Classic FM Collins Music Henri Selmer Paris Impulse Music Consultants Len Rhodes Music
ESTA Education
Park Lane Group
London College of Music Examinations
Hal Leonard Europe Ltd
Portsmouth Music Hub
Music Mark
Insure4Music
Rocksteady Music School
Kawai
The Royal Central School Of Speech & Drama
Lark Music
The Royal Philharmonic Society
Leeds College of Music
Trinity College London
London College of Music
Victoria College Exams
Mark Allen Group
Yamaha Music Europe GmbH (UK)
Music Teachers’ Board National Preparatory School Orchestras Oxford University Press Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH Take it away The Academy of Music & Sound The Curious Piano Teachers The Piano Teachers’ Course UK Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Trybooking.com Tutti University of St Andrews VLT Legal Services Ltd
For further information about our different levels of corporate membership and a full list of 180 corporate members, visit ism.org.
WaterBear
Looking after your health Remember to take care of your health during the coronavirus pandemic. The ISM, ISM Members Fund and ISM Trust offer various services to help you with this. Health Assured: 24-hour confidential personal support and advice helpline Provided by the ISM Members Fund, members have access to a free 24-hour personal support and advice helpline where they can speak to professionally qualified counsellors on everything from bereavement and relationships to workrelated stress and mental health. If you need further support, up to six sessions of structured counselling can be arranged, free of charge.
Physiotherapy Provided by the ISM Members Fund, and in partnership with Physio Med, members have free access to advice and face-to-face treatment via the Physiotherapy Advice Line (PAL) where expert intervention for muscle and joint problems is available directly from a Senior Chartered Physiotherapist.
Counselling service Provided by the ISM Members Fund, members have access to the confidential service operated by Health Assured. The service includes telephone counselling, face-to-face counselling (up to six sessions) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
Webinars Provided by the ISM Trust, members have access to our range of free webinars that focus on your health, such as our health and wellbeing series of webinars, and individual webinars on topics like performance anxiety and hearing health.
Discounts Provided by ISM Discount + service, members have access to a range of health and wellbeing savings such as eye care, gym membership, private GP consultation and medical insurance.
Advice pages Provided by the ISM, members have access to a wide range of advice pages that focus on your health, including topics such as looking after your mental health during COVID-19, vocal health and how to keep a clear voice, and healthy playing.
ism.org
@ism_music
facebook.com/ISMusicians
@ism_music
incorporated-society-of-musicians
ism_music
Ask me a question Sara Minelli Flautist and flute teacher Tell us a little about yourself.
: Tom Sara Minelli. Photo
oyuki Tatematsu
I am an Italian flautist based in London. Although my repertoire is wide, my main expertise is in the contemporary classical repertoire. I have performed extensively and internationally as a soloist and have collaborated with many composers who have dedicated new works for flute to me. I have a nice and large group of flute students all around London. Who (or what) has most influenced you and your career? Meeting composers and working with them has been the thing that influenced me most. I have been privileged to collaborate with leading composers who have encouraged me to develop further my passion for and dedication to contemporary music. The need to be creative and to be myself, instead of copying others, has played a big part in my musical choices.
Sciarrino’s piece – included on the album – appeared in the list of the first ten top pieces of the composer’s entire discography on Spotify. Who is your all-time favourite artist and why?
This is difficult to answer as I am influenced by so much music: Baroque, Contemporary, Folk ... and I have an insane passion for Playing solo recitals at international iconic Heavy Metal bands! I think the work festivals and notable venues is something of Johann Sebastian Bach has inspired I am definitely proud of. generations of musicians who have My greatest achievement is my solo album lived after him, and not only classical New Resonances, released in July 2018 on performers and composers. the EMA Vinci label. The album represents What was the last CD/music download me as an interpreter. It contains music by composers I admire very much and includes that you purchased? important pieces by Brian Ferneyhough Japan: The Art of Shakuhachi. The and Salvatore Sciarrino and works written shakuhachi player is Katsuya Yokoyama. especially for me by Alessandro Solbiati, What are your plans for the future? Jonathan Cole, Matteo Giuliani and Alessandro Magini. The album received This interview is happening during the positive reviews and was mentioned in Coronavirus outbreak. It’s a difficult time important magazines such as Pan, the for the world and my home country is at the Journal of the British Flute Society, and moment the world’s most affected. It’s hard The Guardian. My performance of to think about the future, right now. What would you say is your greatest achievement to date?
ism.org
@ism_music
facebook.com/ISMusicians
@ism_music
But I have some projects in mind, while hoping that I will survive this difficult time. I would like to spread my passion for contemporary music even further. I would love to musically ‘infect’ people and musicians all around the world and create opportunities for musicians in the UK and Europe to keep working together, despite Brexit. I am working on planning new ideas which include new commissions and new duo and trio projects. Finally, what is your ISM membership to you? To me, ISM membership means support. A career in the music industry is a challenging one. There are so many difficulties that musicians face every day and it’s good to know that we’re not alone and that the ISM is there for us. The ISM offers support for so many things, from legal issues to insurance and counselling ... brilliant! saraminelliflute.com
incorporated-society-of-musicians
ism_music