Music

More than a quarter (26%) of live music shows scheduled for the first three months of 2022 have been cancelled.

New research from industry lobby group LIVE says a “perfect storm” of Covid and Brexit have damaged public confidence.

Fear of further restrictions was cited as one of the main reasons for cancellations.

Concerns remain over Brexit, with 90% believing it will negatively affect the industry once markets fully reopen.

44% of upcoming shows featuring international artists have been cancelled. 

LIVE CEO Greg Parmley welcomed restrictions on live music venues coming to an end, but said the industry still faces serious challenges.

“It will take a long time for us to recover from the worst period in history of the industry and the Government need to fully understand the challenges we face.”
 

Musical theatre students can now take exams across eight ABRSM grades.

Two new higher grades of Singing for Musical Theatre exams have launched and can be assessed in two formats; pre-recorded or live.

ABSRM says new repertories were designed to appeal to diverse tastes. Song lists across existing syllabuses have also been refreshed.

Academic Director Philippa Bunting says the courses are designed to "encourage the real-life musical skills that are needed to enhance rehearsals and performances alike".

Scotland will ease its Covid restrictions from Monday (January 24), removing limits on attendance at indoor events.

Nightclubs can reopen from the same date, coinciding with the end of social distancing requirements.

Scotland's Covid certifiaction scheme will be only be mandatory for entry to events of over 1,000 people. 

Organisers must check proof of vaccination or a negative lateral flow test for whichever is lower of 1,000 people or half an event's attendees. 

The Scottish Government says it stopped short of certifiaction checks at all venues because of the "significant fall" in Covid cases.

Theatres Trust Director Jon Morgan said the restrictions, announced before Christmas, had effectively shut down the majority of theatres in Scotland. 

"It will be a huge relief to theatres, artists and audiences that they will soon be able to reopen."

A new initiative aimed at increasing disabled representation in the music industry has launched in Bristol.

Founded by artist management company Harbourside, The Disability Empowerment Programme is looking to recruit a young music manager with a disability, long-term health condition or neurodiversity into a paid internship.

The programme follows research by Harbourside indicating half of disabled music workers don’t disclose their conditions.

Owner Ben Price hopes the new initiative will help change perceptions the music industry is an inaccessible place for disabled people to work.

"It won’t be a short journey, but the Disability Empowerment Programme will hopefully help to improve the number of disabled people working in the industry both on stage and behind the scenes."

A new partnership aims to grow options for music tuition in the South East of England. 

Brighton & Hove Music & Arts (BHMA), which manages the Create Music hub, has joined forces with East Sussex Music (ESM) to expand its online offering.

Create Music Director Peter Chivers said the partners will share resouces and skills to reach more learners.

BHMA Chief Executive Andrew Comben added: "As access to the arts becomes increasingly difficult for a lot of communities, offering affordable tuition in familiar locations or online is essential to keep young people engaged."

Young musicians will benefit from a new international exchange scheme at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) when it launches in September.

The Sir Elton John Global Exchange Programme, named for its benefactor, offers exchanges ranging from one week to a year in length at internationally renowned conservatoires.

Twelve schools including Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Renia Sofia School of Music in Madrid, Berlin's Hanns Eisler Academy, Sydney Conservatorium of Music and The Julliard School have confirmed exchanges thus far.

RAM Principal Jonathan Freeman-Attwood said the participating institutions have "long been friends" of the academy.

"What drives this latest programme is the need for music - indeed all the arts - to break down the kinds of boundaries and barriers which actively work against the open spirit of creative enquiry and collaboration between different countries."

Disappointment was "inevitable" when the English Touring Opera (ETO) diversified its orchestra, its management says.

The organisation has offered a belated response to criticism from the Musicians' Union (MU) over its decision to cut 13 of its long-contracted freelance musicians in September.

ETO says open auditions were held for the first time in many years because the orchestra was exclusively made up of people who played on previous seasons or were recommended by them.

"We also felt that this would help us to progress our ambitions in the fields of equality, diversity and inclusivity in the workplace," a statement released on Wednesday (December 8) reads.

44 musicians were auditioned out of 266 applicants and selections were "based solely on those musicians’ capabilities, on the grounds of excellence only".

"With so many high-quality players in the pool it was inevitable that some would be disappointed," ETO said.

It plans to repeat the process next summer: "In advance of that, we plan to consult widely with other performing companies, and relevant industry organisations, including the MU, so that we can provide further reassurance of equal and fair treatment."