Breaking into the Freelance World

Feature Interview with Helen Wilson

 In today’s world being a freelance musician is a job which comes with many challenges; as does any. I sat down with Helen Wilson, a freelance flute player in the UK, to find out what life is really like in the classical music industry, and her journey towards reaching success.

 While music colleges are producing new batches of graduates left, right and centre, it is difficult for a student to get noticed amongst the crowd. One student who did get noticed though is Helen Wilson, a flautist from North Yorkshire. Her studies at Chetham’s School of Music and Royal Northern College of Music have led Helen to participate in a variety of different projects, including being a finalist in BBC Young Musician of the Year and winning the RNCM Gold Medal Competition.

I asked Helen how these experiences have impacted her.

 “Experiencing all these opportunities and pressures at a young age have certainly prepared me for the professional world. Managing a busy education and throwing myself into situations has taught me qualities such as; organisation, preparation and confidence”.

I argue that being a professional musician you must be multifaceted and open to different genres; this will broaden your horizons and bring new opportunities. Helen’s response to my statement was; “Having knowledge of all forms of music certainly opens you up to a whole new world. For instance, jazz has been a passion of mine since I was a teenager. Although classical music is quite a broad genre, jazz takes me to another world. It has been a great experience playing in the Tempest trio [Helen’s jazz inspired Flute Trio] as we all feel a sense of freedom in our work”.

In my experience and that of my colleagues, students often feel that breaking into the fast-paced, competitive music industry is a very tall order, as we it is demanded that we are an all-round musician and know the ins and outs of the industry straight after graduating. In our interview, I asked Helen if there was any truth behind this and how she survived the initial years after graduation.

“I think because it is such a tough industry, performers have a lot of pressure to handle. But, there are elements of learning your trade on the job too. When I first graduated, I wanted to brand myself as a performer and teacher, so I established my own website and teaching business. A good teaching roster was an essential part of my income. Meanwhile, I prepared myself for auditions with any performance jobs I could find. Any experience of auditions was a useful opportunity to feel pressure and get my name out in the industry. I worked hard to be as versatile a player as possible. I sussed that my initial job would most likely be 2nd Piccolo in a Shostakovich Symphony or Alto flute in Stravinsky, therefore I ensured I knew these scores inside out and practiced those instruments regularly”.

 Freelance teaching seems to be one of the main jobs people go into once graduating. As mentioned by Helen, it brings in a steady income during term times, perfect for a recent graduate. Moreover, it can improve your musicianship as you assess your own playing to teach others. Helen’s teaching has taken her to top level institutions such as; Manchester University and Leeds College of Music. I asked, “What are your teaching goals and how do you benefit from teaching?”

“When teaching, I aim to make any little steps towards progress that I can with a student. It is important for them to see even the tiny improvements, and I argue it is vital for myself and the student to acknowledge progress. I receive great reward from my teaching, to see a student take an idea away from a lesson and develop it further is inspiring to me”.  

 Recently in the UK, the government have made budget cuts to music education. With The Economist (2018) reporting that barely one in 20 pupils took music GCSE last year. For a first-hand account I presented Helen with these statistics, asking what her thought were and if the cuts have had an impact on her teaching?

“Music funding cuts have had a huge impact across the board. Accessibility of lessons to disadvantaged communities is something I find heart-breaking. Fortunately, I haven’t seen my teaching suffer, but I know colleagues who are really struggling to teach in school settings because of these budget cuts. Working with professional players, I’m pretty sure there is not a single person who would be in the industry now if it wasn’t for the funding provided by grants, music service and schools, so I strongly argue that music education is just as important as any other subject”.     

Helen has celebrated a successful and varied performance career from very early on in her education, with accolades of scholarships and winning competitions across the UK and Europe. I asked her what advice she has for today’s young musicians breaking into the classical music industry.

“My advice would be to throw yourself in at the deep end while you’re still learning. Whether it’s putting an application in for a competition or an audition, just go for it! Practice smart develop a voice and have confidence in what you do”.    

*Publication outlet: BBC Music Magazine*

The Rite of Spring

‘The work of a mad man!’ –Puccini

Some critics say, The Rite of Spring has lost the shock factor it once had, competing with more thrilling works which have taken to the stage since its premiere in 1913. However, if well executed this piece certainly disturbs you to your core! 

Igor Stravinsky’s ballet brings to life his vision of ‘a solemn pagan rite: sage elders, seated in a circle watch a young girl; the chosen one, dance herself to death. The elders were sacrificing her to propitiate the god of spring’. This vision was inspired by paintings of pagan rituals and Russian folklore.

The work rose to fame after one of the most scandalous premieres of the 20^th Century, causing riots at the theatre in Paris. Perhaps caused by the shock of the intense rhythmic music, or the modern choreography by emerging dancer Vaslav Nijinsky.  

Upon witnessing the second performance of The Rite of Spring, Giacomo Puccini described it as ‘The work of a madman’. Opera North and Phoenix Dance Theatre’s new production certainly lives up to standard, as they present this intense performance.

A packed house gathered on Saturday night to hear the final Leeds performance of this masterpiece. As the house lights went down and the famous mesmerising bassoon solo started, the tension built, drawing the audience into the depths of the pit.    

The production was staged simply, with minimal lighting, plain white costumes and red/green painted hands. From the moment the curtain rose, it was clear this ballet was about two elements, Music and Dance. With nothing to distract the audience from the hypnotic relationship between Dancers and Orchestra.

The orchestra of 61 members, a savage beast, soon started to roar and shriek, encapsulating the theatre in sound. The restrictions of the size of the pit had players doubling, sometimes tripling instruments. However, this never hindered the quality of sound.  Meanwhile, the eight dancers were enthralled by the power of the score, visually representing this menacing pagan ritual.  

The final shocking shrills from the orchestra made the audience erupt in enthusiastic applause. This broke the extreme tension created by this wild ballet, allowing everyone a chance to catch their breath.

Opera North and Phoenix Dance Theatre have reenvisaged this ballet, to give audiences a chance to experience the original hype of that famed opening night. In doing so, they have brought this much loved, innovative and genius work to new heights. Overall, this is a must-see performance of Opera North’s 2018/19 season. As this production puts fire back into the belly of the beast that is The Rite of Spring.   

*See the next performances in Manchester (8th March),
Newcastle (16th March), Nottingham (22 March). Book online at  https://www.operanorth.co.uk/

More Diversity will lead us to better music

As society has changed over the years, the public have become more aware of diversity and how it is currently represented through the Arts, specifically the music industry’s diversity. My time as a classical music student at a conservatoire has opened my eyes to just how little diversity there is in music. Diversity in music college closely represents professional workplace statistics, with a 70:30 male to female students, BAME and Disabled students make up 17% and 21% respectively*.

  The general public’s consensus, according to a BBC interview, is one of appal that diversity is this poorly represented in 2019. Using classical music as an example, over the past few years, events held to champion diversity have been received with open arms and have triggered knock on effects. In my view, these events have been a long overdue and are the tip of the iceberg in addressing diversity properly.

 Regarding gender, I argue that equality in the workplace is essential! Women do not wish to be held on a pedestal, they desire the same opportunities, pay and value as any other counterpart in the industry. If this evokes some of you to scream out feminist, then so be it! A recent reaction to gender representation was when 22 female composers, among other female musicians were featured across the BBC Proms 2018, an international classical music festival. 

 Furthermore, people with disabilities are likely to be the most underrepresented group in music. I argue it is the responsibility of the boards of organisations to strive for diversity. Both, in the organisation and in their public interactions, these organisations will thrive. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra have taken initiative in reaching out and creating BSO Resound, an ensemble made up entirely of disabled musicians. Moreover, BSO Resound were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to perform at Proms 2018 and continue their work.

 In recent years, groups have started to rally to ensure BAME artists get the recognition they deserve. With projects like, Chineke! Foundation, who form ensembles for BAME artists. Also, English National Opera’s BAME Scholarships paving a bright future for minority artists. I argue the more ethnicity and background we welcome into the music industry can only lead to flourishing effects.

Overall, I strongly contend that diversity in music should be made as broad as possible. Although, the state of diversity is improving, there needs to be a liberation for these groups, which currently make up a minor but significant part of the industry. Whether it is race; gender, age, disability, sexuality, I argue that we should embrace people’s differences and support self-expression ultimately. I maintain it will lead to not only better music, but a better world.

*Arts Council and Leeds College of Music Diversity reports compared.

Diversity Dischord in the Music Industry

In recent years, there has been a rise in articles reporting the music industry’s imbalance of diversity. This article explores the current figures on diversity in the UK music industry and considers how specifically the classical music world has acted to improve these statistics.

 Recent research from organisations such as, Arts Council UK (Creative Case), show concerning statistics over diversity across the music industry. Some of the main concerns are how are women, BAME (Black, Asian, and minority ethnic) and disabled workers are being represented in the music industry today.

Womeninmusic.org report that women comprise only 30% of the music industry (2018). Furthermore, Music Business Worldwide findings present a 30+% pay gap in major music companies. The Performing Rights Society, a major player that influences music policy in the UK, have created an initiative called PRS Keychange Foundation. This is a European movement which aims for 50:50 representation by 2022. Their progress is apparent as many organisations are already signing up to join. Moreover, the media and events associations are also raising public awareness and taking a stand on this issue too. Examples include; BBC Proms 2018 Woman Composers Commissions and Royal Philharmonic Society’s Woman Conductors Scheme. Advances in equality such as these, have made improvements to the 2.3% of female composers works performed in classical music. They have also improved Arts Council statistics of female artistic directors rising from 28% to 46% in the last year.

Alongside the change in diversity of women in music, National Portfolio Organisations associated with the Arts Council show the BAME demographic has increased from 11% to 12% in the last two years (2017/18). In recent years, BAME issues have been given a greater platform within classical music, the work of Chineke! Foundation being a foremost example. In 2017, the Chineke Orchestra were given a global platform to highlight BAME artists at the Proms and continue their work in helping future BAME artists, with the Chineke Junior Orchestra. Furthermore, other institutions have launched schemes in support of BAME artists, such as English National Opera’s Chorus Fellowship. 

Disabled workers only make up 5% of the work force in the Arts (Arts Council). A variety of programmes have been launched such as; the Nationwide Disability Confident Scheme, allowing companies the freedom to educate staff and ensure equality in the work place. In 2018, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra established BSO Resound, which is an ensemble made up entirely of disabled musicians. Their aims are to push for a social model towards disability in the work place. They achieved this when they were given to opportunity to perform at the BBC Proms. BSO Resound has also paved the way for other organisations such as, Royal Northern Sinfonia to create similar projects.

Overall, statistics demonstrate that diversity in the classical music industry is improving, but significantly, even Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair of Arts Council England, admits that “Progress has been too slow”.