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A large-scale system of control
In 2013, The Guardian
published an article with the and exploitation
arresting headline: “Thom
Yorke calls Spotify ‘the last
desperate fart of a dying Through most of the lockdown my wife
and I turned away from all forms of
corpse’”. It was a gripping media. The news headlines didn’t seem
article that starkly laid out to change much initially and there has
the financial impact of been an ugliness on social media which I
streaming to artists. As of simply don’t understand.
October last year, Spotify
alone is worth $21 billion Amongst all these messy feelings and
(around £16 billion). The experiences, we all try to work out what
Guardian has published is right and what is important. Perhaps
further articles on this then we can think about what is so
subject including one in June important about music – especially in
Shea Lolin
this year which revealed the When I began my undergraduate the communities that support amateur
fact that Tasmin Little earned studies 20 years ago, it felt music making. Perhaps even the
£12.34 for five million vocational. Music engrossed me community of people trying to promote
streams. Our pop-dominated, in a way no other subject did – and disseminate wind music -
aka BASBWE!
mass-produced culture something which continues to this
industry and big business are day. But a good friend once told Amateur musicians have time. A
fundamentally designed to me that life will ‘knock the edges professional orchestra might have 45
make a large-scale system off’ and I began to understand that minutes to rehearse a symphony or a
of control and exploitation. In years on. But, on Monday 16th concerto: an amateur orchestra or band
comparison, the experience of March 2020 at 5pm, the Prime might have a whole term.
classical music for most of us Minister was making an
is very different. announcement.
BASBWE British Association of Symphonic Bands
& Wind ensembles
I had the radio turned up in The average member of an amateur
anticipation and I began to feel orchestra is paying for their musical
anxious. The question running experience and that creates a deep
So when the lockdown was through my mind was: ‘will this sense of discovery in all the ground that
announced, I was driving my knock more than the edges off?’. is covered and satisfaction at achieving
car into the City of London goals.The act of meeting together,
to conduct the final rehearsal The period of lockdown was for me almost as a family, putting aside our
with the City Wind Orchestra filled with great joy and laughter differences to get on to work on some
before their concert just a because my wife and I have a fantastic piece of music. There is a
few days later. A very strange two-year old daughter and now a feeling that I can’t quite describe when
feeling came over me – son who was born in September. a large group of people move, breathe
Our family has had to watch life
probably because at that come and go simultaneously. Being and play together. There are no amount
moment I realised that these in such a situation paralleled with of zoom sessions or lockdown tracks
events might change the austere living conditions makes that can replace that.
something that felt so you focus on what is important. There is a dangerous cliff edge for those
unchangeable.
of us who make a living from playing
professionally and receiving royalties for
For the first time I was being our work.
prohibited from doing what
I’ve always done.
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