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Andy Scott Reflects
When Bill Connor asked me ‘what have you been The amazing singer Matt Ford is currently working
up to in lockdown?’ I gave it a lot of thought and for his local County Council, in the highways
the following words are about people and music. department. He’s quite taken with his high-vis
If you are interested in my creative output over orange jacket! He realised early on that to support
the last year or two then please pay a visit to my his family he needed to find an alternative job
website; www.andyscott.org.uk Rather than (Matt works as a soloist with orchestras and big
seem to be too negative at times, I’d ask that bands).
when you read the word ‘fine’ that it actually
means ‘sh*t’. My wife is a brilliant harpist and composer, and
with our daughter studying for a Masters at
Since the lockdown in March 2020 due to Covid-19 Manchester University and our son graduating
I have known three people that have died of the in July from the RNCM, we were fortunate to find
virus (including my father-in-law), plus a dozen ourselves all sharing the family home since last
other friends that have contracted it, and my Summer. We’re incredibly lucky to have a house
brother now suffers from diabetes as an after- that has enough space for all four of us to get on
effect of this virus. The nurses in the care home with what we all do. For our son this has meant
looking after my father-in-law were amazing, that he has started to focus on music production
many of them sleeping at the work place as they (Logic & Ableton), playing bass on his tracks as
didn’t want to risk passing the virus onto family well as recording bass guitar for others. From
at home. My wife didn’t have an opportunity to October he is co-running a new recording studio.
say goodbye to her father and we had a socially- In this respect he’s landed on his feet and I do
distanced funeral. Thousands of families world- really feel for recent graduates who were just
wide have experienced the same, but we have to about to embark on a freelance music career.
continue with life, yet under circumstances that Although it’s fine at the moment, we need to
are fine. focus our ideas and work on a strategy that will
hopefully see us through it. My priority during
Throughout my 31 years as a professional lockdown has been with family and friends, an
musician I have had the privilege to know and awareness of mental health, stress and the need
work with some amazing people, and what to have a change of environment, even if it’s just
personalities and characters we have in the for a walk.
wonderful world of music! Overnight though
the music business was decimated as a result of As the new academic year approaches for music
Covid-19 and the resulting lockdown. 90+% of my conservatoires and universities I have to say that
work is spent performing, writing commissions I am so impressed with the thought and attention
and instigating and developing creative projects to safety and detail that the RNCM has given to its
plus I teach one day a month at the Royal students and staff. Two teaching rooms converted
Northern College of Music where I am Tutor of into one with a full perspex screen separating
Saxophone and Visiting Tutor of Composition. I student and teacher, all with high-quality
am glad that as a self-employed musician that I microphones and monitors, which were tested
could claim furlough payments on two occasions. by staff during the summer break. Whilst the
This has given me a little breathing space finan- experience for the student can’t be the same as it
cially while planning how to create some income. would be under usual circumstances, it’s not far
off. Imagine what it would have been like without
I spoke with two lifelong friends, both West End zoom, skype etc. The implications actually don’t
musicians, who currently have no income and bear thinking about for education.
London mortgages, now that’s really fine. They’re
living off savings and might start looking for a
non-music related jobs.
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