Band of glory

One of the most powerful messages the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) is currently taking to government is the impact that music and the arts have on the UK economy, and particularly how this relates back to music education. The figures have been well publicised: the UK Music Industry is worth £3.9bn a year, and music as a whole contributes approximately £5bn to the UK’s GDP according to the DCMS. We know that the creative and cultural economy generates 7–10% of our GDP – and was the only part of the economy to grow during the recent recession. In fact, the UK music industry grew 4.7% last year.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The relatively small amount of public funding the music sector receives is critical to its continued economic growth – and it’s key to keep hammering this point home: talk of budget reductions at the DCMS and Department for Education following October’s spending review announcement (anticipated to be anywhere from 10 to 40%) has us all feeling nervous. But the teaching of music in schools is too important an issue for policy-makers to be oblivious to: recent studies about the impact of music education demonstrate it has a positive effect on attainment in educational achievement, and on the cognitive and neurological development of students.
Research has also found that musical experiences impact on speech and language development, as musical training sharpens the brain’s early encoding of sounds and enables children to respond more quickly to auditory stimuli. Participating in musical groups promotes important life skills such as developing friendships, self-confidence, networking, a sense of belonging, team work and self-discipline. Studies have shown links between music and improvements in health and well-being with research highlighting that engaging in music may reduce the symptoms of depression.
A recent YouGov survey showed that 91% of adults in Britain believe all children should have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument in school, and over three-quarters think the cost of central government funding for music lessons in England is reasonable. The ISM also surveyed our corporate members (including Classic FM, Sing Up, Trinity Guildhall, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and the Association of British Orchestras) to gauge what they believe are the most pressing issues facing the music sector. The survey found that 74% of music organisations rated music education as the most important issue facing the sector.

RED TAPE STRANGLING LIVE MUSIC?
The ISM works with a variety of organisations to champion the importance of music and protect the rights of those working within the industry. One of the important practical pieces of legislation which the ISM has pushed forward is the Live Music Bill. The Licensing Act 2003 has made it very difficult and costly for small live music events to take place. While we are told that our live music economy is flourishing and large-scale live music events are a success in the UK, in reality we have received reports that at a grassroots level, smaller events are being thwarted by unnecessary bureaucracy – for instance, conservatoire students who have been unable to play in small venues near their college, and venue owners who can no longer afford to pay the licence fee.
But now, as parliament prepares to tackle a new Live Music Bill, lifting the regulatory burden affecting musicians may come to fruition. We have been working with our corporate members to lobby Government into adopting the Live Music Bill. However, there is strong concern that government proposals for a further review will hold up the current review which – as cuts bite – needs to be passed now. It’s positive that government is seriously considering this issue, and that it hopes to implement a radical review to help musicians in the future, but this must not be at the expense of the immediate assistance that musicians need.
What is certainly clear from the variety of external forces that are affecting the music sector, is that by working together and pushing the same messages to Government, we have a stronger voice. This voice will be vital in the upcoming months as we work to secure sustainable investment for music, and the ISM is campaigning more than ever to demonstrate the importance that music brings to our education system, to our culture of live music, and to our future economic growth.