The Guardian leader on culture was looking at music through rose tinted spectacles Monday 23rd March 2020
The leader article ( Amid the pandemic music send a message about things eternal, Monday 23rd March 2020 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/22/the-guardian-view-on-music-and-pandemics-the-global-prisoners-chorus) on culture and music completely missed the point which is the meltdown of music; especially among underrepresented music such as jazz, blues and folk. The available research shows that jazz musicians had 45% of their incomes coming from live performance, 24% from teaching and 19% from royalties, broadcasting, recording and 12%from non musical sources. Their incomes along with the myriad of volunteer and small jazz promoters that make up the bulk of their work have all fallen off a cliff. The Government needs to address this problem with urgency, a scheme that pays an average of self employed musician’s annual income for the past three years over the next three months; or as long as it takes would hold the fort. Whilst this action is unparalleled it is crucial that the hinterland of music talent, this national asset, is not laid waste by Government dithering. This incredible resource of talent would help, along with the rest of the arts and creative sector, in kick starting the economy and acting as a key export.
Furthermore as soon as is humanly possible the Government and cultural institutions need to be looking at ensuring the creative industries and the self employed such as jazz musicians, are enabled to revitalise the economy and the nation. For that you are going to need a Marshall Aid Plan for the arts and creative industries. To do that, the time would be right to take an iconoclastic approach to reshape, reconfigure and reform cultural organisation to deliver the plan