Is there enough money in Jazz? Why is that? Can we create a commercial status for the UK Jazz Industry?

SESSION: Is there enough money in Jazz? Why is that? Can we create a commercial status for the UK Jazz Industry?

Convener(s): Dorian Ford, Chrys Chijiutomi

Participants: Peter Slavid, Tabitha Timothy, Sue, Mike Gordon, John Blandford, George Foster, Peter Ind

Summary of discussion, conclusions and/or recommendations:

Commercial – not to be arts council based.

Arts council is money applied to transient things i.e. tours etc. as opposed to long term projects i.e. German radio stations funding big bands which go on to tour and make CDs etc.
What about BBC big band? Do they tour and make CDs?

Is the Jazz industry cohesive enough?
No, we don’t speak with one voice. Because of that it is unlikely to get much public funding.

Jazz organizations need to come together i.e. a federation.

Use arts council funding to seed core commercial ventures

Jazz is a word the audience don’t understand. Therefore audiences need ‘work’!

Where is the connection between public/private resources?

What about marketing a subscription series of concerts – possibly to sell to large companies.

Fan funding a way of funding a recording (USA)

A survey of voluntary clubs/musicians (i.e. 150 hours/week for nothing vs size of audiences) i.e. how much are this size audience getting for nothing?

How can the jazz community have the ear of arts council members/arts ministers? (members of the governing elite are more familiar with and likely to attend classical/opera than jazz – why? – when/how will this change?)

The jazz community/industry has no direct contact/influence with the establishment (with the possible exception of one company)

BPI AIM – we need to get inside these establishments

Issues about how public funding is used/obtained.

Issues about England being a very old establishment society with secret societies and old school tie networks etc.

Finding relationships with big money institutions i.e. investment banks etc.

Lobby BBC list of trustees and APPJAG.

What are we worth?

SESSION: What are we worth?

Convener(s): Tim Whitehead

Participants: Chris Greive (Scottish Jazz Federation), Rick Finlay, Annick Adjo, Jack Davis, John Cumming , Mao Yamada, Keith Michael, Val Fenton

Summary of discussion, conclusions and/or recommendations:

A review of the economic realities of being a professional musician, and it’s impact on their lives and the development of the art form.

TW observed that BBC was an example of an institution (the largest employer of musicians in UK) whose agreed rates of pay are below a living wage (eg fee for live performance and rehearsal on national network radio £93 represents £15 per hr gross or annual earnings (if the musician worked at that level for a 40 hr week based on that rate of £25000 gross per annum in London). Cost of housing , and other expenses requires much bigger basic income.

Rick said very grey areas needed clarifying. The MU often asked for solidarity from members on specific issues , but failed often to get the response/commitment to support. Further discussion ensued about how to achieve that solidarity in the jazz field, and several examples of undercutting and lack of solidarity on working conditions were cited.

There were offered several ideas of how to encourage our fellow musicians

To understand the significance of their actions , including MU being more pro active in this area, and encouraging the musicians to action.

Several people expressed their fears of the effect on their career on taking such actions.It was felt that the Union could offer support in these circumstances.

John Cumming suggested we were aiming at the wrong targets. Musicians should research which areas would most help our cause, and then targeting them-would take time , but the current economic climate might see change 5 years hence. Big funders and institutions have entrenched positions around their interests and have good strategies for defending them.

It was suggested that the level of funding offered by Arts Council and others was proportionately so low compared to other art forms like opera and orchestras, that an adjustment in distribution could be achieved within the current levels of overall funding.

We should pull together professionals from other ares of finance etc to advise on possible scenario changes in the coming years to enable us to strategise.

What is the future – and the value – of the voluntary jazz club? Merged with: How should local jazz clubs judge their success?

SESSION: What is the future – and the value – of the voluntary jazz club? Merged with: How should local jazz clubs judge their success?

Convener(s): Mike Gordon & Brian Allen

Participants: Pete Lyons, John Blandford, Brian Allen, Roan Kearsey-Lonosen, Margaret +, sue Lightaun

Summary of discussion, conclusions and/or recommendations:

What's criteria for success? Self evaluation consist wholly of whether financial plan is working out OK. (Chichester).

Developing young muisicians important.

Jazz club more than just music – builds up social base from which people can be drawn into wider variety of styles.

Benefits include encouraging young people from the locality.

Massive amount of voluntary time not recognized nationally (ACE, Arts Ministers …). In a smallish local club can be in excess of a 100 hours a week – equates to 100s of thousands of £s a year nationally. Jazz Services could calculate total hours across the country and publicise.

National network of voluntarily promoted venues is massive and lifeblood of the business nationally and essential route for many young developing musicians.

Without financial support from ACE it may not be possible for clubs to take more risks in programming more adventurous things.

Financial support for opera is massively disproportionate – promoters need to be actively lobbying to redress the injustice.

Request jazz Services organize a national voluntary promoters’ conference.

Should the BBC focus more on Jazz?

SESSION: Should the BBC focus more on Jazz?

Convener(s): PETER IND

Participants: Chris Chijiutami, George Foster, Dorian Ford, Peter ?, Will Rodway, Bev Orton

Summary of discussion, conclusions and/or recommendations:

• France has 6 Jazz radio Jazz stations – where are ours?

• BBC has cut specialist programmes mainly because of lack of finances. (We won’t mention the huge salaries paid to some celebrities!)

• Jazz is not ‘establishment’

• There is a general decline in our culture and Jazz is a part of this.

• Should we join with other specialist forms of Jazz to present a larger group to the BBC? E.g. Folk But this would dilute the uniqueness of Jazz

• The BBC sponsors the London Jazz Festival.

• Jazz FM is online and has improved, but this excludes older jazz aficionados who are not computer literate. The UK culture today is moving towards all online listening/watching – Youtube, Spotify etc.

• There needs to be balance in music programming but Jazz doesn’t bring in the numbers.

• Is the BBC guilty of institutional ignorance towards Jazz?

• The venues for Jazz are not ‘corporate friendly’ - not grand or luxurious enough for entertaining clients, and so good jazz is not being spread.

• Peter felt that Jazz rubs some people up the wrong way!

• The aim for the Jazz fraternity is to look outward and not be elitist.

• We need to expand the interest in Jazz before the BBC will show it.

• Jazz appreciation can be expanded by snatches of music in adverts, plays etc.

• BBC Radio 4 is now requesting feedback about programming. We should take part in this online and request more Jazz. (Ken Clarke’s programme last week was excellent – Bev)

• We want the BBC to WANT to broadcast JAZZ

• The world around us is changing – the Jazz fraternity is perceived by the BBC as ‘moaning’!

• Smaller Jazz clubs are just as important to spreading the wonderful music as large events – sometimes the audience collectively is larger.

• Jazz programmes could try to get sponsorship and this should be mentioned in the televised/radio shows.