*
banner

More empty seats in future..?

64% of musicians say they are now considering leaving the profession as lost incomes and lack of performance opportunities cause increased anxiety and insecurity.

Stands
  Seats to be filled on stage as well as off...

A new survey has shown that 64% of professional musicians are now considering leaving the profession.

It was conducted by the online musician booking platform, Encore Musicians, and shone a stark spotlight on the acute state of anxiety and insecurity being felt by musicians across the arts as the Coronavorus pandemic continues to restrict performance activities.

Lost earnings

Encore Musicians is a marketplace platform which helps over 42,000 musicians gain bookings and professional engagements across the UK.

They surveyed 560 musicians and found that on average they had lost over £11,000 in earnings since March when event cancellations started to occur.

They also found that there were 87% fewer bookings in place for August to December in relation to the same time last year. 50% of those surveyed had no bookings for the remainder of 2020 and 40% stated they had applied for a non-music job since March.

Charity help

41% had received no government help and 42% reported that they had relied upon non-government help from charities or the Musicians Union.

Young female musicians were particularly badly hit in a sector that contributes over £5.2 billion annually to the UK economy and employs nearly 200,000 people.

This problem is being felt across the industry — from signed veterans to young musicians at the beginning of their careersEncore CEO & Co-founder James McAulay

Industry problem

Speaking about the findings, Encore CEO & Co-founder James McAulay stated: "We're acutely aware of the damage the pandemic has done to our musicians' livelihoods, but I was still shocked to see just how few bookings most musicians have left in the diary for 2020.

This problem is being felt across the industry — from signed veterans to young musicians at the beginning of their careers. The government must act now to make sure our musicians aren't left behind."

To find out more go to: https://encoremusicians.com/blog/

Become a supporter and help make our future secure.

4barsrest continues to be a proudly independent voice. There are no paywalls to overcome to be able to enjoy what we do to keep our journalism at the heart of the brass banding world. Support us with a one-off donation or subscribe from just £2.50 per month.

Support us    


Flowers

Flowers stars to inspire next generation

September 16 • The Oxfordshire & District Brass Bands Association will host a special youth workshop with members of Flowers Band — so get along.


Royston

Balsom return to Royston gains BBC coverage

September 16 • Award winning trumpeter recently returned to her brass banding roots as she prepared for her final concert appearance at the Last Night of the Proms.


Red Admiral

Live stream for Red Admiral watching

September 16 • If you can't make it to the Red Admiral Entertainment contest later this month you can sit back an enjoy it at home instead.


BBE Podcast

Brass Band Podcast Season 2: The Next Generation

September 16 • The second season of BBE's popular podcast series returns exploring the themes of the future of brass bands, leadership, and music-making.


Petworth Town Band - Petworth Town Band at Petworth Heritage weekend

Saturday 20 September • Centre of Petworth Town GU28 OAH


Cheltenham Silver Band - Holst Birthday Concert

Saturday 20 September • All Saints Church, All Saints Road, Pittville, Cheltenham GL52 2HG


Regent Hall Concerts - The Band of the Grenadier Guards Big Band

Friday 26 September • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. WC1 2DJ W1C2DJ


Brass Bands England - The Brass Band Conference

Saturday 27 September • Redhills Durham Miners Hall, Durham DH1 4BE


Cheltenham Silver Band - Music from the Bandstand, Montpellier Gardens

Sunday 28 September • Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham GL50 1UW


Cheltenham Silver Band

September 16 • Required:. Musical Director : Cheltenham Silver Academy Band Following the relocation of our current conductor we are looking for a progressive, passionate and dedicated individual to lead our Academy Band, and to support our continued improvement.


Chinnor Silver

September 16 • We need a Bass player (either Bb or Eb) and a percussionist to join our happy team! The band is promoted to the first section in 2026 and were also 2025 Second section National Finalists. We rehearse on Wednesday evenings in our own bandroom in Chinnor


Crewe Brass

September 16 • We are looking for CORNET players (position negotiable) to join our highly motivated 4th section band. We are a very welcoming and sociable band, with a positive outlook and a reasonably busy calendar of engagements. Other enquiries are welcome.


Andy Wareham

BMus (Hons), MMus (Hons)
Conductor, Composer, Brass Tutor, Musicologist


               

 © 2025 4barsrest.com Ltd