RSM People: A Day in the Life of Casework
Together, Head of Casework Leon Hart and Caseworker Yinka Fasawe, are the music profession’s helpline. If you know a colleague in need because of injury, illness, stress or anxiety, the Casework team are on hand to help. Find out here what goes into supporting musicians on a day to day basis.
Read More»RSM People: Jess’s Story
As any singer knows, keeping your voice in top condition is paramount to a long career. So, to run into trouble in your first year as an undergraduate is anyone’s worst nightmare, but that’s what happened to Jess Parnell. A bout of illness that left her tonsils swollen, meant she faced invasive surgery that could potentially affect her voice and her prospects. Find out how she coped and how RSM was able to help.
Read More»RSM People: Becky’s story
March marked the second anniversary of the UK government’s unprecedented decision to put the country in a national lockdown to counter the emerging threat of Covid-19. Two years and several lockdowns later, the struggles the economy has been through has been well documented, particularly the deleterious effect successive lockdowns has had on the hospitality and nightlife industries. What is less widely-reported are the individual stories of the people working in these industries. For DJ and producer Becky Saif, that loss of earnings has hit more than just her bank balance. The knock-on effects run much deeper, to the point of affecting her physical and mental health.
Read More»Mark Brierley joins as new Head of Membership and Communications
We are delighted to welcome Mark Brierley as the latest member of the team at RSM. He joins in the newly-created position of Head of Membership and Communications, with the aim of keeping members and the wider profession better informed about our activities.
Read More»RSM and BAPAM Healthy Practice Webinar Series
We are delighted to be able to announce the next set of webinars within our Healthy Practice Webinar Series. Expanding on some of the subjects discussed during the initial series, as well as feedback received from attendees and recent patterns in our grant giving, the next set of sessions will consider aspects of musicians’ mental and physical health, for those who are working, as well as those who are retired.
The success of our webinars has also enabled opportunities to partner with academic research projects, to consider in more detail subjects raised at the Playing on the Edge webinar in March 2021, and the focused support of brass musicians, following the launch of our Philip and Ursula Jones Fund.
Read More»We’re looking for a Head of Membership and Communications to join our team
The Royal Society of Musicians works with professional musicians and others professionally active in the world of music, who have been affected by accident, illness, stress and anxiety. We provide vital support to individuals throughout their careers and into retirement and in the last five years have considered nearly 2,000 applications for assistance, distributing grants totalling £2,561,858. Casework sits at the heart of all RSM activities and we are currently finalising a strategy to enable us to increase the number of individuals we support.
Read More»2021 Jacqueline du Pré Charity Concert
Our Annual Jacqueline du Pré Charity Concerts at Wigmore Hall are the main fundraising and profile-raising events in our calendar. The 2021 concert was due to take place on 16 April, featuring Emmanuel Pahud, Trevor Pinnock and Jonathan Manson. Current COVID-19 restrictions will allow the Concert to go ahead; however, a live audience is not permitted. We have considered options for livestreaming and despite offering other benefits, having no audience at Wigmore Hall will very much change the nature of this long-standing event.
As such, following discussion with the artists and Wigmore Hall, it has been agreed that this year’s concert is postponed until 2022. We are very sorry for this disappointing news and will announce a new date as soon as we are able.
A further £500,000 contribution to support the profession during the COVID-19 crisis
In response to the continuing challenges posed by COVID-19, RSM has released a second £500,000 to help those suffering financial hardship as a direct result of the pandemic. Aimed primarily at those who have slipped through the net of Government support schemes, these funds are being distributed by Help Musicians UK (HMUK) as part of their Coronavirus Financial Hardship Fund. The fund is now open and all applications must be submitted directly to HMUK.
Our partnership with HMUK enables RSM to focus on our one core aim of providing vital support to those whose lives have been affected by accident or illness.
RSM provides help in many ways. We fund physical and emotional therapies, referrals to specialised practitioners and associated treatments. We also help those needing support on a more long-term basis or during retirement years. This may include provision of home adaptations or living expenses. To read our Applications for Assistance Guidelines, please click here.
If you, or someone you know needs our help, please get in touch – [email protected] / 020 7629 6137
For more information about the Coronavirus Fund, please contact HMUK. This funding is in addition to the initial £500,000 RSM contributed in March.
