Apartheid and South African jazz in the 1960s – Professor George McKay

Today’s post features Professor George McKay writing in response to the death of Nelson Mandela about some of the experiences of South African jazz musicians under apartheid in the 1960s.

Attitude is Everything – working in partnership with audiences, artists and the music industry to improve access to live music – Suzanne Bull

Today’s guest post is by Suzanne Bull MBE – Chief Officer at Attitude is Everything – a project working towards improving access to live music for disabled people. Here she explains the origins of the project, the philosophy behind its continuing work with market leading festivals and venues, the Charter system of best practice and the forthcoming State of Access report.

The Perils of Pay to Play at the Grassroots – Louise Dodgson

Louise Dodgson, Editor of The Unsigned Guide on the perils of pay to play at the grassroots level – she discusses what pay to play is and isn’t, and how to avoid pay to play.

The Rules of Freedom: The place of street music in the life of our cities – Jonny Walker

Today’s guest post by Jonny Walker – singer, songwriter and founder of the Association of Street Performers – comes in the face of recent moves against buskers by Camden council, which is considering draconian restrictions and fines. In advance of the council decision next week, Jonny outlines the ramifications of these proposals and the relationship of street music to city life.

Investigating ‘Impact’ – Stephen Henderson – first published May 2012

A repost of a blog post by Dr. Stephen Henderson, an authority on event marketing and management and Senior Lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University. Here he discusses the matter of ‘impact’ and points towards the need for a clear-sighted approach to defining it.

Paul Latham and Simon Frith (video) – Live Music Exchange, London – Tuesday 14th May 2013

Professor Simon Frith (University of Edinburgh) interviews Paul Latham, Chief Operating Officer of Live Nation UK and Chairman of Creative and Cultural Skills. Together they discuss Paul’s career in live music, the current state of the industry and the future of live music in the UK and globally, the relationship between the live and recording industries, and issues around secondary ticketing.

Sustainable Production Guide – Julie’s Bicycle (2013)

Julie’s Bicycle guide contains the most up-to-date and comprehensive guidance to help you embed good environmental sustainability practice at the heart of your production.

New World Symphony: Summary Report: 2010 – 2013 Concert Format Assessment – Alan Brown and Rebecca Ratzkin (2013)

Executive summary of the results of New World Symphony’s trial of four different concert formats, designed to attract new and different audiences.

The Rocktober Report: The Live Music Act, One Year On – UK Music / Musicians’ Union

Report co-produced by the Musicians’ Union and UK Music which assesses the impact of the Live Music Act 2012, published one year after the introduction of the Act.

‘To Arthur!’ Guinness, the Irish state and live music – Eileen Hogan

Eileen Hogan, of University College Cork, discusses the annual Arthur’s Day celebration and the relationship of Guinness – along with its parent company Diageo – to live music, along with the wider implications of corporate sponsorship for cultural activity and identity.