Think before you fly

In my current conversation in The Strad, I raise the issue that most afflicts the lives of modern musicians:

We fly to live. Anyone in classical music who is grounded for more than a month is commonly presumed to be hungry, heavily pregnant or halfway to oblivion.

What are we to do about it? You’ll have to buy a copy of the magazine, or subscribe, to discover the alternative models that I propose – but you’ll also find a bonus between the same covers. The Strad has commissioned a survey of string players on which airlines treat them worst (and sometimes best).

Since writing the piece four weeks ago, more than 1,000 players have joined the Facebook group Musicians against Ryanair, raising the total to 12,400. Ryanair are by no means the worst offenders.

We must find a better way of organising our musical lives.