Two in 3 UK musicians are thinking of giving up music

A survey by Encore, the UK’s largest online musician booking platform, suggests that after five months of Covid inertia two-thirds of the profession is looking for career change.

The survey is of a small sample – 560 musicians – but the results are alarming.

– 64% musicians are thinking about leaving the music profession

– Musicians have lost on average £11,300 each from cancellations since March

– 41% of musicians have no bookings in the diary for the rest of 2020

– Classical musicians are faring worse than other genres.

Source here.

This is alarming. I don’t know if Boris Johnson has a favourite violinist – Tasmin Little, I’d guess, not Nigel Kennedy – butif he does now would be the time to put on a musical soirée at Downing Street, just to restore hope to the profession.