Are Britain’s conservatoires toxic, or just ostrich?
NewsThe brilliantly self-promoting Independent Society of Musicians (ISM) has told the Evening Standards that only two of Britain’s nine music colleges have signed up to a Code of Practice it has fostered on sexual harrassment.
Misconduct at music colleges has often been called to account on this site and elsewhere over several decades. Very few perpetrators have been brought before the courts. Several were allowed to flee the country. The official attitude has generally been myopic more than malignant.
On balance, it is our impression that supervision has improved at most conservatoires and there have been fewer complaints of late – though even one is too many.
The key concerns these days are at music boarding schools and summer schools, some of which are touched upon in the ES report. There are still bad apples among the teaching staff. One case will shortly come to court. Vigilance is required, more than bureaucratic codes of conduct.
“Myopic” is letting them off the hook. This behaviour is a cancer that is allowed to metastasize until it eats young musicians alive.
As a former staff member at a certain Southeast of England music boarding school, I can categorically say that, at this particular school anyway, it was not a case of burying their heads when it comes to this sort of behaviour.
It is all about reputation management. As these schools are desperate to attract and retain top talent in both students and teachers, as well as donors to fund much-needed bursaries, they feel they cannot tolerate any blight to their reputation or any outward display of anything less than perfection. There is abuse of power at all levels, from leadership teams to music staff. There is a theatre of safeguarding that exists only to satisfy inspectors. The mental health of students is the last thing they consider. It’s all about their own legacy.
The RNCM still boasts a member of its executive board who attempted to dismantle the BBC’s classical music offer a few months ago.
Funny old world we live in.
Amazing: two thumbs down for an indisputable statement of fact.
‘Misconduct’. A word very worthy of Victorian moralizers and Puritan England.
Congratulations for turning the clock back!! Well done.
Well, who are the two that have signed up. Rather a pointless article if the two good ones aren’t named!