M A R T I N C L O O N A N A N D J O H N W I L L I A M S O N

5 T H S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2

Researching The Musicians’ Union

Outline

ContextPerceptions of the MUAbout the ProjectWhy it is important

Context

Amalgamated Musicians’ Union formed in Manchester, 1893

Merger with London Orchestral Union of Professional Musicians in 1921

31 482 members (2011).

Enemies of the Union

“You are invited to attend a meeting in Manchester on 7th May 1893 to discuss forming a Union for orchestral players. The Union that we require is a protection Union. One that will protect us from amateurs, protect us from unscrupulous employers, and protect us from ourselves. [J.B.Williams, 1893]

Perceptions

London Orchestral Association: “organised tyranny which is the curse of modern trades unionism in this country” (1894)

William Boosey, PRS: “these gentlemen who are the spoilt darlings of the musical profession” (1922)

McKay: “the ban did sterling work over two decades in keeping professional British jazz and dance music white.”

“Virtually every one of the music’s practitioners, nearly all of whom were black, were kept out of Britain by an overwhelmingly white organisation, the Musicians Union” (2005)

Perceptions

Oliver: “the ‘ban’ was as inflexibly applied as it was stupidly imposed.” (1980)

Frith: “the MU has always been out of touch with the particular needs of rock musicians.” (1978)

Street: “as each innovation appears to threaten jobs, the MU has resisted each one in turn, first opposing multi-track recording, then mellotrons and finally synthesisers and drum machines. While inspired by a desire to protect members, the MU’s policy appears as merely reactionary.” (1985)

Perceptions

Sweeting: “a left-wing, doctrinaire organisation as secretive and tight-lipped as the KGB.” (2001)

Mendick: “the glorious unreconstructed ways of the Musicians’ Union . .you have a scenario that would make Arthur Scargill weep with nostalgia.” (2001)

Lawson: “it is a massive black mark on a Union that has done so much for grassroots music. You’re effectively crapping on the best music discovery, fan-generating, culture-sharing, life-benefitting ecosphere that musicians in the world have ever experienced.” (2010)

About the Project

Extension of previous work on music industries, generally and

Live music industry AHRC project – Importance of pre-1955 music industries Importance of MU in these agreements

Primary source: Musicians’ Union archive @ University of Stirling: Minutes and agreements Publications Correspondence

Importance

3 main areas:

trade unionworking as a musicianthe music industries

Importance / Trade Union

Lack of dispassionate analysis from both inside and outside the union

No detailed history of the UnionFootnote in the history of Trade Unionism – but

Involvement in TUC and its leadership Unique contemporary nature of the Union

Importance / Working Musicians

Debates around what constitutes a musician and who can become a member

Craft Union vs. General Union?Problems of acceptance of part-time/ semi-professional

members

Importance / Music industries

Union missing from most accounts of British music industries

MU at the centre of agreements underpinning relationships between employers and musicians – for example: MU rates for live performance BBC / ITV/ Broadcasting agreements PPL / public performance Lobbying with other industry organisations on copyright related

claims

Conclusions

Need for history of Musicians’ Union of interest beyond labour relations / Union members

MU as a lens for understanding the music industries and how these have changed – specifically with regard to: Organisation of workers in the music industries Payments / how creative work has been rewarded

Conclusions

Caves (2000): “ The basic forces driving the organisation of workers in creative activities”

Hesmondhalgh (2007): “how has creative work been rewarded in the complex professional era?”

Need to understand why it acted the way it did, when it did.