Clare Smith- MusicLeader West Midlands DNA Advisor
I’ve been asked for advice and guidance for most of the 18 years of my working life as a music leader - as a community musician, instrumental teacher, project manager and consultant. In my early freelance life delivering workshops and training nationally for Drake Music I took it as normal to be taking phone calls from musicians at 10.30pm seeking reassurance, hard facts and possible directions about and for their practice. There were few ‘formal’ avenues available except the trusted Sound Sense publications, Music Teacher, formal music teaching qualifications and a handful of places to learn about community music practice or indeed opportunities to develop ‘on the job’. I also felt that it was my duty after a long working day as Director of one of the country’s leading community music organisations, Sound It Out, to stay around (unpaid) for much longer to support musicians who wanted to develop project ideas, themselves or just have a good old-fashioned moan about the lack of support available for community music and musicians.
Ah… the bad old days….? It could be that I’m a soft touch at heart or that I have an insatiable desire to support folk full stop (in particular those who are going through similar experiences to the ones I had ‘back in the day’ or indeed currently) that makes me love my work as a DNA Advisor.
The ‘bad old days’ weren’t that at all – there was a spirit of sharing practice in the wee small hours and developing together. The difference now is the offer for musicians is far more varied in terms of ‘information, advice and guidance’. We still all need those late night conversations with close colleagues and friends about what to do next with a particular project but to understand the now dizzying myriad of ways we might develop ourselves formally or informally there are other ports of call - including DNAs.
I would not claim the quality of the offer has gone up; I have happy memories of being immersed in More Music’s excellent ‘Ways Into Composition’ long weekend in Morecambe; spending time at The Depot Studios in Coventry and at friend’s houses in London learning knob twiddling informally; training on Soundability at Kinnersley Castle in deepest darkest Herefordshire (a byproduct of which was developing my own knowledge about working with people with learning difficulties) and engaging in interesting email debate with Bruce Cole at York following a publication of both our perspectives on community music training (formal and informal routes) in Sounding Board.
What has happened is serious investment in musicians, young people’s musical development and developing the leadership skills of musicians and young people in particular. Thanks to dedicated lobbying by high profile figures as well as those at the grass roots, we’d never had it so good. Disinvestment of key organisations, austerity measures and the up and coming October spending review have been and will be painful. There is less work, more people chasing it and even less time for those vital informal and formal developments or even spending a couple of hours reflecting on ‘which way now?’ which is what a DNA offers you
My colleagues and I have supported hundreds of Music Leaders through DNA sessions in reflecting on their skills, thinking about the ones that are missing or need developing, provoking questions and moving to action. I am proud to be part of this and proud we as a sector have found a way to formalise and improve what we were already doing in non-existent time squeezed out of an already hectic schedule.
Now DNAs are not just a confidential space to discuss hopes, dreams, aspirations and fears but have a shape, organisational support at a regional level and access to a national network. The sessions are bespoke as I always used to offer back in the day, but are now better researched and developed as they are paid for.
And MusicLeader West Midlands will follow up your DNA, if needed, 6 months down the line to see how you’re getting on. Can’t say better than that.
In these times of change you can’t afford not to.
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