Speaking in a short debate in the Lords, introduced by Lord (Norman) Blackwell, on 16th October, Guy - who is Chairman of the Royal College of Music - said that the UK produces world class music - a "huge source of soft power for UK plc" - because of the "health of our music eco-system." But he warned: "That ecosystem, the so-called pipeline, is in danger as never before.
If it fails then the threat to the future of music in our country is, without exaggeration, existential. It is a delicate organism, depending on many interlocking actions, from primary school teaching right through to the conservatoires and universities where tomorrow’s musicians are trained."
He said that "central to that fragile but vital system are the music and dance scheme schools, the seedbed from which so many of tomorrow’s talented music graduates grow. The future of our conservatoires, in turn, is absolutely predicated on their success. Last year 123 applications for the BMus course at the RCM came from the MDS schools, resulting in 73 offers being made. That is a significant proportion of those coming to study and providing the greatest talents. If the MDS schools failed, with their rigour and training, it would have enormous consequences for all conservatoires."
He noted ahead of the Chancellor's budget on 26th November that "for a tiny amount of money—a rounding error, frankly, for the Treasury—the return is incredible. It is difficult to think of a more important investment in the future of our creative industries, and one on which we should in fact double down."
The full text of the debate is here.
ENDS
