Following the arrival and spread of Coronavirus in the UK, we have collected together a few useful links from our fellow music organisations for musicians and their choirs.
We are working on expanding our resources to help choral leaders musically through this time and hope to have this available very shortly.
If you come across other useful resources, do let us know so that we can add them to the list.
There is now a joint portal of information for musicians at:
http://www.coronamusicians.info/
This has been put together by Help Musicians, the Incorporated Society of Musicians, The Ivors Academy, the Music Managers Forum, the Music Producers Guild, the Musicians' Union, and UK Music and is being regularly updated. It includes advice on how to apply for Government support and details of hardship funds, as well as where to find legal and health support, working online and creative support.
Do try and help to support our musicians, who are going through a very difficult time at the moment.
Help Musicians has launched the Coronavirus Financial Hardship Fund, specifically created to alleviate some of the immediate financial pressures that many professional musicians may currently be facing. The £5 million fund has been opened to help reduce the worry many musicians are experiencing about their mounting household expenses. Click here to find out more about the fund and make a donation.
The Musicians Union has launched a £1 million hardship fund for MU members with genuine and pressing hardship. Click here to find out more.
PRS for Music has launched an Membership Emergency Relief Fund. The new fund offers money to support songwriters and composers during unprecedented times of hardship. Click here to find out more.
The European Choral Association has published a Covid-19 information document for choral organisations, choirs and conductors. This document provides ideas, tips and online resources from organisations across Europe and is constantly evolving to include new guidance and information. Access this online resource here.
Our Facebook group has lots of live discussion on it about running choirs in the current climate, particularly about people's experiences of using the various online video platforms. Anyone can view the discussion (you don't need a Facebook account), but if you'd like to contribute, you'll need a Facebook account and to answer a few simple questions to be approved for the group.
Our friends at Making Music have published advice and resources for choirs, their committees and their conductors. Click here for the main resource page, which is available to everyone.
The ISM has lots of information for musicians - about business, remote teaching, claiming benefits and more. Click here.
Chorus Connection has produced an extensive e-book guide to Season Planning for 2020-2021. This can be downloaded here.
This is new territory for almost everyone! See our Facebook group for the many solutions people have tried and how they've both succeeded and failed. We'll shortly be publishing some short 'how to' guides on setting up online connections with your choir. Here are some possible software options and useful articles:
The American site Chorus Connection has a good article on running online rehearsals and what to consider.
Our friend and colleague, Professor Jim Daus Hjernøe at RAMA Vocal Center Denmark, who delegates will remember from last year's Convention, has produced some very helpful tutorials on using Zoom in rehearsal situations - click here.
There are many online choirs of all kinds springing up! Your choir might be interested in some of the following:
Stay at Home Choir run by Rachel Staunton and Tori Longdon. An online platform to keep musicians connected
The Great British Home Chorus run by Gareth Malone OBE
The Self-isolation Choir Live weekly rehearsals culminating in a performance of Messiah on 31 May
The Sofa Singers led by James Sills
Distant-Sing run by Choir Community
Enjoy concerts from some of the world's top musicians in your own home!
The Royal Opera House has announced a programme of free online content and the BBC Music Magazine has details of streaming services including the Berlin Philharmonic, The Met, VOCES8 and more.
Educator's Discount from Hal Leonard. abcd Gold Commercial Members Hal Leonard Europe are launching a range of initiatives to help people continue making music during these unprecedented times, via their online store Musicroom.com. As a start, they are extending their standard educators discount to 15% with free shipping on all orders. Find out more here.
Musicroom is also launching a set of campaigns for home music making:
Our colleagues at NYCoS always have plenty of useful hints on their website and they have put together a set of daily musical activities - with or without actions!
Drake Music have information and suggestions about the need for digital accessibility and sharing their learning about how to make video conferencing more accessible. There is also a Coronavirus resource list page for musicians, music leaders & teachers, parents and carers.
Music Mark have a big list of online home learning resources of all kinds for all ages.
Global Song Circle have new songs every month for community, family and friends to sing along to, complete with teaching video and song sheets which can be downloaded.
Our colleagues at the Royal School of Church Music have collated online resources on a variety of topics and are also offering a series of webinars for a small fee.
Every Monday a new song, presented by Ex Cathedra's SingMaker team as an interactive film, will be released . These are aimed at up to 11 year olds and free to access. There will be brief notes associated with each song to maximise learning and enjoyment of participation. We hope you have fun!
Many institutions have lifted their paywall temporarily, giving access to everyone to useful online teaching resources:
OUP Music, Teaching Music Appreciation Online
OUP Music, Online Learning in Music: Foundations, Frameworks and Practices
And many of our performing organisations have online resources:
London Mozart Players on orchestral conducting
London Symphony Orchestra A-level seminars, as well as a host of performances