Latest news with #ChrisCobb
Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Number of children playing recorder halves in a decade
The humble recorder has been a gentle introduction to musical performance for generations of primary school children. Now it risks going the way of the lute and the harpsichord as it falls out of favour among young musicians. A survey has found that the number of children playing the recorder has almost halved in a decade, from 28 per cent in 2014 to 16 per cent today. Instead, schools are using the ukulele or guitar for class music lessons. Parents may be spared squeaky renditions of London's Burning at school concerts but experts have said that the decline is part of a wider problem of pupils not spending enough time playing music, despite the benefits. Research by ABRSM, the music exam board, found that there are fewer people currently playing an instrument than in previous years. The survey of 1,000 children, 1,000 adults and 2,000 music teachers, published on Wednesday, revealed that the sharpest drop in pupils learning music came at the ages of 12 and 15. It found that 84 per cent of young people identified making, learning and engaging with music as key to their mental health, while 74 per cent said it benefited their social lives and 53 per cent that it was important for their career ambitions. Singing remained overwhelmingly popular at school, according to the research, as 54 per cent of children said they sang in music lessons. However this was a decrease from the 66 per cent who said they sang in 2014. The piano remained the most popular instrument taught by private music teachers, but there was a greater range than a decade earlier — with the ukulele, acoustic guitar, viola, cello, trumpet, electric guitar and drums all widely taught. The flute in particular saw a significant rise, increasing from about 5 per cent to 12 per cent of learners. Eighty-seven per cent of music teachers said that music was important to the wellbeing of their pupils, as did 80 per cent of people of all ages. Of those who did not learn an instrument, 29 per cent said the cost was a barrier. Fifteen per cent of people used their phone or tablet to make music and eight per cent uploaded videos of themselves performing to the internet. Chris Cobb, the chief executive of ABRSM, said: 'The mental health benefits of music are hugely important at a time when mental illness is so rife but there are so many other benefits too. The tragedy is that the same research shows how young people disengage from music learning, both when they shift to secondary school and when they start GCSEs.' Of the decline in recorder playing, he said: 'Children get to play an instrument for the first time in large classes. The recorder has been great for that but schools are now looking at other instruments that can be used — the ukulele and acoustic guitar among them.' The recorder dates back hundreds of years, according to the Society of Recorder Players, with Henry VIII owning 76 of the instruments. The first composer to specify the recorder in a composition was Giovanni Battista Riccio, from the late 16th century. The society's website says: 'By the 1690s, the recorder was played by amateurs and professionals, Handel, Bach and Telemann included it in orchestral works and chamber music. It was seen on the stage and in the pit in the theatres in London, tutor books were published regularly and recorder makers were kept busy.' It adds that Led Zeppelin used a recorder quartet in Stairway to Heaven, and the instrument was also used by the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix.
Axios
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Discount parking program for Nashville musicians expands
Musicians playing gigs at venues across Nashville now qualify for discounted parking. Why it matters: Parking is a pain for everyone in Nashville, but especially working musicians whose jobs take them to some of the city's most desirable neighborhoods. Music Venue Alliance Nashville president Chris Cobb said parking was identified as one of musicians' biggest concerns during last year's music census. Flashback: Metropolis, the technology company and parking lot operator, rolled out its discount parking program last year for musicians working in the downtown area. The original program was a partnership between the company, the musicians union and the Committee for Downtown Musicians & Workers. Driving the news: The discount program has now expanded to include Metropolis-operated parking facilities located near independent venues in different neighborhoods around the city. With the expansion, 23 parking areas will offer the discount. Metropolis worked with the Mayor's Office of Nightlife and the Music Venue Alliance Nashville to identify the lots near independent venues. How it works: There are three methods for musicians to get the Metropolis discount codes: Musicians playing a participating independent venue will be provided a QR code, AFM Local 257 provides the code to its members and through the downtown musicians Facebook page. Last year, Metropolis reported providing more than $20,000 in discounts for its downtown program.
Axios
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
An inside look at Nashville's 615 Indie Live festival
Since the jarring days in March 2020, when government shutdown orders silenced concerts in Nashville, the city's independent music venues have struggled to find a foothold. Why it matters: This weekend, the gritty venues that have kept going through a pandemic and rising costs are rallying together to put on a first-of-its-kind festival called 615 Indie Live. It's a "We're still standing" celebration. The Saturday event is an all-day festival held at 14 independent venues and featuring local artists. The vibe: A $15 ticket will get fans access to every show at every venue, space permitting. It's an ideal opportunity to discover artists you've never heard before in venues you've never visited. What they're saying:"All of the recent data clearly shows that independent venues are a foundation of Nashville's live music ecosystem, yet they are quickly becoming an endangered species," festival organizer Chris Cobb said in a press release Between the lines: The fight for survival is ongoing. Indie venues are still battling unprecedented challenges between real estate costs, corporatization and the razor thin profit margins of the concert business. Zoom in: Long-running club operators like Chris Cobb at Exit/In and Todd Oldhauser at Mercy Lounge lost their leases. The art-house DIY venue Drkmttr was forced to convert to a nonprofit and hold an emergency fundraising drive in order to stay open. Vital cogs in the live music scene like the Basement East and Marathon Music Works entered into partnerships with corporate behemoth Live Nation. If you go: Here are three artists and two venues worthy of your time: Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge: A friendly neighborhood bar that doubles as a launching pad for ascending country and Americana artists, will host performances beginning at 2pm. The End: The humble, and frequently very loud, old venue located on the Rock Block will feature veteran rockers the Pink Spiders, DeeOhGee and Richie Kirkpatrick on Saturday night. Rudy's Jazz Room: Local soul legends the Wooten Brothers will perform at Nashville's only jazz club, one of the best kept secrets in the city's music scene. Black Opry: The collective of Black country musicians has produced some of country music's most promising new artists in recent years. Black Opry is scheduled for back-to-back shows at Cannery Hall. Six One Tribe: The Nashville hip-hop collective puts on an unparalleled live show featuring an array of artists. They play at the Basement at 9pm.
