‘We Demand Better’ National March and Rally
On Saturday 18th June, the Musicians Union will be joining the trade union movement in London to tell the government that the workers of England demand and deserve better! Members of the union are invited to join, assembling from 10:30 am at Portland Place in Central London. There will also be a rally from 1:00 pm in Westminster Square.
These are some of the demands:
- A real pay rise for every worker – and a real living wage for all
- Respect and security for all workers – ban zero hours contracts, ban ‘fire and rehire’
- Demand decent sick pay now
- End racism at work
- Tax energy profits to pay our bills
- Raise universal credit
- Boost union bargaining rights
- And more than that: we demand a government that listens and acts to support working people.
Register your interest to join the MU on the March: campaigns@theMU.org
Additional information:
Millicent's Speech For (MU) Motion 20: ‘Being Black In The UK Music Industry’.
This was Millicent's speech to move the (MU) Motion 20: Being Black in the UK Music Industry, delivered at the TUC Black Workers Conference:
Good morning Conference. I am Millicent Stephenson, Musicians’ Union, and I am moving Motion 20, ‘Being Black In The Music Industry’.
Music is important and woven into the fabric of our society. It motivates, soothes, conveys ‘I love you’ and ‘good-byes’. It is a social, physical, spiritual thing which goes through our being. What would life be like without music?
Music is also a professional career choice on par with any other. However, within the music industry there are stratas and issues. One of which is ‘being black in the music industry’.
You may be familiar with Jazz music, songs like ‘Summertime’ and ‘At Last’, but did you know that it came from the black communities of the United States? Also, the root of Jazz is the ‘Blues’, the music of African people, the victims of transatlantic slavery. This genre was originally scorned because o...
Do You Have To Struggle In Order To Get Paid? This FREE Webinar Is For You
Clients that suddenly disappear when they are supposed to pay you. Promises of exposition and connections that never come to fruition. Conversations through e-mail that die as soon as you mention your prices…
If any of this sounds familiar, our newest webinar is for you! On Wednesday 25th May, multi-award saxophonist Millicent Stephenson will be talking through Zoom about everything you need to know in order to get paid what you are worth. Learn how to determine your fees and what good practises you can adopt to ensure they are paid in a timely manner.
Sounds good? Here’s something that will make it sound better: the webinar is completely free! To join, just sign up on this website. Also, while the day comes, check this free guide with tips to get paid before gig day.
Don’t hesitate telling your friends about it: the webinar is open to everybody across the world!
You Can Start Your Gigging Journey At No Cost
You've prepared yourself, you have practised, you have ideas about how your shows would go... you just aren't sure about how to get the gigs. Sounds familiar? Well, there are two informative products you can find here to help you with that.
First, there's the booklet "Revealed - 25 Secrets of the Successful Gigging Musician, Singer, Rapper & Spoken Word Artiste", a compendium of the best secrets of the industry to prepare and deliver excellent gigs that will keep your calendar full of events.
Then, there's the "Ten Resons Why They Will Pay You Before Gig Day" list, a concise document that will give you pointers to ensure receiving appropriate payment for your work in a timely manner.
CLICK HERE to download these two great products at no cost at all, and be sure to check the upcoming webinar "Get Paid What You Are Worth", which is also for free, in order to learn how to calculate your gig fees and communicate them effectively to potential clients.
Do You Struggle With Stage Fright?
When talking about going on stage, there is a fine line between excitement and anxiety. The thrill of being able to share what we have with the audience fights against the fear of freezing under the spotlight and forget everything. We want to prove ourselves and we are afraid of failing ourselves at the same time. There is a bunch of butterflies in our stomach, and we are not sure what they are doing.
Every person feels this differently, but we all feel it. Some have developed strategies, little rituals to do right before the show starts. Others have taught themselves to disregard anxiety's insideous comments by actively turning all their thoughts into positive ones. Some more throw themselves to the heat of the moment and trust that the sight of the audience will shatter the insecurities right away. Whatever the case, you are not alone, and by communicating with your peers, you can learn, advise, and gain the confidence to face an audience eager to hear you.
How do you deal w...
There's Still A Lot To Take From 'Success Beyond The Score' Season 1
The brand name “Success Beyond The Score” started as a podcast back in 2019. Since then, it grew into the this website full of different resources for emerging musicians. The podcast itself has two seasons with 50 episodes in total, covering all kind of relevant topics for artists who want to achieve their goals in the music industry.
Usually, people stick to the latest content of shows that have been airing for a while. In the case of the podcast "Success Beyond The Score", doing so would not be advantageous. Have you never listened to it? Or maybe you did so long ago and don't remember much? Go to episode one of the first season and start, or restart, your journey into the secrets of the industry.
If you want all the episodes with their respective info, so you can choose what to listen and in what order, you can do it in this link. Share and discuss with your colleagues, and of course, be sure to contact Millicent if you have topic suggestions or questions you’d like to see address...
Are you struggling to get paid for your gigs?
Having a customer crying poverty after you've come off stage is one big nightmare for musicians who perform live as part of their profession. The best solution, meaning the one that will allow you to sleep without anxiety, is to arrange it so you're always paid beforethe gig, not after.
How can you do that? Well, I have ten tips that will help you figure it out, and I am happy to give them for free! Just go to this page and follow the steps to download the document. There, you will also find a more comprehensive booklet, called "25 Secrets of the Successful Gigging Musician, Singer, Rapper & Spoken Word Artiste" that will serve you as guide sheet in the world of music.
If you'd like more customised assistance, you can also check my coaching sessions, and if you are a woman looking for a community that supports your growth, then Time For My Music is for you.
Why You Should Take A Break.
We live in a busy world. Our phones keep us active, the internet cries for our attention, and then there is the demands of family, friends, work and even our music. There are not enough hours in the day to get everything done. You might even find you feel stressed.
There are many tips, videos and blogs on the internet giving advice on how to cope with stress. I learnt the hard way how much my health was affected by working maximum hours with limited sleep, so three years ago I started to realign myself and it’s paying off. One of the things I did was to consciously plan breaks in my day and week.
A break can be a few minutes each day where you mentally come away from work. This could be looking at nature, the sky, having a short sleep, doing something creative, but not music. These things will help your brain, which in this regard is like a muscle, to rest, relax and recover, renewing you to do your next job.
A break can be moments taken to deliberately breathe. By doing this,...
Master YouTube To Boost Your Music Career
Are you interested in setting up your own YouTube channel to widen your music reach, but are not sure what to do? Do you worry about breaking it, and feel step-by-step instructions by a musician would help you to understand the screens and get it working?
On Wednesday 30th March, 7.30pm until 9pm on Zoom, Millicent Stephenson will be running a Zoom webinar called ‘Mastering YouTube for Musicians – Part 1’ to address all these concerns and answer your questions.
The content of the session will be:
- How to login
- Understanding your Channel layout
- Steps to upload your videos
- What to put in the boxes (fields) and what tags to use
- How to share your video to get views
- How to grow your subscribers organically
The course fee is £35 and you can book your place on this website.
See you on Wednesday!
Mastering YouTube For Musicians
Are you interested in setting up your own YouTube channel to widen your music reach, but are not sure what to do? Do you worry about breaking it, and feel step-by-step instructions by a musician would help you to understand the screens and get it working?
Perhaps you have put videos up but have had zero or one or two views. This may also be the case with your subscriber count. Would you like to know how to increase both things without paying for advertising?
On Wednesday 30th March, 7.30pm until 9pm on Zoom, Millicent Stephenson will be running a Zoom webinar called ‘Mastering YouTube for Musicians – Part 1’ to address all these concerns and answer your questions.
The content of the session will be:
- How to login
- Understanding your Channel layout
- Steps to upload your videos
- What to put in the boxes (fields) and what tags to use
- How to share your video to get views
- How to grow your subscribers organically
Millicent will talk from the experience she's got with her own YouTub...