Keep yourself safe: risk assessment and public liability insurance

Everything in life entails a risk, even not doing anything at all. Assessing and managing risks is part of life, but it becomes critical in professions that involve large numbers of people,Ā like live music.

As a performer, you can't think only of yourself. You must consider the safety of every person who makes your job possible: fellow musicians, engineers, assistants, organisers, logistics, venue staff, and of course, the audience. There are two steps to this: the first is the risk assessment, in which you identify what could go wrong, and take action to prevent it before it happens. The second is a contingency plan, in which you determine what to do in case something goes wrong despite your efforts.

Risk assessment

To illustrate this step, let's have a look at a gig Millicent hadĀ at Shangri-La The Shard, London, sometime last year.

Shangri-La The Shard is a prestigious venue with luxury amenities, and the staff is used to accommodate prestigious guests that require a special

...
Continue Reading...

The Challenge of the Perfect Embouchure

The main instrument of any musician is their own body. From the brain to the limbs, to the internal organs, to the skin, different parts of the body interact with musical instruments, with other bodies and the world around them to create music. It's no wonder, then, that musicians and their health are a topic of interest in medicine.

An interesting example was presented by the British Dental Museum this year with the exhibition The Challenge of the Perfect Embouchure. Defined as "the way in which a player applies their mouth to the mouthpiece of a brass or wind instrument, especially as it affects the production of the sound," embouchure is critical for players of these kinds of instruments.

The exhibition was dedicated to Maurice Porter, a dentist and amateur clarinettist who became an authority on embouchure during the 50s and 60s. One of the first doctors to pay attention to how poor dental or facial health was specifically detrimental to wind and brass players, Porter wrote some ...

Continue Reading...

How To Ensure Safety On Stage (And What To Do If An Accident Happens)

Recently, I have had quite a lot of gigs. The occasions are different and so are the circumstances. Sometimes, I am playing on a terrace, some others, on a function room, or a hall, or at a bar... As I usually have to bring my own PA system, and even when I don't, I have to think about the safety of everybody involved, including myself, when I set it.

A few weeks ago, in London, I arrived to the venue where I was going to play when the guests were already at the bar, coming from the wedding ceremony to attend the drinks' reception. I had to survey where the plug points were, and think where to set up, without the guests seeing me directly. I had to make sure that my speakers were firm on their stands and that the cables connecting them to the console were not a tripping hazard for me or other musicians coming on stage.

Sounds a bit nerve-wracking, doesn't it? Well, it is not too bad, especially not after years of practise, but you have to be attentive and careful, and always make sur...

Continue Reading...