Musicians' Union launches 'Coronavirus Hardship Fund'
The 1 Million Pound fund is for MU members with genuine and pressing hardship.
The Musician's Union has launched the MU Coronavirus Hardship Fund in order to help support those musicians who may be struggling in these times.
Musicians have lost more than £14m in earnings so far
90% have been affected
Job opportunities are down 69% on this time last year
"In response to the widespread cancellation of work that has hit our profession as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we have taken the decision to set up a £1M hardship fund that members with genuine and pressing hardship can apply to." Says the MU.
The fund is open to any current member of the Union who has:
- Been in continuous membership of the MU for the last twelve months or more
- Is currently paying the full MU membership subscription rate
- Is a UK resident
- Is suffering genuine hardship from loss of work due to the Coronavirus pandemic
- Has not already successfully received a payment from the MU Coronavirus Hardship Fund
On their website the MU also state that, "it must be emphasised that this is a hardship fund and not a fee replacement fund. The fund will not stretch very far if members who have lost bookings but are not in dire need of financial help all apply."
Grants will be initially limited to £200 to start with, and you will be able to find out if your application has been successful within 3 working days of applying.
Read more about the grand on the Musician's Union website and find out if you are eligible here.
https://twitter.com/WeAreTheMU/status/1242001171641966593
Visit our Coronavirus help page.
Learning Under LockdownCoronavirus moves life online
Covid-19 moves life online
– here’s how we can help
Coronavirus has begun to shake the UK – and indeed the world – in a way that was unimaginable even just one month ago. As we self-isolate, quarantine and social distance in the interest of our public health and collective well-being life has shifted online more and more.
Musicians too have been drastically effected by the global pandemic; event cancellations, gig postponements – the very backbone of the musician’s income taken from underneath them in the most unprecedented way.
Thankfully humans are adaptable creatures. Already, artists and creatives are capitalising on their capacity to mobilise online – online streaming of performances and DJ sets, tutors and artists offering classes online, and platforms like Bandcamp wavering fees to support unsigned acts. Our digital world seems more important now, than it ever has been before. Not just as a means to stay connected when people need it most, but as a way to earn and maintain and income stream, as well as learn new things as stay as motivated, entertained and switched on as we can.
We’ve also been trying to adapt.

We understand a lot of artists might be out of work at the moment, or failing that, slightly more bored than usual, working (or isolating) at home for the foreseeable future.
We’re happy to be able to offer a few small things to musician’s during these trying times…
Free Songwriting & Creative Lyric Approaches short course
Firstly AMS Online's FREE online songwriting short course (creative lyric approaches) is available to enrol onto now. You can expand your skills for free, and try and make the most of that time social distancing.
The syllabus for this course is set out over four weeks, with each week focusing on different areas of lyric writing. Each week provides helpful, practical, creative conversations and activities in order to help you grow as a songwriter and musical communicator. The course is suitable for beginners through to experienced songwriters; anyone who wishes to invigorate or reinvigorate their lyrical output.
Free online short courses from AMS
Our Edinburgh and Glasgow centres recently announced a new series of free short courses, which were originally programmed to take place at both centres over the coming few months. Now sadly, due to the situation dates for the physical workshops will look to be moved, while provision for the courses to be made available online has now been approved and will be available soon! This means ANYONE will be able to take part and they’re completely free.
Read more about the courses on offer on our dedicated page.

Fast-Track an online degree
Plus, a lot has been interrupted during the strange period, but if you’re feeling like being quite productive during this time, you might be interested in our Fast Track Degree scheme. The scheme allows music industry professionals with relevant experience the chance to ‘fast-track’ to the final year of a BA degree in music, sound, production etc (see our courses here), and you could get a degree for a third of the price, for a third of the time – and all from the comfort (or confines…) of your home.
Interested? Sign up here.
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Academy of Music and Sound and AMS Online x
Learning Under Lockdown – Coronavirus moves life online
Here's how AMS Online can help.
Coronavirus has begun to shake the UK – and indeed the world – in a way that was unimaginable even just one month ago. As we self-isolate, quarantine and social distance in the interest of our public health and collective well-being life has shifted online more and more.
Musicians too have been drastically effected by the global pandemic; event cancellations, gig postponements – the very backbone of the musician’s income taken from underneath them in the most unprecedented way.
Thankfully humans are adaptable creatures. Already, artists and creatives are capitalising on their capacity to mobilise online – online streaming of performances and DJ sets, tutors and artists offering classes online, and platforms like Bandcamp wavering fees to support unsigned acts. Our digital world seems more important now, than it ever has been before. Not just as a means to stay connected when people need it most, but as a way to earn and maintain and income stream, as well as learn new things as stay as motivated, entertained and switched on as we can.
We've also been trying to adapt.

We understand a lot of artists might be out of work at the moment, or failing that, slightly more bored than usual, working (or isolating) at home for the foreseeable future.
We're happy to be able to offer a few small things to musician's during these trying times...
Free Songwriting & Creative Lyric Approaches short course
Firstly our FREE online songwriting short course (creative lyric approaches) is available to enrol onto now. You can expand your skills for free, and try and make the most of that time social distancing.
The syllabus for this course is set out over four weeks, with each week focusing on different areas of lyric writing. Each week provides helpful, practical, creative conversations and activities in order to help you grow as a songwriter and musical communicator. The course is suitable for beginners through to experienced songwriters; anyone who wishes to invigorate or reinvigorate their lyrical output.
Free online short courses from AMS
Our Edinburgh and Glasgow centres recently announced a new series of free short courses, which were originally programmed to take place at both centres over the coming few months. Now sadly, due to the situation dates for the physical workshops will look to be moved, while provision for the courses to be made available online has now been approved and will be available soon!

Fast-Track an online degree
Plus, a lot has been interrupted during the strange period, but if you're feeling like being quite productive during this time, you might be interested in our Fast Track Degree scheme. The scheme allows music industry professionals with relevant experience the chance to 'fast-track' to the final year of a BA degree in music, sound, production etc (see our courses here), and you could get a degree for a third of the price, for a third of the time – and all from the comfort (or confines...) of your home.
Interested? Sign up here.
Stay safe.
AMS Online x
Our Free Short Courses are now being developed for online delivery
A Good News Story!
In the light of recent developments there have been a lot of cancellations, the most recent being the annual Glastonbury Festival, and a lot of changes makes for some very negative reading. So here's a good news story! Our short courses that are delivered in Edinburgh and Glasgow have been approved for online delivery.
Short Courses from the comfort of your home...
Currently we run short courses in Sound Production, Synthesis, Rap & hip hop, Working in Live Music and Women's Employability in Music. Read more about all the courses that will be available here.
All online courses will be free of charge - and will hopefully give students and the wider public the change to learn something new and channel some positive energies during all this self-isolation.
As soon as the model for online delivery has been devised details will be available, so keep an eye on these pages for updates.
Coronavirus Update March 16th – WE'RE CLOSED
All of our Academy of Music & Sound centres are now closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Exeter, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Southampton and Gateshead will all be closed until further notice.
Our head office Exeter will also be closed with all staff working from home. They are reachable on email.
Current students: Please keep an eye on the site for updates should this change.
All course material will be available online and our staff will be reachable by email. Take a look at our contact page for relevant email addresses.
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Please stay healthy and safe as best as possible. Remember, there are some key things you can do, as an individual, to help stop the spread*
- Wash your hands thoroughly, with soap and hot water for 20 seconds or more - and often
- Try and pay with contactless where possible
- Avoid public and communal spaces and facilities including events, and stay at home if you experience any symptoms and call 111.
- Always wash your hands when you get home or into work
- Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
- Put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterward
- Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell
It's also important not to panic too much - this includes buying only what you need from supermarkets - if you buy enough for yourself and your family only, there will be enough. Please think of others.
If you're working in the events, music or arts sectors and you've been effected by the virus, head to our page on advice and tips, and how you can support yourself and others in the scene at this time.
*Source: NHS UK.
Four students on inspirations & the music industry, for International Women's Day 2020
We interviewed four Female AMS students about the female artists inspiring them and how they feel about being a woman in the music industry in 2020.
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For International Women’s Day 2020 we spoke to 4 female students studying at various AMS centres and on our online programme. They discussed the female artists who have inspired them the most, and spoke about the struggles and obstacles of being a woman in the music business today.
Are there inequalities? Do they feel that they have the same opportunities as men? What would they like to see change in the industry?
We spoke to four students; Isla, a Glasgow student, Chloe, a second year vocal student studying in Exeter, Astrid (who performs under the name Milly Eon), a final year student on the AMS Online production course, and Hannah, a first year Edinburgh HNC student. Each student gave measured and interesting responses, drawing on their personal experiences and wider issues in the music industry – everything from representation, diversity, expectations and opportunity was covered. Interestingly, the largest and weightiest section of the interview comes after we asked the students – “what challenges have you faced within the industry?”
But it’s not all doom and gloom; it’s International Women’s Day and there’s plenty to be celebrated in regards to female talent, progress, and otherwise unrecognised hard work within the sector! The students spoke about some of their favourite female artists and who is inspiring them right now; they also spoke about what they would like to see change in the industry, and commented on the positive progress that is being made.
Dive in and enjoy… Oh, and Happy International Women’s Day.
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Which female artists are inspiring you right now?
Isla: “Amy Winehouse, Birdy and Ella Henderson have been massive inspirations throughout my music journey so far. Particularly Ella Henderson – she has massively inspired the way I write. I feel her way of writing music and lyrical content is extremely emotive and beautiful.”
Astrid: “Missy Elliot! She’s one of my main influences at the moment. I also love Queen Latifah, although I haven’t heard anything recently that she’s done, but i’ve heard some of Missy Elliott latest tracks, she seems to stay quite relevant which is what I really like about her. She always stays current and I think I draw most of my inspiration from her. She’s my main go-to female producer at the moment.”
Hannah: “Although our voices, image and style are so different, Amy Winehouse has inspired me in many ways. Her singing style is unique, and you cannot categorise her into one genre, which, in my own way, is what I aim for in my career. People know me as an indie-folk singer, but I also like to mix in some blues and soul vibes! What I love about the way Amy sings is how much heart and passion is put into her songs. Her voice is rich with emotion, which is what sets her apart from singers of the same genre. I love the way her songs are brutally honest. They have been written for more than commercial reasons and the emotive way she sings them tells her story, which is what I aim for.”
Chloe: “Beyonce is someone I have always been someone who has inspired me to push myself and believe in myself. She stands up for women’s rights, empowers women and changes people’s lives.. From when she was in Destiny’s Child, to now as a solo artist she’s continued to inspire me with her song writing, morals, family values and singing. She helped me a lot with things like body empowerment, loving myself and realising it’s okay to be different!”

What about when you were getting into music for the first time?
Isla: “I wish I had more female musical influences growing up but unfortunately this wasn’t the case.”
What barriers are there for women in the music industry today?
Isla: “Women don’t have as many opportunities within the industry as men, which is extremely disappointing as there are so many young women who have so much drive and passion for being a full time musician, but don’t always have the same chances as men.
“Sometimes men are seen as ‘more capable’ when it comes to performing and producing – women have different qualities and talents that men don’t. I think so many more women are needed within the industry to help girls who are growing up to understand that the things they’re going through are or were experienced by us as well.”
Astrid: “It’s very male dominated – especially areas like electronic music.”
Isla: “Diversity is so important because it allows everyone to be seen as an individual regardless of gender, race, sexuality… Diversity allows people to be unique without feeling the need to label themselves as something they’re not and this is something in which the younger generations need to be exposed to.”
“When I started producing I was often mistaken for the singer. It’s a stereotype in the industry that females are usually assumed to be the vocalist rather than a producer.”
Have you faced any challenges within the industry?
Isla: “I have faced many challenges in terms of setbacks both in music and personally, I have struggled massively with my mental health and believing in myself. I have doubted my abilities from time to time but I always take these as learning curves and topics in which I can develop lyrical content from. There are always positives to take from these negative times and many of my favourite songs in which I have written have come off the back of these harder times.
Hannah: “It could be down to the folk genre that I’m part of that attracts lovely and open people, but in my experience, I have always been very welcome as an artist. I have noticed though that the industry seems to attract more males than females in general. For example, in my college, there is a high ratio of males to females. I couldn’t say why this was though!”
Astrid: “When I started producing I was often mistaken for the singer – It’s a stereotype in the industry that females are usually assumed to be the vocalist rather than a producer, there’s a lot of that kind of thing going on! I’ve had people contact me on Soundcloud and say ‘bro how you doing’ – and I’m like woah, I’m a female not a male! What gave you that idea?”
“They are often shocked and skeptical when they find out I’m actually the engineer; there’s quite a lot of scepticism from male singers that I’ve come across, only to find out that they really like my work and they really like how I’m able to tune into their production and their vocals…”
“I guess it goes with the stereotype of assuming women can’t do a male’s job, and then the shock of finding out your production skills! It’s like looking at a female mechanic – you assume it to be a male’s role – and then you find out a female is going to fix your car, so it’s that initial shock, or disruption to your expectation – the seemingly out of the norm…”
“There is so much media influence on the appearance of female musicians – it doesn’t matter about height, weight, acne, scars and stretch marks, or their past. All that should matter in music is the voice and the story the person is trying to tell.”
What would you change?
Astrid: “I would like to see a lot more female producers in the industry, I'd like to see a lot of female engineers as well – I don't know why that is the way it is, you know, why it is so male dominated? It's an interesting thing really.
Isla: “I would love to see more performance opportunities such as on stage at festivals like the Queen Tuts stage at trnsmt festival – who’s to say females can’t be on the main stage at gigs like this? I believe women can bring so much maturity and be the voice for so many people out there who are afraid to speak upon how they feel when addressing certain topics!”
"Who’s to say females can’t be on the main stage at gigs like this?"

Is there progress being made for women in the industry?
Isla: “I think progress is being made, but sometimes we are still pushing to be heard which can be difficult , especially for younger women. There is so much media influence on the appearance of female musicians – it doesn’t matter about height, weight, acne, scars and stretch marks, or their past. All that should matter in music is the voice and the story the person is trying to tell. Artists like Billie Eilish are doing it for us women right now, but I feel we all have so much more to give than people could even think.”
Hannah: “I can’t think of any instances where I have been treated differently because I am female. I am not saying that sort of thing doesn’t exist, but I think we have come so far and it’s great and we should celebrate that.”
Astrid: “From my experience it seems to be still very male dominated, and there seems to be many more female vocalists than there are female engineers or producers. I've not seen many female producers at all.
"I guess it goes back a long way - plenty in history of female inequality! There's still lots of changes to be made. There’s more to be done, definitely.”
Check out Isla, Chloe, Hannah and Astrid (Milly Eon)'s music on their social channels:
Hip Hop and Rap short course added to Glasgow programme! Full details of Short Courses 2020
A range of new short courses has been added to AMS Scotland's 2020 programme.
The new short courses will take place in our Glasgow & Edinburgh centres and includes a Hip Hop and Rap workshop, Women's Empowerment and Employability in the music industry talks, and a Digital Synthesis and Sampling course.
Joining the short course team is Steg G, who will be delivering our very first Rap and Hip Hop Workshop covering; lyric writing, beat making, performing and production techniques.
We're very excited about this new addition – and look forward to welcoming Steg to our team. Hip Hop and Rap is a huge part of music culture, and we are looking forward to including it in our short course provision. The course is designed to help you with your lyric writing, song structure, production skills, music theory basics and music production techniques with access to industry-standard music production equipment and software.
Other new courses include the follow up to January's Women Employment in the Music Industry workshop; the second instalment of this series will take place in April.
See the full short course programme, includes dates and locations, below.
SOUND PRODUCTION 1 BEGINNERS
Our free Sound Production short course offers a comprehensive introduction to everything you need to know about recording techniques. This includes recording live instruments, MIDI recording, layering, mixing, mastering and more. With access to industry-standard audio equipment and software, as well as expert tutors to get you up to speed, the course is a perfect introduction to the modern recording industry.
- Glasgow dates (2020)
Monday 30th March to Friday 3rd April – full-day classes (Mon- Fri, 10AM – 5PM)
One week intensive and concluding on Friday 3rd April. - Edinburgh dates (2020)
Sunday 5th of April – full-day classes (every Sun 10AM – 5PM)
For 6 weeks concluding on Sunday 9th May 2020.Apply HERE
SOUND PRODUCTION 2 ADVANCED
Building on the skills and knowledge from our first Sound Production course, this new programme will explore the fundamentals of recording theory and best practice. These classes are focused on exploring the dynamic range of recorded material and equalisation techniques applied to various genres and styles. Towards the end of the course, we will also be exploring employability within the creative industries and various opportunities while working towards a professional portfolio.
It is highly recommended that you have completed Sound Production 1 before applying for the follow-up course
- Glasgow (2020)
DATES TBC - Edinburgh dates (2020)
From Saturday 4th of April – full-day classes (every Sat for 6 weeks, 10AM – 5PM)
For 6 weeks concluding on Saturday 9th May 2020.Apply HERE
WORKING IN THE LIVE MUSIC SECTOR SONGWRITING WORKSHOP
These creative classes will focus on improving your songwriting techniques, lyrical writing techniques and also help with improving melodies and chord progressions. As part of the course, you will have to perform your original material in front of other peers which leads up to a final performance towards the end of the course.
- Glasgow Dates (2020)
DATES TBCApply HERE
RAP AND HIP HOP SONGWRITING / BEAT MAKING WORKSHOP
Newly added: Our Hip Hop, Rap, & Grime workshop will include making your very own songs, lyrics and exploring various production methods around beat making. This free short-course will provide an introduction to the essentials delivered and curated by award-winning Hip Hop artist, Steg G. By the end of this course, you should feel more confident with your lyric writing, song structure, production skills, music theory basics and music production techniques with access to industry-standard music production equipment and software.
- Glasgow Dates (2020)
Monday 6th of April - Friday 10th April – full-day classes (Mon to Fri, 10AM – 5PM)
Concluding on Friday 10th of April.Apply HERE
WOMEN IN MUSIC EMPOWERMENT AND EMPLOYABILITY
Our Women in Music: Empowerment and Employability Course are designed to give you the knowledge, practical awareness and confidence to create your own opportunity’s in life and within the music industry. We want to help you feel confident and use your voice where “Girls should be seen not heard” is still a dominant mentality. Join us and meet like-minded women, tailor your CV and gain priceless interview skills.
- Edinburgh dates (2020)
Four day course, running over two consecutive weekends the 18th, 19th, 25th and 16th of April 2020Apply HERE
DIGITAL SYNTHESIS AND SAMPLING
Our Digital Synthesis and Sampling Short Course offers you the chance to learn how to programme and use an Axoloti synthesiser. On completion of our free course you will even get to keep your synthesiser! Our programme has been developed in-house using the Working in the Live Music Sector framework.
- Glasgow dates (2020)
DATES TBCApply HERE