pandemic

“Grit” – Why passion and resilience are the keys to success. (Angela Duckworth)

Hello blog world. It’s been a while! Well over a year and a half, in fact, and I’ve been procrastinating and cogitating about re-starting my blog-writing and what topic to write about.

Covid and the pandemic was a pretty brutal experience and tested us all, (me included), to the very limit. It’s asked questions of us, many of which remain either unanswered, that have tested our resilience and resolve to the very limit, and beyond. On a personal level, I lost my Mum, not directly because of Covid, but it did compound issues and I’m convinced her death wouldn’t have happened had it not been for the restrictions/isolation etc. and I have mild long-Covid, having suffered with fatigue and a loss of taste, which makes eating more of a chore than a pleasure nowadays.

On a professional level, the Arts and the people involved in them have suffered particularly badly, with jobs sadly being lost and performers giving up their profession for assorted reasons, ranging from financial pressures, to lack of confidence in their own ability. I was one of the lucky ones, that managed to pull through the last few years, but it’s only now that I’m starting to feel a tad more positive (albeit guardedly) about the future.

Mixed emotions

So despite everything, and all that’s happened, I’ve come out the other end of it all, filled with contrasting emotions of sadness, but also an over-riding sense of gratitude.

Sadness, for the loss of my Mum, the upheaval and devastation to mine and other peoples’ lives, both personally and professionally and the impact that Covid had and is still having on our lives today. But on the flip side, there’s gratitude. “Gratitude! How can you find anything to be grateful for after the past 3 or so years?” I hear you ask. Well, readers of bestselling author Darren Hardy, will know that he advocates taking time to reflect and to think of all the positives in our lives, and drawing the positives from even the most negative of periods that we go through.

My gratitude takes into account, that despite losing my Mum during Covid, I was one of the fortunate ones that was able to be sat with her at her hospital bed in her final hours, unlike many poor families who were denied those precious moments and had to say their goodbyes via a telephone or i-pad. Next, I am grateful that I had the financial resilience to withstand losing virtually all of my freelance work during the pandemic and that I hadn’t lost both my marbles and my appetite to “get back on the horse” once restrictions were lifted.

“Another one (nearly) bites the dust”

One of the many musical activities that nearly bit the dust as a result of Covid, (due to players giving up playing altogether, or finding new hobbies and interests) and was one that I had personally invested a lot of time and effort in helping to get off the ground only 5 years ago – the Royal British Legion Band of Wales . Ironically, this was an ensemble that I’ve conducted on a voluntary basis, since it’s foundation, and could easily have been classed as a non-work project, not worth fighting for, and letting it go quietly, like many ensembles post-Covid.

Curiously though, this was one that I felt really passionately and strongly about and I felt that I owed it to the fellow-founders of the Band and the handful of remaining players, to stick with it and battle on! The “bad voices” in my head told me to focus on my work, and not to waste my time and efforts on projects that were dead in the water. Fortunately the “good voices” prevailed and thanks to the passion and resilience of a small cohort of players and administrators, the Band rallied, consolidated, grew and in partnership with some guest players from another band, managed on Saturday 19th of August 2023, to achieve what you see below! A Band that, during its short 5-year lifespan, went from near-extinction, to performing on a global stage, and is now looking forward to a future with much more positivity and enthusiasm.

The Royal British Legion Band of Wales accompanying the Massed Choirs at the Wales v South Africa Rugby International.
Principality Stadium, Cardiff 19.08.23

To fill in the blanks, the Welsh Rugby Union invited the Band to perform alongside the Massed Choirs, the pre-match music and national anthems for the Wales v South Africa Rugby International, which was the final warm-up game for Wales, prior to going to France for the 2023 Rugby World Cup Finals. Not a bad gig I’m sure you’ll all agree and one in which the Band acquitted themselves brilliantly! A great day was had by all ….. apart from the Welsh team, who sadly got trounced by the Bokke!

Following the glitz and glamour of performing at the Principality Stadium, we’re back to it in a couple of weeks after our Summer break, and it will be back to the “real world” of rehearsals and preparation for upcoming events, including Remembrance commemorations of course, but none of this, nor the Stadium appearance would be possible without Grit!

Was there ever a better reason to highlight why passion and resilience are the keys to success?

The last few months will have been the most difficult many of us will have encountered in our lifetime. Up until late last year, most people weren’t even aware of Coronavirus or Covid-19, but by the time of writing this blog (August 2020) it will have affected most people across the world in so many different ways, causing untold heartbreak and suffering that will have a long-lasting legacy that, for some, will never be overcome.

My first “encounter” with C-19 was in March whilst sprawled on a sun lounger enjoying a much needed holiday in Thailand. I started reading news reports of flights being instructed to turn around mid-air and return to their point of departure, as countries starting going into immediate lock down. This was quickly followed by a succession of e-mails and messages stating that a number of future music events were either being postponed or cancelled due to the uncertainty of what was happening.

Coronavirus

Fast forward to August and the landscape is so unlike anything anyone could have predicted, it borders on the surreal! No gigs, no rehearsals, no weddings, no concerts, no playing brass instruments indoors! No income!!!

Before I continue, I must be grateful. Grateful that I am alive, that I have not contracted C-19 and thankfully neither has any of my family nor my friends, therefore I have not suffered, as many thousands of people have truly suffered. I have not had to risk my life on a daily basis and don uncomfortable protective clothing (PPE) for hours on end in order to try and treat patients suffering from this terrible pandemic, nor have I been stranded in a foreign country (although it was touch and go getting home from Thailand!) or totally isolated from loved ones – my Mum might disagree with that latter statement, but we got there in the end.

Now to my reason for writing. This pandemic has caused another form of hardship and suffering. Regardless of whether you “do politics” or not, the harsh reality is that there has been a huge schism created between the “haves” and the “have nots”.

In an effort to maintain lock down and at the same time protecting jobs and the future economy, Chancellor of The Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced that UK companies would be able to furlough employees, who would receive 80% of their income whilst staying at home, in order to reduce the potential spread of the virus. This seemed like a sensible idea initially, however once the criteria were scrutinised, it became apparent that this was deeply flawed, especially when it came to people who were freelancers, self-employed, company directors and those working on freelance PAYE (Pay as you earn) contracts.

Coronavirus disease outbreak (COVID-19)

Despite numerous funds and support schemes being made available, many of these above mentioned people were ineligible for ANY kind of support and sadly, I was also one of them! The Self Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS), the Culture Resilience Fund, the Urgent Response Fund, the Stabilisation Fund for Individuals, local Council Grants, Universal Credit, Job Seekers Allowance etc. etc. etc.

So many people in fact, they number in excess of 3 million workers and are now known collectively as ExcludedUK. People, many who had spent years investing both financially and in blood, sweat and tears to establish successful businesses, or who had recently gone to “the other side” and left secure employed positions to follow their dream and run their own business. No income, no support, no hope!

This little piggy couldn’t afford to go to market,
This little piggy stayed at home (due to lockdown),
Other little piggies had roast beef,
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy went…
“Why are wee wee different to all the other piggies” all the way through this pandemic…?

Despite vociferous protests and pleading, the Chancellor was, and remains deaf to our pleas for help, despite the fact that all of us have worked and paid our taxes over the years and will be expected (rightly so) to contribute to the State taxation system in the future. So why should 3 million people be left to hang out to dry?

Over the last few months, members of ExcludedUK have not only had to endure financial hardships, whilst their family and friends around them enjoy Government support, but also the sort of bigoted and misinformed opinions that have really shown how little understanding there is of our plight and how the economy works, particularly for the self-employed. Comments such as “well you’ve enjoyed being paid cash in hand over the years, so stop whining!” or “you pay less tax than employed workers so what’s your problem?” really does cut to the quick and the inference that we are anything less than honest or transparent about our working practises, is quite frankly insulting.

To put the record straight, as a self-employed musician, I declare ALL my income for ALL the work that I do and pay my taxes as expected on time and in full, as do the vast majority of my law-abiding colleagues . Running a business means that I am the operations manager, the transport department, the marketing department, the accounts department, the customer service department and in charge of professional development and training. We DO NOT enjoy the perks and benefits of sick pay and holiday pay, we often don’t get paid on time (sometimes not at all) and we are often seen as a vehicle for extreme bartering on our rates and fees.

The retort is usually “Why are you self-employed then, get out if you can’t stand the heat?” Simply, I wouldn’t change it for the world and enjoy every minute of it “living the dream” and doing what I love, despite the above problems.

All I (and my 3 million other Excluded colleagues) ask for, is parity and justice. Not too much to ask for surely – is it?

The new “normal” – Girl with mask to protect her from Coronavirus

So next time you see a family member or friend mention the Excluded in a social media post or hear it in conversation, don’t just walk on by as “it doesn’t affect me”. Please spare a few minutes to hear what that person’s struggles are, they are very real and they are possibly at breaking point. The stories that have circulated on the ExcludedUK chat groups are truly heart-breaking and if you can lend a sympathetic ear, it may have far more impact than you could ever imagine and help that person get through one day more!

My wish is that we ALL come through this safely, with our families and current jobs intact and AS EQUALS.

This blog is written as my personal story and is not intended to represent ExcludedUK or any other member of the group. There are 3 million other stories to be told!

For more details about Andrew Jones , please visit the Music for You web-site