Musicians' Union Profile picture
The UK's trade union for musicians. A 35,000 strong community. Please note, evening & weekend tweets are scheduled in advance. Join a bigger band #WeAreTheMU
Mar 10, 2023 19 tweets 10 min read
The MU is working closely with BBC Singers and the three BBC orchestras facing job cuts.

Here's what the union is doing and how you can show your solidarity...

🧵👇 As the trade union for musicians in the UK, the MU has been providing representation and support to members since Tuesday morning.

That includes attending orchestra briefings, emergency meetings with reps & members to work on the union’s response, and building political support.
Mar 9, 2023 6 tweets 5 min read
UPDATE

The MU has written to Prime Minister @RishiSunak and Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport @LucyFrazerMP.

Our letter calls for support for BBC Singers and orchestras, and an extension to the increased rate of Orchestral Tax Relief beyond April.

[Thread] .@UK_Music has also written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer @Jeremy_Hunt.

The MU is a founder member and on the board of UK Music, the umbrella group for the whole music industry.

It’s another avenue for the union to campaign and lobby on big issues like these.
Nov 4, 2022 11 tweets 3 min read
The Musicians' Union has today heavily criticised the decision by Arts Council England to make major cuts in public funding to English National Opera and other arts organisations.

[Thread] ENO is set to lose £12.8m from its annual funding and instead will receive just £17m over the next three years to ‘develop a new business model.’

This news is accompanied by the recommendation that the organisation also relocates from London to Manchester by 2026.
Nov 3, 2022 6 tweets 3 min read
November is #YoungWorkersMonth! A month to celebrate young workers in the movement, spotlight issues young members face, and explore how we can collectively create change... One of the most powerful things you can do as an MU member is get involved in the MU Delegate Conference.

It's the most powerful decision-making body in the union.
Dec 3, 2021 64 tweets 48 min read
This is MU Deputy General Secretary @NaomiPohl taking over @WeAreTheMU for live commentary and analysis on the #BrennanBill debate starting shortly. #FixStreaming #BrokenRecord Watch live on BBC Parliament or ParliamentLive.TV at parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/d9…
Dec 2, 2021 6 tweets 5 min read
Today @KevinBrennanMP, MU Deputy General Secretary @NaomiPohl & @EstherMcVey1 delivered a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to support the #BrennanBill.

The Bill aims to #FixStreaming and make the UK the best place in the world to be a musician or music creator… Photo of Naomi, Kevin and Esther outside Number 10 Downing S Support for the #BrennanBill is growing and bridges party divides, with MPs on all sides of Parliament expressing their approval.

Many joined us at a photocall in support of the Bill to #FixStreaming. Find out if your MP was one of them 👇

musiciansunion.org.uk/news/mps-join-…
Jan 10, 2021 4 tweets 4 min read
We are angry and alarmed at reports that our own elected representatives chose to turn down an EU offer of visa-free touring by British musicians, after reassurances that our £101.5bn #CreativeArts and £5.8bn #MusicIndustry were a priority.

👉 musiciansunion.org.uk/all-news-and-f…

(1/4) White text and yellow quotation marks on a plain grey backgr As the Musicians' Union, with 32,000 members, we have been campaigning for the #MusiciansPassport to make sure #musicians and #crew can keep #WorkingInTheEU without extra cost and admin.

👉 change.org/p/government-p…

(2/4)
Dec 11, 2020 19 tweets 22 min read
Earlier this year, songwriters, composers and performers started sharing how little they got from streaming – while big music companies raked in billions #BrokenRecord...

#FixStreaming #KeepMusicAlive

.@IvorsAcademy and the Musicians’ Union started campaigning for a Government review - and over 17,000 of you backed the call...

#FixStreaming #KeepMusicAlive

change.org/p/the-rt-hon-o…
Dec 8, 2020 4 tweets 6 min read
Miss @fionabevan, @sowetokinch and legend @nilerodgers giving evidence at the @CommonsDCMS #MusicStreamingInquiry today?

Check out the highlights & analysis from MU Deputy General Secretary @NaomiPohl 👇 It's time to #FixStreaming and #KeepMusicAlive!

Catch up with part two of today's @CommonsDCMS #MusicStreamingInquiry highlights & analysis from MU Deputy General Secretary @NaomiPohl 👇

Dec 8, 2020 28 tweets 16 min read
Really great that the #MusicStreamingInquiry is hearing how fair remuneration for musicians from streaming could work in practice - NP A final question in the first session on the impact of Brexit on music. Maria Forte says "Brexit is bad for musicians if there's no deal and if there's a deal then who knows". @kwamekwaten agrees: "as there is currently no deal I can only see it being bad". #WorkingintheEU
Dec 8, 2020 22 tweets 11 min read
This is MU Deputy General Secretary @NaomiPohl! I am taking over @WeAreTheMU for the next few hours for a @CommonsDCMS #MusicStreamingInquiry tweetalong. Sessions start at 10am. This is why it matters: musiciansunion.org.uk/Home/News/2020… #FixStreaming Catch up with some of the highlights from the first #MusicStreamingInquiry sessions looking at creators’ experiences musiciansunion.org.uk/Home/News/2020… as well as Equitable Remuneration & transparency musiciansunion.org.uk/Home/News/2020… #FixStreaming - NP
Sep 16, 2020 56 tweets 29 min read
10 minutes to go until the next #AskTheMU! Got a question about streaming, royalties, or the campaign to #FixStreaming and keep music alive? Ask now #AskTheMU Hi everyone, this is Naomi Pohl from @WeAreTheMU and Graham Davies from @IvorsAcademy. We’ll be answering your questions about streaming over the next 30 minutes or so. Do you have a question about streaming, royalties or our #FixStreaming campaign? Ask us #AskTheMU
Aug 24, 2020 21 tweets 12 min read
Hi there. This is @NaomiPohl, Deputy General Secretary of the Musicians’ Union. I’m taking over @WeAreTheMU for the next 30mins to answer your questions #AskTheMU - NP We’ll be taking questions at random from across our social media channels and the website. I will try to get through as many as I can. But if we don’t get to yours, please take a look at our Covid-19 advice hub at themu.org/coronavirus - NP #AskTheMU
Jun 9, 2020 19 tweets 12 min read
.@CommonsDCMS evidence session on the impact of COVID-19 on theatre and live music is on now! Starting with evidence from @uk_theatre. Find out more and watch live > musiciansunion.org.uk/Home/News/2020… .@uk_theatre has three asks of Government:

• the workforce, extending support and closing gaps in SEISS

• theatre recovery, including the thousands of small companies that make up the sector, and

• safeguarding the industry for the future

Jun 4, 2020 11 tweets 11 min read
Today at 1pm! Join @LadyVMusic plus special guests @crispinhunt, @ShaoDowMusic and @naomipohl for Music & Coffee. Looking at why we need to #FixStreaming and #KeepMusicAlive. Register for your free place > ivorsacademy.com/event/music-co… @IvorsAcademy Join Naomi, Crispin, Shao Dow and Lady V for Music & Coffee "I like music. It's what I do, it's my passion, it's my life... and I'm painfully aware that my income is not entirely sustainable" - @ShaoDowMusic shares how he came to the #fixstreaming debate. Join us for Music & Coffee until 2pm > ivorsacademy.com/event/music-co… #KeepMusicAlive
Jun 1, 2020 9 tweets 7 min read
The Musicians’ Union stands with our Black members and all Black communities against all forms of racism, violence and discrimination. When we say "behind every musician”, we mean it.

#BlackLivesMatter

#TheShowMustBePaused Music industry black out tuesday encourages everyone in the music industry to connect with their communities We are joining the music industry blackout to be part of an action that we hope affects real change, that starts an honest conversation about racism and its deadly consequences.

theshowmustbepaused.com

#TheShowMustBePaused
Apr 9, 2020 27 tweets 12 min read
Hi there. This is Naomi Pohl. I’m Deputy General Secretary of the Musicians’ Union. I’m here for the next 30 minutes to answer your questions about any aspect of your work, or what we’re doing for musicians during the coronavirus outbreak. If you have any, let us know #AskTheMU A community coming together, protecting each other I’ll be choosing questions at random from across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and our web feedback tool. It’s a good way of leaving us immediate feedback on our online advice and what you need.
Mar 25, 2020 25 tweets 14 min read
Hi! This is Horace, General Secretary of the Musicians’ Union. I really hope you’re all keeping well. I’m here to answer your questions for the next 30 minutes #AskTheMU Hi James, thanks for your question. There is no reason for schools to let a lack of knowledge put them off online teaching when moving lessons online will be such a valuable lifeline for music teachers (1/3) #AskTheMU
Mar 20, 2020 30 tweets 14 min read
Good morning! This is Naomi Pohl, Deputy General Secretary of the Musicians’ Union.

I’m taking over @WeAreTheMU to answer your questions about working as a musician, the impact of coronavirus and anything else on your mind #AskTheMU

#coronavirusupdate #covid19uk #coronavirusuk A community coming together, protecting each other Ask your questions using the hashtag #AskTheMU. We’ll be taking them at random from Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I will try to get through as many as I can in the next 45 minutes. #AskTheMU
Mar 18, 2020 28 tweets 16 min read
Hi! It’s Naomi here, Deputy General Secretary of the Musicians’ Union. I’ll be here answering questions until 9.45am. If you have any, let us know using the hashtag #AskTheMU A community coming together, protecting each other We’ll be choosing questions at random from Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I will try to get through as many as I can in the next 45 minutes. #AskTheMU
Mar 17, 2020 7 tweets 3 min read
"The problem for our members is 90% of our members are self employed. So if they can't work, they can't get paid"

MU Deputy General Secretary Naomi Pohl is on @BBCRadioLondon right now talking about coronavirus and its impact on musicians... "Sessions in studios are being shut down as well as you've got lots of musicians in close proximity. One of the problems with the Government's advice last night is that it wasn't prescriptive enough. It's left businesses in a very tricky position"