Three EESC members speak about the particular challenges musicians and other workers in the music industry have faced during the pandemic, how digital tools were used to overcome some of these challenges and their conclusions for the future of the music sector. Janusz Pietkiewicz from the Employers' Group; Maria Nikolopoulou from the Workers' Group and Rachel Brishoual from the Civil Society Organisations' Group discuss the opportunities digitalisation in the music industry offered during the pandemic and how to use this innovation moving forward. They said that live music creates a strong contact between artists and the public, but that online tools are an opportunity to reach new audiences and to experiment with new music expressions.
For this old music Academy, technology is playing a greater role. They used during the pandemic many digital tools, like the low latency audiovisual streaming system, to continue collaborating with schools in the entire Baltic region.
El Sistema Greece is a Greek community music project that has been organising free music classes for children and young people since 2016 and musical activities for adults since 2018. All students, no matter their origin, language or religion, are not only inspired to strive for a better future but, thanks to music, they are given a platform for dialogue and togetherness. The ultimate goal of El Sistema Greece is to promote social inclusion and to build a new musical and human community with people from different horizons, whether they are refugees, migrants or Greek. During the pandemic, El Sistema Greece has changed its way of working by including the use of online tools and providing children in refugee camps with internet connections. After the pandemic, the organisation will continue using both online and physical learning methods.
Greg Sallet is a saxophonist very much engaged in the musicians’ access to the « market ». Greg explained how during these last 3 years he learnt how to connect with a public using social media. He proposes solutions for the future like keeping in the festivals some reserved places for young artists so that they are not only occupied by famous musicians.
