More British classical musicians are leaving the UK post-Brexit. Some, to avoid additional paperwork and border checks, are picking up their career and moving back inside the EU. Others simply want to enjoy the same benefits of moving abroad that have always been there.
“I think it opens so many doors,” says British bassoonist Ashby Mayes from an airport cafe. He is currently travelling back from Finland to his home in Mannheim, Germany. Having seen with his own eyes what life is like as a classical musician in different countries, he now has a much clearer idea of what he wants his career to look like. Compared to the UK, he says classical music is better funded in Germany and the work-life balance is preferable in Finland.
However, Mayes says that moving abroad has not become easier. “I think more musicians are more scared to move abroad since Brexit because it has complicated things,” he says.
If, like Mayes, you’re searching for greener pastures, then how should you best go about your new adventure?
Find a union
In a new environment away from friends and family, it can feel like you lack a safety net. That’s why Benoît Machuel, the General Secretary of the International Federation of Musicians (FIM), suggests joining a musicians’ union.
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No matter what country you’re moving to, a union is the “best way to deliver information and assist musicians,” says Machuel. Whether it be legal assistance, helping build a new professional network, or giving you the right information on stage rules, joining a musician’s union is a good first step once you start working in a new country.
“We had an issue lately with someone who moved to Egypt,” says Machuel. “They didn’t know that if your performance does not comply with a number of rules, then you might be banned from every stage in the country. If you organise a show with female dancers wearing transparent clothing, then you may be in trouble, for example.” Machuel believes this mistake could have been avoided if the musician had been a part of a union in Egypt.
Sophie Lippert started off as a pianist in the Seattle Philharmonic but moved to Tel Aviv a few years ago. Importantly for Brits worried about any Brexit bureaucracy, Lippert says the musicians’ union in Israel helped her get through the “huge endeavour” of visa and labour law paperwork.
FIM has a network of 70 musicians’ unions in 60 countries. So, if you are packing your instrument to move abroad, take a look at FIM’s full list of pre-approved unions. If it’s the EU you’re heading to, the UK’s Musicians’ Union has a guide to working in the EU after Brexit.
Put yourself out there
In a new country where you don’t have an established network to help out, you need to be prepared to help yourself. “You need to put yourself out there,” says bassoonist, Mayes.
When Mayes, who also arranges and composes, arrived in Finland, he realised he couldn’t rely on his usual contacts to sell his arrangements. So, at a bassoon festival in Finland, he approached a stall holder at a travelling music shop and asked if the stranger was interested in buying his arrangements. “He ordered two copies of everything and sponsored a competition I was organising,” says Mayes. “If you don’t ask then you don’t get.”
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Be prepared to ask a lot of questions and call in a lot of favours in your new country, whether that be from people you just met, strangers on social media, or your new colleagues. Mayes adds that while you might get a lot of people saying “No”, or just ignoring you, you will eventually get a “Yes”.
Make the music come first
John Durant, a British conductor and clarinettist, currently lives in Spain. He became a founding member of the Sevilla Symphony Orchestra in 1991, after what was supposed to be an 18-month trip to the country.
On the first day of his new job, the orchestra (with members from all over the world) started rehearsing for the first time together. Durant immediately discovered every country has their own musical school of thought – the supposedly international language of music wasn’t so international after all.
He thought to himself, “I’m not going to be able to work here, I cannot match their pitch.” He hadn’t realised that all continental players tune to 443Hz, not 440Hz. “Then, all the French players were playing staccato notes far shorter than I was.”
“The first rehearsal sounded like a school orchestra,” Durant says. But, if you do have musical differences with your new colleagues at first, don’t panic. “It took a very short amount of time to sound really good.”
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The trick to playing well together is practice. Every evening Durant would get together with all the other wind instrumentalists, so they could get to know each other’s style. This not only ironed out any musical kinks but made them closer as colleagues – something that Durant, as a newcomer with no friends in Spain, greatly appreciated.
To give yourself the best chance of succeeding in a new country, it is important to be aware of these musical differences and adapt. At first, it might even be wise to prioritise learning these musical differences over learning a new language.
Take baby steps
A “one step at a time” approach should be applied to your whole experience when moving to a new country. “Year one is a challenge for everyone; we need to be kind to ourselves,” says Rebecca Köhler Baratto, a Brazilian violinist who moved to Birmingham in 2014. Mayes, agrees: “You don’t really know what you are going to struggle with. So, take baby steps and be proud of the little wins.”
This applies particularly to networking. Having moved to the UK, knowing no one before arriving, Baratto understands this better than anyone. “I took so many small gigs that weren’t the most exciting opportunities, but they led me to people who later on would pass my name forward to bigger players,” she says. “Patiently I started growing to where I am at the moment.” Baratto is now a successful freelance violinist, performing with the Southbank Sinfonia for a year.
When it comes to meeting other classical musicians in foreign places, Israel-based pianist Lippert says one easy win is to attend events and workshops where you are likely to meet like-minded people. “For me, that was women’s networking circles, and events where I knew there would be other English speakers in attendance.”
While you might need to be bold and proactive in your new life abroad, be sure to allow yourself the time to make things work. Don’t “despise small beginnings”, says Baratto. “You never know when a small win can turn into a big one.”