Whilst employees are usually protected to some extent against forms of discrimination and harassment, life as a freelancer can be more difficult. There are many forms of bias or inequality that one can run into at work, but some of the most notable include: age, race, sex and gender, disability, religion or faith, pregnancy or maternity, sexual orientation.

It can particularly difficult to stand up against prejudice in an industry where reputation and networking seems so key, but as we have so sorrowfully experienced, silence does not lead to change.

Discrimination & Harassment

Racism

From an article in the Guardian (Oct. 2021):

“Despite increased representation within the British music industry, the UK sector remains hostile to Black creators and professionals, according to a report that highlights the effects of systemic racism on mental health and a racial pay gap that disproportionately affects Black women.

The first Black Lives in Music study found that 63% of Black music creators had experienced direct or indirect racism, including explicit racist language or different treatment because of their race or ethnicity, and 67% had witnessed such behaviour. Racial microaggressions were rife, experienced by 71% of Black music creators and witnessed by 73%.

Anonymous respondents reported “having to repeatedly ask other artists to stop using the N-word”, “jokes about skin colour, Africa and persistent questioning about where I really come from” and being typecast as an R&B artist.

Those figures rose among Black music professionals, with 73% experiencing direct or indirect racism and 80% experiencing microaggressions.”

And these depressing statistics don’t even touch on the experiences of Asian, Hispanic, Latino, American Indian, or Romani people…the list could go on and on.



Sexism and Sexual Harassment

There has long been a history of gender inequality in orchestras all over the globe, and it is laughable that in the year 2021, the headline “Vienna Philharmonic Lets a Woman into its Double-Basses” even exists. Arts Council England reported that:

“Though women make up a substantial portion of the workforce, they are less well represented in senior roles like orchestral principals, as solo artists, in artistic leadership roles and elsewhere; they also appear to be overrepresented amongst the educational workforce, but less well represented in other activities like recording and theatre work.”

Now just imagine what the statistics are like for non-binary or transgender artists, for whom there is severe under-representation in the music industry. Particularly for vocal artists, the hurdles can be overwhelming: Transgender Classical Musicians Beat the Odds to Take Center Stage

Furthermore, it seems that, despite the #MeToo movement, the classical music industry still has a problem with sexual harassment. The ‘gatekeeper’ hierarchy within the Arts make it an especially rife environment for power (and subsequent sexual) abuse. 

Ableism and Disability Discrimination

Instead of specialist services for disabled people that have been created based on the assumption that disabled people can’t access “mainstream” services, inclusion breaks down barriers in society so that everyone can access services equally. As the social model identifies barriers and inequality built by society, society can also address these inequalities by removing these barriers and thinking differently when designing, buildings, services, policies and practices. Key to addressing this is to ensure engagement directly with disabled people. Increasing the representation of disabled people throughout all aspects of music & leadership is key to change and a move towards a more inclusive & equal society.

“All the orchestras […] run excellent outreach programmes involving disabled, disadvantaged and mentally ill people. That’s not quite the same thing as accepting disabled musicians as orchestral members and soloists,” Richard Morrison pointed out in 2018.

From the Musicians’ Union:

Disabled people are often obstructed from society by barriers such as:

  • Physical: buildings only being accessible by stairs, toilets that aren’t accessible, not providing equipment or communication in different formats

  • Attitudinal: assuming someone can’t do something or can do less, dismissing someone because they don’t play an instrument the same way as other musicians or use music technology to make music

  • Institutional/Organisational: inflexible policies or practices within organisations. For example, always starting meetings at 9:00 am when a disabled person can’t travel in rush hour, or meetings that are three hours long with no breaks

Listen to these episodes:

Pregnancy Discrimination and Parenting Challenges

‘A recent survey found that 63% of arts workers said they had never even been asked by their employers about their needs as a carer, and one in four believed that their family responsibilities were not always viewed benignly by employers.’ - Parents in the arts need to stage a childcare revolution, Guardian, 2015

‘…in a field where leadership positions remain dominated by men, such acknowledgments are not always forthcoming. Instead, [Jennifer] Rivera says, theatres often “suggest” that a pregnant singer walk away from a contract of her own accord. Because she quit instead of being fired, the theatre is no longer obligated to pay the contract fee – and, crucially, is no longer open to a wrongful termination suit. Conscious that pushing back might damage their careers in a highly competitive, connections-based job market, many women acquiesce. “A casting agent or company manager can always claim that they have released or fired someone for subjective reasons,” Rivera says. “So without standard protections in place, a non-famous performer will always fear retribution for publicly complaining about being fired or released because of pregnancy.”’ - Why the pregnant pause? Women in performing arts still face baby barriers, Guardian, 2018

There’s no doubt that parenting is hard at the best of times, but as a freelance musician, the challenges seem tenfold. Some of the challenges noted by Parents & Carers in Performing Arts are as follows:

  • Regular evening, weekend and bank holiday work.

  • Last-minute recruitment practices which can involve location changes. Previous PiPA research found that the performing arts has a culture that disadvantages those with caring responsibilities. 76% of participants in the 2016 PiPA Best Practice Survey reported regular last-minute changes to scheduling.

  • Long hours, particularly during weeks where rehearsals and training are combined with show times.

  • Touring: including national and international tours for short and long periods.

  • The set up and take down times of shows which include night time work.

  • London-centric work opportunities.

From the ‘Balancing Act’ Survey (2019)

The Musicians’ Union gives the following advice for working with pregnant musicians:

  • Pregnant women know their bodies best, don’t make assumptions about what they can’t do – ask them!

  • Don’t make decisions on behalf of pregnant women – speak to them!

  • Being pregnant doesn’t mean women can’t work. Pregnant women can work for as long as they want, right up until the baby is born

  • Because of people making decisions about what pregnant women can and can’t do, women are hiding their pregnancies for fear of not being booked for work – this is dangerous!

Listen to these episodes:

More to read:

In the UK, we are legally protected by the Equality Act (2010), but when touring, the MU advises LGBT musicians

If you do decide to tour in a country that’s considered dangerous for LGBT+ people, your employer or engager has a duty of care to protect you from harm. 

  • You do not have to come out to your employer or engager because you’ve been asked to tour in a country that criminalises LGBT+ people

  • Your employer or engager should not force anyone to tell them about their sexuality or gender identity

  • Your employer or engager should assume they do have LGBT+ employees and prepare briefings appropriately

  • Your employer or engager should provide everyone with information on the legal and cultural landscape for LGBT+ people in the country you’re travelling to

  • Your employer or engager should have a clear and robust strategy in place, that everyone is familiar with, to support LGBT+ employees and to deal with any issues if they arise

  • Your employer or engager should not ask you to lie about your sexuality, gender identity or change your behaviour. If you do feel it’s necessary to make modifications to your appearance or behaviour, this should be your choice entirely

Sexual Orientation Discrimination

Whilst it is more difficult to find articles on this type of discrimination within classical music, of course it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. This type of discrimination is particularly rife in the hip-hop industry though, where homophobic slurs are common:

“LGBTQ+ visibility is nearly non-existent in the world of hip-hop. Few LGBTQ+ hip-hop artists have had commercial success in the music industry. But even further, those within the genre engage in discrimination that establishes a barrier to LGBTQ+ artists.” (LGBTQ+ Representation and Activism in the Music Industry)

“Freedom isn’t simply a matter of indulging all material cravings [...]. It’s also about finding ways to live without being hampered, hobbled, damaged or actively destroyed by a constant reinforcement of ideas about what is permitted for the category of body to which you’ve been assigned.”
— Olivia Laing, Everybody: A Book About Freedom

Where to Find Help

As mentioned earlier, it can be really very hard to stand up to discrimination or harassment as a musician, but you are not alone. The Musicians’ Union or the Incorporated Society of Musicians can help provide you with support and legal advice. You can also check out the Equality Act 2010 to see your legal rights and what constitutes as unlawful treatment.

If you have been a victim of discrimination or harassment, you may also need emotional or psychological support. We would recommend Help Musicians as a starting point for this, and they can often also help with the financial funding of any treatment or help .