Corporate blog: A meeting of minds

Nicky Astle from Rayburn Tours reflects on a recent virtual corporate member meetup.

On 25 November we were lucky enough to be invited to a virtual meetup hosted by Making Music Chief Executive Barbara Eifler, where we had the opportunity to come together with other like-minded organisations: those who, like us, have long supported and worked with members of Making Music. 

Prior to the meeting, we were armed with the outcomes of the Making Music member research survey. It was hugely insightful for us to gain a greater understanding of the challenges members had been facing during the pandemic, and the catastrophic effect it has had on the joy they all experience from coming together to make music in their communities. 

The main points discussed were the mammoth task of integrating technology into rehearsals, risk assessments causing chaos and, for some, the devastating reality of having to press pause fully on making music for the foreseeable future. For us, it has been a year of cancellations and moving tours to another year, when there is a combined hope that we will have seen the back of our lives being affected so significantly by this historic pandemic.  

"There were those whose musical directors and leaders had managed to pull off the mammoth task of socially-distanced rehearsals and performances, and those who were wondering whether it was worth all the effort – would the experience really be that rewarding and enjoyable in this socially-distanced format?"

Today this hope feels even more realistic as reports of several vaccines in their final stages seem very real and possible. Thank heavens for the work of our scientists! 

But for now, we still have music-making to deal with, and making it in the safest possible way. During our chat, it was evident that there was a real split in the camp. There were those whose musical directors and leaders had managed to pull off the mammoth task of socially-distanced rehearsals and performances, and those who were wondering whether it was worth all the effort – would the experience really be that rewarding and enjoyable in this socially-distanced format? 

I’ll take my measure from Barbara, talking about her experiences of her brass band performing (in a socially-distanced style) and the joy she describes in being able to play and perform together in this way: ‘There’s nobody to hide behind – my music was actually heard!’ Her confidence in the joys it brought to them all was really quite uplifting and contagious.

"We all know the benefits that being part of an ensemble has on mental health, so maybe now is the time for us all to start planning this journey again."

Having that human presence and contact with fellow musicians and friends, ultimately getting back to what has always been an uplifting experience, was worth every bit of effort for her and her band. We all know the benefits that being part of an ensemble has on mental health, so maybe now is the time for us all to start planning this journey again.

Small steps will be taken by more and more groups over the coming months and, as a tour operator, we hope the appetite for returning to touring will come with that growing desire to get things back on track.

We understand and appreciate that there will be concerns raised at each stage of this process, but as a trusted concert tour operator with over 55 years’ experience, we can take responsibility for providing music groups with the answers and solutions to such questions as and when they arise. 

"I’ll take my measure from Barbara, talking about her experiences of her brass band performing (in a socially-distanced style) and the joy she describes in being able to play and perform together in this way: ‘There’s nobody to hide behind – my music was actually heard!’"

So planning ahead as always is critical. If you run a music group, you can start looking ahead to tours in 2021 or 2022, giving your group plenty of time to prepare. Have questions around travel insurance and how our COVID guarantee works? No problem. You just need to pick up the phone for a chat, as our team are here and ready to answer your questions and support you every step of the way.

We’ve further developed our tours, covering all four corners of the UK, and we’ve secured favourable agreements with our coach, flight and accommodation centres, meaning you can plan ahead for adventures further afield with confidence.  

We can’t thank Making Music members enough for supporting us over the years. Together, we have to make one last big joint effort to ensure all the positive experiences we gain from travelling internationally and making music together continue in the future.

Find out more about Rayburn Tours by visiting their website or calling 01332 347828