Category Archives: Writing

This Is Music 2023

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Last year, the music industry finally returned to growth, recovering from the pandemic and benefitting from underlying growth in recorded music and music publishing revenues. That is not to say that challenges do not remain, and, as is often the case, smaller grassroots music creators and industry players suffer the most. Investment in the

As the world reopened in 2022, it is worth discussing exports because 2022 was the first full year after the UK left the European Union. On the face of it, music exports are strong, but music creators at all levels, and especially at grassroots level, face challenges. This Is Music takes a look at this in more depth. There is also a case study from Glass Animals, a global success story that was a decade in the making.

Investment in education and talent pipeline are also key factors to future growth. Recording studios have faced soaring costs, including business rates, and this is explored in the report. Violinist David Grubb talks us through his career as a musician and artist and how he has benefitted from a strong educational foundation. This year’s report also introduces an emerging trends section, discussing where the market is going in 2023, and lawyer Cliff Fluet discusses the potential of artificial intelligence (AI).

To the numbers: the music industry contributed £6.7 billion to the UK economy during 2022 in terms of gross value added (GVA). Exports topped £4 billion, and employment stood at 210,000. 

Since UK Music published its first economic report in 2013, there have been many changes across the industry, such as the shift to streaming and the growth of festivals. Through conducting this work year after year, we have developed a much deeper understanding of the business dynamics behind the music industry and what that means in terms of economic value. Consequently, the original methodology that was devised over a decade ago needed updating.

Over the past year, UK Music has worked with our economic consultants, Oxford Economics, to undertake a comprehensive methodology review to ensure the processes behind this report reflect the evolution of the music industry, and the latest thinking and best practice.

This year’s report does not offer direct comparisons with previous years for GVA, exports and employment figures owing to the methodology review, which affects these three key metrics. However, in 2022 the UK music industry outperformed 2019 by a significant margin to produce its best year ever. We know this from assessing various contributing metrics, including revenue figures. Some revenue figures are included in this with report with year on-year comparisons as these were unaffected by our methodology review.

Live music and international touring returned during 2022, boosting GVA and exports. A combination of rescheduled shows from 2020 and 2021 and newly scheduled shows for 2022 made for a packed calendar. More live music fuelled music merchandise sales, and public performance revenues also rebounded.

Recorded and publishing-related revenues grew during the COVID-19 pandemic and continued to grow in 2022. These sectors also contributed to the GVA and exports figures for 2022.

Employment has also rebounded and now sits at 210,000. The employment number is tempered by the fact there have been consolidations and redundancies in some areas, and some music creators and self-employed workers stepped away from the music industry during the pandemic.

While the headline figures for the UK music industry are good, there are a number of serious challenges across the industry. Small venues, independent festivals, recording studios, and music creators all face financial pressures at home in the UK and from the consequences of Brexit, particularly for touring artists and musicians.

Moreover, even where the industry has shown growth, such as in live performance and recorded music, questions remain about whether this growth can be sustained, and not everyone is experiencing the same level of growth.

This report highlights these issues and how they might be addressed, while celebrating the music industry’s economic successes. Thoughtful and targeted support in areas where help is needed will ensure that music continues to be a great British success story in the years to come.

Click here to read the report.

Diversity In Cycling – second edition

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The second edition of Diversity in Cycling is published today, celebrating the individuals and initiatives that are helping to make cycling more inclusive and accessible.

First published in 2019 by Andy Edwards, a music business executive and experienced club cyclist, the report explores the experiences of riders from underrepresented backgrounds taking up cycling for the first time – in their own words.

Contributors to the second edition include Great Britain Cycling Team rider Sam Ruddock, representatives from a wide range of British Cycling clubs and coaches such as Richard Liston. Alongside these first-person accounts, the report also highlights a number of community programmes and enterprises – such as British Cycling’s City Academies programme and Bradford’s ‘Hop On’ initiative – which are already making a profound difference in Britain’s communities.

While many of the themes explored in the first edition remain, the updated version goes deeper, and also expands its sights to better reflect off-road disciplines, different areas of the UK and community initiatives, while also reflecting wider societal changes which have occurred since the report was first published in 2019.

The report also presents a series of recommendations for the sport, offering practical suggestions for encouraging greater diversity in cycling.

Ahead of publication, the report’s author, Andy Edwards, said:

“2020 was a landmark year. The murder of George Floyd prompted a more open conversation about racism, and, with the world in lockdown, more people discovered cycling, particularly from under-represented backgrounds. I gave the report a refresh to reflect this and switch things up. 

“The focus remains on race, but the broader scope of diversity is acknowledged. Since publishing the first edition in 2019, I have been diagnosed with ADHD and Autism, two protected characteristics. That means I am neurodiverse. I was a socially awkward teenager, but cycling gave me a sense of belonging. If one thing drives this work, it is a desire that all of us who call ourselves cyclists, whatever our background, feel the same sense of belonging cycling has always given me.”

Chair of the British Cycling Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group, Aneela McKenna, said:

“I am delighted to see the second edition introduce new voices and perspectives from the broader cycling community, including road, off-road, and mountain biking disciplines. The report explicitly amplifies the voices of women in cycling, and, Andy worked with Naomi Rumble, Liyana Pama, and myself to apply an intersectionality lens to the report which uncovers the depth of inequalities uniquely experienced by women of colour in cycling.”

Diversity In Cycling is an independent grass roots project by cyclists for cyclists, written by experienced club cyclist Andy Edwards who worked collaboratively with clubs and groups across the UK.

The second edition takes a deeper dive into some of the core themes first explored in the first edition, including an expanded intersectionality section and a gender-balanced approach to commentaries and content. The term “BAME” is removed, with some context, and suggestions of what to use instead. The second edition introduces fresh voices and perspectives from across the UK cycling community, including road, off-road, Lycra, and non-Lycra. The focus remains race while acknowledging the broader scope of diversity and inclusion across all protected characteristics. 

Commentaries are provided by Shirla Poole of RideFest, Ronn Fraser of Kingston Wheelers, Farooq Chaudhry of Brothers on Bikes Bristol, Naomi Rumble director of Together We Ride, Fozia Naseem co-founder of community cycling programme HopOn in Bradford, Nasima Siddiqui of The Cycle Fit, British Cycling Youth Development Pathway coach Richard Liston and Sam Ruddock of the KC Academy.

Click HERE to read Diversity In Cycling or on the image below.

This Is Music 2022

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This Is Music was a difficult report to write this year because 2021 was a year of transition and mixed messages. The music industry began its recovery. Sort of. Live music reopened, then shut again, and this had a ripple effect on ancillary income that further disrupted the music industry, especially the music creators who lie at its heart.

For this year’s case study, I looked at Wolf Alice and the team around them. The band is well established in their career and better placed than most to weather the storm brought about by the pandemic. But even for a band at that level, it was not all plain sailing, and they had to adapt to changing circumstances. Please take a look.

As for the numbers, the music industry contributed £4 billion to the UK economy in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2021 – an increase of 26% on 2020. However, this was still 31% down on the £5.8 billion the industry contributed in 2019 pre-pandemic. That year, recording studios stayed open, however, they operated under strict COVID-19 protocols, and the continued enforcement of global travel restrictions meant that many international clients stayed away. 

Live music eventually returned, but not until mid-summer of 2021 and was disrupted again due to the Omicron variant. There were still many challenges, such as COVID-19 outbreaks

among artists and their road crews, which led to cancellations, and lower attendance at some live events, but the industry managed to make the most of the relatively short window to herald the return of live music. Even in the first quarter of 2022, many shows rescheduled, owing to the lingering impact of the Omicron variant.

Recorded and publishing-related income remained strong, with substantial increases in both streaming and vinyl revenues and a recovery in synchronisation (sync) income. Exports grew 10% to £2.5 billion but were still down 15% from 2019’s £2.9 billion. A lack of international touring, Brexit-related barriers, and a lack of music tourists visiting the UK have restricted export recovery. Nevertheless, recording and publishing export income continued to grow during 2021, even in the face of increased global competition. In a post-Brexit world, ensuring that trade agreements protect and support recording and publishing income for music creators and rights owners alike will be crucial to sustaining future growth.

Employment improved year-on-year, up 14% to 145,000 in 2021, but was still 26% lower than 197,000 in 2019. Music creators and live music workers experienced the greatest decline in employment and while both sectors are recovering, there is a long way to go. Those who could access government schemes, such as the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), were well placed to return to work once live music resumed at the end of July. Many industry organisations provided hardship funds to support those most vulnerable, but those who fell through the cracks either retired, retrained, or sought alternative employment in other sectors.

I believe that employment will recover further during 2023, but some individuals may have left the industry for good. There are skills shortages in some areas, for example, freelance crew and musicians, and a lack of access to a European workforce to plug the gaps for UK based events.

The recovery has begun, but there is still a long way to go. The British music industry cannot take anything for granted in rebuilding and ensuring that it retains its place as a leader in the global music market.

Click here to read the report.

Autism, ADHD the music business and me: Andy Edwards on neurodiversity and industry inclusion

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This article first appeared in Music Week.

Andy Edwards is a music business executive, director of research for UK Music and an artist advisor and consultant, clients include HMUK and two-time Grammy award winning producer, mixer and engineer Cameron Craig. 

Here, he writes about his experience of autism and ADHD, and calls on the music industry to be more inclusive and supportive of neurodiverse talent…

During the summer of 2019, I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) which, together with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), dyslexia, dyscalculia and a number of other conditions, falls under the umbrella of neurodiversity. The term refers to the variation in cognitive functioning that can lead to differences in how individuals think and act.

Shortly after my diagnosis, Universal Music launched its Creative Differences handbook to help companies in the creative industries better understand neurodiversity and how to attract, retain and promote neurodiverse talent. I went public with my own ADHD experience. Almost two years on, it is worth reflecting on what happened next.

The initial reaction was incredible. Many people reached out to me directly to tell their own stories. A young woman still at university and only recently diagnosed wrote, “now I know I can have a career in the music business”. I choked up when I read that.

At least five people have since told me they sought their own ADHD diagnosis as a result of hearing my story. Some are open about their newly discovered condition, others, understandably, are not. A few of us have begun an informal chat group, we get together every so often over Zoom to share experiences and explore where this might go. More people are welcome to join.

There is a part 2 to my story. In December 2020, I was diagnosed with ASD or, to be more precise, High Functioning Autism (HFA), which is similar to what was previously known as Asperger’s Syndrome. Some people still refer to Asperger’s Syndrome even though it is no longer an official diagnostic term. The name thing is evolving and I find it a little confusing. What do I tell people? Do I have Asperger’s or am I autistic? Currently, I am flipping between the two. What is the difference, anyway?  

Classic autism can be very debilitating, often involving severe cognitive and verbal communication impairment. HFA/Asperger’s is a form of autism, under the autism spectrum. The symptoms are broadly the same as classic autism except that cognitive and communication skills are normal, meaning that someone with Asperger’s can think and speak as well as the next person. For this reason, many autistic people, particularly women, go undiagnosed.

Social skills can be a challenge, regardless of where someone sits on the spectrum. Misreading social cues such as facial expressions or sarcasm, avoiding eye contact or unintentionally interrupting someone are examples.

Repetitive behaviours are common. When it comes to clothes, I buy the same Diesel jeans and John Smedley roll neck sweaters over and over again. I had a thing for roll necks long before Steve Jobs made them cool. 

Another autistic trait is absorbing oneself in subjects that hold a strong interest and then sharing that interest in expansive detail with others. You have to remember that not everyone has the same level of interest or attention to detail. The screengrab on my iPhone reads “Less Is More”.

The overarching experience for anyone with autism is that engaging with the world around you is a challenge and many people may not get you in the way that you intend. With classic autism the symptoms are more obvious, but with Asperger’s, where the symptoms are more subtle and easy to mask, very often you are just branded as “weird”. 

For an environment such as the music business, admitting to being autistic carries a lot of risk. This is a world that places a premium on social charm and personal image; to be street smart, cool and popular. Autistic people can be all of these things, but in their own distinctive way, which may not be the norm.

My reason for writing this article was a growing realisation that autism is highly prevalent in music, that it carries significant stigma and is massively misunderstood when it need not be. Like other forms of neurodiversity, autism can be an enriching experience both for people with the condition and those around them. It takes an equal amount of understanding and appreciation on both sides to achieve that enriching experience. Saying things like “everyone is on the spectrum,” is not helpful, mostly because it is wrong. It also diminishes the lived experiences of those who meet the diagnostic criteria.

A common misconception is that people with autism are more likely to be good at science and maths rather than creative disciplines. Elon Musk declared he has Asperger’s on Saturday Night Live (SNL) and while it is a positive thing for a billionaire tech entrepreneur to say this, it did reinforce the “mad scientist” stereotype. The reality is that autism works just as well with a creative mind.

Dan Aykroyd is autistic and so is David Byrne, both of whom appeared on SNL long before Elon Musk. Many creative people including Daryl Hannah, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sara Gibbs, Ladyhawke, Courtney Love and Example are all autistic. Broadcaster Melanie Sykes has revealed her own late-in-life autism diagnosis with a story very similar to my own.

Creativity and autism can be a great match. Getting into a routine and delving deep into a subject that inspires you can help create great work. With an inquisitive mind, you keep pushing the boundaries whether that is writing a novel, directing a movie or making a record.

Autism can give you a rawness, a directness and an authenticity that can help you cut through. You say what other people might only dare think. I once told an iconic rock act, renowned for their perfectionist approach to production and mixing and who had categorically refused to release official bootlegs of their live shows, that “fans just want the recording straight from the mixing desk, warts and all.” 

After the meeting, my colleague joked about the band’s facial contortions as I made my point. Some years later at the press conference announcing their next stadium tour, one of the band told assembled journalists that for the first time every show on the tour would have a live bootleg recording, “straight from the mixing desk, warts and all”. Result.

Getting diagnosed has enabled me to make meaningful improvements to my working life in the music business. There are two take-outs to share about this: the first is improving your own self-awareness, the second is ensuring the world around you adjusts to meet your needs. 

Both of these things must happen because autistic people cannot do this on their own. If the music business is serious about being inclusive then it must do the work too. That is why initiatives such as Universal Music UK’s Creative Differences are so important.

“Creativity and autism can be a great match”

Andy Edwards

Self-awareness enables you to take more control of your own life. Your condition(s) do not define you; your values and purpose do that. Your condition(s) will, invariably, dictate how you do things but you can learn to understand and manage your own process and work with others in a way that flows with that. 

I decided against taking medication for my ADHD (usually Ritalin/ amphetamine type substances), but for many people medication is very helpful. Find what works for you. In my case, a combination of mindfulness, therapy, good diet and regular exercise produced a better version of me. Mindfulness and therapy have been essential ingredients in managing my autism and, crucially, how my autism and ADHD interact. I am more creative and impactful as a result.

Engaging with the world around me has meant being open about who I am and more explicit about what I need from those around me. The individual needs of neurodiverse people vary considerably, so that places more onus on the music industry being more flexible so that we can all do better. This includes challenging preconceptions.

The idea that autistic people are not sociable is simply not true. It just means those of us with autism may have a different process to socialising, which is more cognitive and less intuitive than a neurotypical person. That can mean, for example, consciously remembering not to interrupt someone else while they are talking. It also means neurotypical people appreciating that an autistic person can be incredibly anxious about being misunderstood – because that often happens – so listen and keep an open mind.

I have lived my whole life not knowing I had autism or ADHD and I had to learn through trial and error. Neither condition stopped me from speaking in public, moderating panels and managing a variety of relationships with artists, songwriters, producers and industry executives. An early diagnosis would have helped enormously, but that said my recent diagnoses have made a world of difference. 

Challenge your own preconceptions of what autism is and what autistic people can do. An autistic person can do anything a neurotypical person can do, they just have a different way of going about things. 

As an industry, we must accept each other for who we are and be more flexible and creative in our approach to working together. That means doing things a little differently and sometimes being accountable for mistakes made, but we are strength in numbers and we can all play a part.

NOTE: since writing this article, I have moved away from some of the terminology I used when writing it. I no longer use terms such as Asperger’s Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, and Autism Spectrum Disorder (or ASD); instead, I use Autism. I am Autistic. That’s it.

Asperger’s is no longer a diagnostic term, but even the current diagnostic terms do not feel right. High functioning implies that other people with a different form of Autism are low functioning when I do not believe that to be the case. Spectrum is quite a nuanced term because Autism manifests itself in different ways, but it is all Autism. Chris Packham said, “If you have met one Autistic person, then you have met one Autistic person,” meaning there is no typical way to be Autistic. People should listen, learn, read, and explore what Autism is and how it plays out for the Autistic people in their lives. Do not assume anything, and keep an open mind.

I am not puritanical about language. I prefer to focus on what is meant and not what is said. I do not take anything that is said too literally, especially as language evolves because there is always an opportunity to educate. If someone uses an outdated or problematic term, give that person feedback and context instead of a reprimand.

This Is Music 2021

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The UK Music economic report is rebranded This Is Music for 2021. I have made a few changes to the format to better describe the story behind the numbers. This Is Music shows how economic value is created around the four commercial assets that form the foundation of the music industry. They are: musical composition, recording, live performance and the artist as brand and image.

By showing how all the sectors of the industry come together to build economic value around the four commercial assets, we can demonstrate a rich and realistic picture of how the industry functions in practice. These are the foundations on which GVA, exports and employment are built. This report focuses on the macro level picture, but digging a bit deeper, there are a range of back stories of vastly differing experiences and circumstances. 

For instance, a consistent pattern emerged whereby those least advantaged financially felt the greatest decline in incomes. This was true of creators, music managers and recording studios. In each case, the lowest earners experienced the greatest percentage income decline.

This was because some higher earning creators and their managers can look to royalty-based income to offset the decline in live income. Emerging artists, niche artists and musicians are far more reliant on live performance. In the case of recording studios, the bigger facilities were better able to adapt and accommodate social distancing, whereas smaller studios had less flexibility and some remained closed during 2020.

In 2020, the music industry contributed £3.1 billion to the UK economy – a 46% decrease from £5.8 billion in 2019. The impact of COVID-19 hit the live industry and recording studios especially hard, disrupting the lives of music creators including artists, musicians, songwriters, producers and engineers, many of whom were unable to work. The industry’s £3.1 billion Gross Value Added (GVA) contribution in 2020 is well below the £3.5 billion contribution it made in 2012, the first year UK Music collected such data. For an industry that had recorded double-digit growth since then, this represents a huge loss.

The music industry is interconnected and the consequences of COVID-19 extend well beyond the live sector. The shutdown of live activity hit venues and promoters, resulted in fewer performing opportunities for artists and fewer commissions for composers and songwriters. Collecting societies PPL and PRS for Music saw a sharp decline in public performance income and broadcast income also fell as advertising spend declined, impacting labels, publishers, artists and songwriters.

The consumption of recorded music remained strong, with streaming income increasing and vinyl sales up on 2019, according to the BPI. While the transition from CD to streaming continued, vinyl continued to grow, up 31% on 2019.1 This success has been enhanced by impassioned and innovative marketing around Record Store Day, National Album Day and other initiatives across the year.

Exports fell to £2.3 billion, a 23% drop from £2.9 billion in 2019. The inability for artists to tour internationally was the greatest contributing factor to this decline. Studios were also heavily impacted by the loss of international artists coming to the UK to record. Publishing and recording exports performed well as the appetite for British music around the world remains strong, although it is possible there may be a knock-on impact in future years if some international markets experience a COVID-19 related decline. The impact of the new regulations, as a result of Brexit, is also an ongoing threat to future export performance.

The employment numbers, which have dropped dramatically, make for particularly stark reading. It is hard to say how many people will return to the industry and continued uncertainty will not help their prospects.

Employment fell to 128,000, a 35% drop from 197,000 in 2019. The Music Creators and Live Music sectors experienced the greatest decline – the majority of those working in the industry are self-employed, and they have been hit especially hard by COVID-19. While some were able to access government schemes, like the Self- Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), many were not eligible. This has resulted in thousands of music creators, crew and others leaving the industry for other sectors. Many are still committed to a career in music, but necessity has meant finding alternative sources of income.

For music creators, especially, the side hustle or day job, which is often an essential ingredient when starting out, has become a necessity again to support themselves while they continue to create music.

The industry that is built on and supports music creators is full of proudly entrepreneurial free marketeers, most of whom are unaccustomed to asking for government help. The industry is famously competitive, but it is also collaborative and that is often overlooked.

As Festival Republic’s Melvin Benn makes clear in his commentary, he and his fellow promoters have eased their competitiveness to work together and find solutions. We see this more broadly across the industry including various support schemes initiated by the likes of AIM, BPI, MMF, Help Musicians UK, the Musicians’ Union, PPL, PRS for Music and its charitable bodies, the PRS Members’ Fund and PRS Foundation, to help those most in need.

The music industry is down, but it is certainly not out. It is a people business fundamentally and its people are creative, resilient and determined. We shall rise again.

Click here to read the report.

Music By Numbers 2020

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Writing this report has not been easy. The world has been gripped by a global pandemic, the like of which has not been experienced for over a century. Music By Numbers 2020 considers the music industry in 2019, which for the UK was the best year on record. 2020, in contrast, is probably the worst. Let’s start with the numbers. 

In 2019, the UK music industry contributed £5.8 billion to the UK economy, an 11% increase from £5.2 billion in 2018, marking a new high following a decade of sustained growth that has outperformed the UK economy. It generated £2.9 billion in exports, an 9% increase from £2.7 billion in 2018. Employment rose by 3% to 197,168 in 2019 from 190,935 in 2018. Live music was particularly strong, but all sectors contributed significantly to the music industry’s growth in gross value added (GVA) in 2019.

The UK has successfully exported music for decades and exports contributed very significantly in 2019. This success, however, is not a given. Streaming platforms make access to the global music market more accessible and therefore more competitive.

In 2020, the industry has been dealt a hammer blow by COVID-19. The music industry is interconnected and this has produced a domino effect as COVID-19 and the restrictions connected to the pandemic have taken hold. The absence of live music and touring deprives performers (and their representatives), venues and promoters of income. Songwriters and music publishers also lose live performance income. The closure of shops, bars and nightclubs deprives performers, writers, labels and publishers of public performance income. Record label release schedules are impacted by an inability to move around to create and promote new material, which is especially challenging for new artists launching their careers. Recording studios carry a heavy burden of costly overheads combined with a devastating drop in income, with many facing an uncertain future. It is not yet clear how long the impact of COVID-19 will last.

Alongside gathering data on 2019, I tried to monitor where possible the impact of COVID-19 during 2020. I concluded that up to 85% of Live revenue will be lost, revenues have been close to zero since March. Moreover, according to a UK Music survey 65% of music creators’ income will be lost this year, rising to over 80% for those most dependent on live performance and recording studio work. For these performers, many have seen their income reduce to zero since March.

Most music creators are self-employed. The industry relies very heavily on freelancers and the self-employed, many of whom have fallen through the cracks during 2020, not qualifying for the support that has been made available. 

The UK music industry is a commercially successful sector that was growing before the pandemic, and can grow again. Music has always been a British success story and a national asset, that delivers at home and abroad. There is no reason why that cannot continue, but that future depends on us saving the music ecosystem that we have and supporting individual music creators and freelancers especially during this critical period.

Click here to read the report.

ADHD The Music Business And Me

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This article first appeared in Music Business Worldwide.

Today (January 17), Universal Music UK launches Creative Differences – an initiative, amongst other things, designed to help ensure that the brightest professional talent with dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, autism and other forms of neurocognitive variation are given a fair chance during company recruitment processes. Here, British music industry veteran, Andy Edwards (pictured), describes his own experiences in the music biz. Edwards, a long-term artist manager, was recently appointed Director of Research and Analysis for London-based umbrella trade org UK Music. He also continues to manage Grammy award winning producer and mixer Cameron Craig.

After spending over twenty-five years in the music business, it was quite a thing for me to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) last year. The psychiatrist told me, “You have had this your entire life.”

Having lived with ADHD for all that time without knowing made for a pretty emotional moment.

Getting diagnosed in the UK is a lengthy process and resources are severely limited. Over twelve months ago, I went to see my GP and was referred for a psychiatric assessment. After a lot of showbiz-style hustling, I managed to get an appointment in early June.

While waiting for my diagnosis, which followed a couple of months later, I read with great interest an article in the London Evening Standard, Universal Music CEO David Joseph: Why I’m standing up for difference.

David was speaking about neurodiversity, the umbrella term covering ADHD, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Universal Music is supporting significant work to better understand this issue. The music business as a whole should support this too.

It may appear self-evident that in an industry full of “eccentric” people that neurodiversity ought to be understood. But do we truly understand ourselves? How many times do we hear that an individual artist or executive is “difficult” without any qualification of what that actually means? A lot.

We do not, as an industry, understand neurodiversity as well as we should. For the same reason that, for an industry that is mentally and physically demanding, mental health and wellness have only become better understood in recent years. The stigma surrounding this issue is slowly subsiding, but there is a long way to go.

Neurodiversity is the next major social frontier that we in the music business must address. Together with BAME inclusion, gender equality, disability, LGBTQ rights and mental health, doing so will make our industry bigger, better and more effective.

I am still learning the nuances of mental health and neurodiversity and where these concepts differ and intersect. I can tell you that I do not suffer from depression per se, but I do think differently and sometimes I act differently too. D for “Disorder” is rather unhelpful; in reality, D is more about “Difference”.

The easiest way for me to explain ADHD is to share how it has impacted on me.

At school I could write imaginative stories in English classes, yet I would always struggle in exams, as I could not remember the passage I had just read. Maths was easier as I could figure out the logic in an exam, even if I was often bored in class.

It was no coincidence that during my early career in major labels I was referred to as the “numbers guy” (marketing strategy). I could handle the numbers, but I was just as interested in the narrative. Former colleagues from that time who stayed in touch eventually got to know the whole me. I worked really hard, but often tried too hard.

From an early age I assumed I was stupid, but, in fact, I am highly intelligent. I didn’t realize this until I took an IQ test a couple of years ago and scored extremely well.

When I shared this news with a friend of mine, a prominent music lawyer, they just rolled their eyes and said, “Of course you are highly intelligent! This I know!” But I didn’t. I was stunned and this was the light bulb moment that would lead me along the path towards seeking a diagnosis.

Unwittingly, high intelligence has helped mitigate the impact of my ADHD and helped me survive in what can be a very demanding arena.

People with ADHD can be inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive. But we can also be highly creative, hyper-focused (if properly motivated) and brilliant problem solvers. People with ADHD are not stupid, although sometimes we are made to feel that way.

Artists such as Will.I.Am, SZA, Solange Knowles and Justin Timberlake all have ADHD, but so do many executives including including Ari Emmanuel, co-CEO of William Morris Endeavor. Three times Tour de France winner Greg LeMond also has ADHD.

ADHD should not be a barrier to success. In fact, it can be a superpower. Problems occur where there is no diagnosis, so the person concerned does not understand their own potential. Or other people misunderstand and underestimate that person.

Ari Emmanuel’s father, a paediatrician, diagnosed him with ADHD and dyslexia at a young age. His supportive parents were able to confront his unsupportive teachers and, as Ari himself points out, his parents encouraged him to aim high regardless.

My greatest challenge has been not that I have had ADHD my whole life, but not knowing I had it and, crucially, not knowing how to manage it.

Over time I developed my own coping strategies and that process has accelerated over the past few years. For instance, in small group meetings or one-to-one conversations I can talk for England, but when speaking in public I am concise and impactful, even when speaking off the cuff. Accordingly, I try to make mental bullet points before speaking so that the words in my head are delivered with more power.

Greg LeMond was, like me, diagnosed later in life. We both unconsciously mitigated our ADHD through hard aerobic exercise – i.e. cycling really fast. I managed to navigate one company through a precarious financial position with the threat of litigation and insolvency to ensure its survival. ADHD enabled me to hyper-focus, but cycling to and from the office helped me to stay calm and keep on top of the detail.

ADHD can make me impulsive at times, but combined with boldness and sincerity this can work to my advantage. People know where they stand with me.

There have been challenges. During my career, I have been called “an oddball”, “a weirdo”, and told that I “talk like a computer.” Some kind friends advised me not to include that last line, but then other friends who have opened up to me about their own neurodiversity have validated that experience. Plenty of us are seen as “odd” or “weird” by some, because some folks out there, even in the music business, either just don’t get it or are just plain mean or both.

In fairness, these were isolated incidents. For the most part, industry colleagues have been supportive and professional. Neurodiverse or not, we should all support our colleagues and strive to achieve our individual and collective goals. Embracing neurodiverse people who think differently enables the music business adapt to a continually changing creative and commercial landscape.

It starts with awareness. 5% of people globally are estimated to have ADHD. Few are diagnosed. The USA is more progressive, but the UK is way behind.

There is now more awareness and school-aged children who do receive an early diagnosis have better life chances, but adults who grew up in the 70s, 80s and 90s have been missed. They are out there. They are in the music business. They may be called “difficult” or “weird”, over-compensating and not realizing their true greatness, or possibly even sidelined. Wasted talent. Yet there is an opportunity for the music business to take a lead and aim higher. Neurodiversity is deeply personal and hugely sensitive. It does not get talked about much, but we are at a tipping point.

Even if you are not neurodiverse yourself, this concerns you too. Understanding how neurodiverse colleagues, artists and business partners think and act should be just as important as addressing unconscious bias. It means that we all do better and achieve better outcomes both individually and collectively.

The music business has always been a tough, competitive arena that requires resilience and grit. Having a more refined social conscience does not change any of that. But there is room for being smarter and kinder and getting the very best out of people.

We are still a people business, right?

Diversity In Cycling – Launch Event

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To mark the launch of the DIVERSITY IN CYCLING report, we held an event at Look Mum No Hands! which brought to life the themes in the report.  On a hot, sticky summer’s evening, LMNH was packed with over 100 cyclists, male and female, from all backgrounds and all walks of life.  With nine speakers together with audience questions we massively over-ran, but despite this and the hot and crowded venue, people stayed for the duration of the talk and many stayed.

Special guest, former professional and cycling legend, Maurice Burton together with his friend Joe Clovis told of their experiences of racism in cycling during the 1970s and their pathway through through the sport culminating with Maurice acquiring De Ver Cycles and forming Team De Ver C.C.

Following an audience Q&A, the evening was brought to a close with the impassioned words of Yewande Adesida of SES Racing who, having earlier described her own pathway into the sport, encouraged others to take up the mantle. 

Hopefully this is just the beginning of what is a long overdue conversation within the cycling community.

Photographs by Calvin Cheung www.ccheungphotography.com

Diversity In Cycling – The Report

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This project started as a conversation, centred around an observation: more people from Black, Asian And Minority Ethnic backgrounds seem to be taking up cycling as a sport, but not necessarily joining cycling clubs.  Overall, the sport of cycling looks very white.  

That conversation led to more conversations which snowballed into my writing “DIVERSITY IN CYCLING”.  Originally the aim was to produce a brief discussion paper for my own club, Kingston Wheelers, but very quickly the report gained momentum, attracting over 60 contributions from riders of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, including a number of Muslim riders, and securing the support of British Cycling, thanks to Comms Executive Chidi Onuoha, who mobilised the support of our governing body, including securing a Foreword from its CEO Julie Harrington.

You can read more about British Cycling’s involvement here and read the report itself here.

Fundamentally, cycling is a sport anyone can enjoy and it is actually more accessible than many people perceive.  The report details challenges, but there is lots of positivity too.  Key themes revolved around representation and visibility, if cycling is seen to be diverse it will attract a more diverse pool of riders.  Telling more than one story is important.  The media often seen obsessed with the narrative that cycling is a hobby for middle class middle age white guys when the reality is that cycling is so much more and the “MAMIL” phenomenon is actually quite recent.  Key recommendations in the report include:

PROMOTE VISIBILITY (BUT BE AUTHENTIC)

If your club has members from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, with their permission, include those members in any visual representation of club membership. This helps make participation visible to others; consider deploying ambassadors as a point of contact.

If you do not have many Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic members or none at all, do not try to be something that you are not, but do promote your values: if you are open to all newcomers regardless of race and gender say so. We all have to start somewhere, but let’s make a start.

PROMOTE ACCESSIBILITY

Many larger clubs have different rides across the week with different start times. Not everyone can make 9am on a Sunday morning. Promote a range of options.  Provide context to cycling club culture, what it means to be in a club, to ride in a group and general dos and don’ts. 

BE INCLUSIVE

Inclusion is essential to diversity. It is not just about having Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic riders present but ensuring riders of all backgrounds feel included and visible. Work with others both within your club and the broader community to share knowledge and promote pathways. 

TELL MORE THAN ONE STORY

Challenge stereotypes that cycling is the preserve of middle-aged middle class men in Lycra.  It is not. Cycling in the UK and Europe has been traditionally a rural and working class sport that has grown so much its appeal is universal. Cycling is for everyone.

RAISE YOUR OWN RACIAL AWARENESS

Many white people are uncomfortable talking about race. That is because most of us are not equipped to have the conversation. Read, listen and learn. If one person stands out in a group, be aware they may feel an extra level of intimidation than any other newcomer.

MONITOR PROGRESS

Quantify your membership through capturing ethnicity data on joining/ renewal forms.  Monitor progress over time. Larger clubs and organisations should certainly do this.

AFRICA UNITE – Nigeria’s Sustainable Cycling Foundation

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Earlier this year I led an initiative through the cycling club of which I am a member, Kingston Wheelers, to undertake a kit collection for the Sustainable Cycling Foundation in Nigeria.  The collection garnered an overwhelmingly positive response in terms of the amount of kit collected. This came not only from within the club, but from the broader cycling community.

Cycling Weekly has covered the story.  Their article gives a great overview of the collection, but, even more importantly, the amazing work of Sustainable Cycling Foundation.  You can read the full article as a PDF, here: SCF Nigeria Kingston Wheelers Africa feature.

My main contact at the SCF is Iboroma Akpana, a Harvard educated corporate lawyer with his own law firm in Lagos and Abuja.  Iboroma travels extensively and while he was in town for Ride London last year we got together for a Regents Park ride and Look Mum No Hands coffee stop. This is where we hatched the plan.

Kit collections are not a new thing.  Former pro Matt Brammier has been active in this area and it was Garry Palmer of Sportstest who introduced me to Iboroma in the first place, has organised several kit collections.  Allied to organising a kit collection, I wanted to build a narrative about cycling in Nigeria and across Africa.

This meant informing the UK cycling community about the opportunities and what is already being achieved not only in Nigeria, but also across Africa.  Even to this day, when people think of Africa they think of a single story that is fed to us by the media.  The reality is far more impressive that we are often led to believe.  Poverty exists in Africa, but African nations are not defined by poverty.

There is also organisation, entrepreneurialism, resilience, ingenuity and, fundamentally, talent. The SCF was formed by a number of prominent members of Lagos based cycling club Cycology.   The club has in excess of 300 members and counting and the socio-economic profile of its members is probably not vastly different to Kingston Wheelers.  Through the SCF, they are building the sport of cycling in Nigeria pretty much from scratch.

The SCF not only organises their own kit collections, but tap into their network of friends, including Kingston Wheelers.  They fund training for riders to develop careers as mechanics and coaches/ personal trainers, organise races, training, nutrition and for the more advanced riders the opportunity to ride in pan-African events.

 

Moreover, the SCF has been very active in encouraging women’s cycling in way we can probably learn from in the UK.  Not only is there a strong network of women at club level, the Nigerian Ladies team won the gold medal in the TTT at the All African Games beating the formidable South African team into second place.  Rita Miebaka Aggo (above), one of their prominent riders, was interviewed for the Cycling Weekly article.

     

In pulling all this together, there was a conscious effort to avoid “white saviour syndrome”, an accusation levelled at Comic Relief and Bob Geldof amongst others.   I bug an awful lot of people with the work of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the acclaimed Nigerian novelist.  In her seminal TED Talk The Danger Of A Single Story, Chimamanda confronts the single story narrative that is often applied to “Africa” and instead she presents a more complex and diverse reality.  If you watch Chimamanda’s TED talk, you will witness an important touchstone for this initiative:

 

Not only did we as Kingston Wheelers collect an awful lot of kit, but we did so in a genuine spirit of partnership with the SCF and with a strong grasp of the needs of the Nigerian cycling community.  We were allies, not saviours.

Hopefully this will be the start of an ongoing relationship that could take in more collections, rider exchanges, sponsoring and supporting local race teams in Nigeria in addition to rider mentoring and coaching.

Included in the article are some suggestions for UK based cycling clubs who are interesting in putting together an initiative like ours, it is worth restating here:

HOW CAN PEOPLE ACT ON WHAT THEY HAVE READ?

1) Be an ally, not a saviour.  Africa is a vast continent with many cultures, there is huge inequality but do not underestimate local expertise and resilience.  Africa has many stories.

2) Tap into the diaspora.  Many first and second generation Nigerians live and work in the UK, while retaining strong ties to their roots.  This is true of many Commonwealth countries across Africa and around the world.  Speak to friends and network.

3) It is OK to do some due diligence.  The SCF were very transparent with us, even providing financial accounts and strategic plans. Not everyone is that organised, but do not be surprised to see that level of professionalism.

4) Look for new opportunities. South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda and Eritrea are all doing great things, but explore the potential in other countries too.

5) Kit must be wearable and rideable.  When doing kit collections, do not donate what you would not personally ride or wear.

6) Respect local knowledge.  The British cycling community has a lot to offer nations like Nigeria, but we don’t know everything. Build a dialogue and ask what is needed locally. Identify what you can contribute.

7) Promote with purpose. Talk about what you do and start a conversation.  Feedback outcomes to demonstrate what is possible and bring people together.