General

Dear fellow freelance artists who are in danger of existential loss of earnings associated with the coronavirus crisis: Please do not rely only on donations, union initiatives, or aid efforts of the government. I recommend that you file an application for German social welfare to secure or augment your income for the short term. Processing a new request will take a few weeks, depending on the work load of your responsible job center. Don’t consider this move a social stigma, but a legitimate claim of resources that you are entitled to obtain as you are suffering from a state of distress caused by governmental measures. I applied for social benefits myself several times—the inevitable paper chase is considerably lower than in a tax return, and you will be granted a financial relief in due course for a period of six months.
The required forms and attachments are available via this website. If you have questions or are in need of advice with your application, don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’ll be happy to help.

An anonymous conductor has published his / her reckoning with the classical music business in a fascinating longread. I never came across a piece like that from an insider, such a candid, ruthless, and courageous disclosure of misdevelopments during the last decades. It is not actually a lament but, as the subtitle more aptly claims, an analysis of the decline of a whole industry which, in my opinion, everybody concerned with the future of professional music practice and education should care about. I don’t agree with every aspect—in particular, ›greatness‹ does not qualify as an appropriate touchstone, just as little as the questionable concept of a ›masterpiece‹—, but in its essence, this critique is of overwhelming relevance and plausibility. The author has persuasively stated why he / she cannot disclose his / her identity (please also read the interview), but I for my part fully acknowledge the article’s position and will readily advocate its conclusions. The business is rotten to the core, and some things will have to change significantly.

The current issue of nmz features an interview with Detlef Bensmann, chairman of Deutscher Tonkünstlerverband Berlin, who maintains that his aim is to unify and pacify the professional body. So how is it that he refuses to communicate with critical members and ignores diverging opinions? In the last general assembly I got most of the votes for the position of the second deputy chairman—yet the person supervising the election failed to initiate a second ballot. However, Bensmann since denies any collaboration, plans to avoid the election to be completed, and prevents me from introducing my ideas to the executive board. Instead, he threatens to expel me from the organisation. This is how efficient association work and representation of Berlin’s freelance musicians is ruled out.