Jon Paul Mayse

Composer | Ph.D @guildhallschool | London (He/Him)

@RoyalAcadMusic @TempleUniv

[Jon Paul Mayse @jonpmayse]

It's an odd time to have new music to release, but @eyepitydafu recorded this little piece of mine somewhat about Emily Dickinson but mostly about plinky piano noises. Grateful for George, @pcashian, @RoyalAcadMusic + their recording department. #200Pieces
https://t.co/kiHRvIfnlQ

[Reem M. Abbas @ReemAbbas]

@homeoffice_ukvi @DanielZeichner @JesusCollegeCam I am devastated by the news that my tourist visa to attend my PhD graduation @Cambridge_Uni has been rejected. I am the first in my family to achieve this milestone, and being denied after 5 years of study feels incredibly unjust.

[Jon Paul Mayse @jonpmayse]

@SalemLola @SamuelAndreyev Hi Lola,

Art is part of society and so, yes, things in society inform my curatorial work.

[Jon Paul Mayse @jonpmayse]

@brianmfitch Of course!

I would say that selection is on the basis of their prior work.

One of the most fun things about curating artists not artworks is that artists often surprise! Historically inspiring artists can phone-in stinkers and artists you take a chance on can move you deeply.

[Jon Paul Mayse @jonpmayse]

Dumb, grifting bullshit.

These conversations don't happen and only weird, right-wing influencers say "DEI" like this.

No one should take Samuel Andreyev seriously, he's riding a right-wing grift cash cow.

[Samuel Andreyev @SamuelAndreyev]

In case you’re wondering how the arts are faring in Trudeau’s glorious Canada, here is some of what I’ve heard from colleagues.

A composer friend attended a programming meeting in Vancouver during which the possibility of one of his works being played was raised.

‘Sorry,’ they said, ‘we’re only doing DEI pieces’.

‘OK, but you do realise I’m gay, right’? Said my friend.

‘That doesn’t count,’ came the reply.

Another friend, a distinguished conductor living in Toronto, attended a similar meeting. He noticed a huge pile of scores going straight into the bin.

‘Why aren’t we looking at those?’ Asked my friend.

‘Those are the non-DEI submissions’

I’m hearing a lot of people saying ‘yeah it sucks but if you don’t go along with it you won’t get your funding renewed’, and ‘we don’t really think this piece is so good but we’re doing it because DEI’.

What I’m not hearing much of is ‘we’re doing this piece because it’s one of the strongest new works we’ve seen’, or, ‘here’s an important talent that we want to showcase’.

It would perhaps be one thing if people were doing this because they genuinely thought it was the right thing to do. But they don’t. They are bullied into it and resent having to participate. Everyone privately acknowledges that this is happening. Who is it helping?

[Jon Paul Mayse @jonpmayse]

@brianmfitch To the point about the tables turning, most of my work was done in the UK under Tory governments which actively engaged in culture wars and attacked our main arts funding bodies along politically expedient lines. Look at ENO. The arts are being weaponized in the way you describe.

[Jon Paul Mayse @jonpmayse]

@brianmfitch What we are trying to do when we commission is to give an opportunity to an emerging composer to get paid (above standard rates) to write a piece which will be recorded. We work to establish relationships with composers and do more than one phase. We support artists, not artworks

[Jon Paul Mayse @jonpmayse]

@RolfHind Yep, no one talks like that in real life.

Excited to hear about your upcoming opera! And of course the casting was joyous, the thing they don't like to say is that talent is diverse.

[Jon Paul Mayse @jonpmayse]

However, we only have so much money and we can only apply to so many grants per cycle. If we had more funding opportunities, we could find more work. Simple as.

Those funding bodies have never rejected an application because it wasn't "DEI" enough. That's some grifty bullshit.

[Jon Paul Mayse @jonpmayse]

We also believe that the arts should reflect society, in some capacity, and that means intentionally making sure we platform different voices. That isn't a chore, it's a joy.

The limiting factor to this joy is funding. I want to commission loads of people, including modernists!

[Mike Galsworthy @mikegalsworthy]

Brexit is the new austerity for creative industries.

“The creative industries were worth more than aerospace, car manufacturing, life sciences, and oil and gas together. Brexterity cripples them.”

https://t.co/jOzIPKwuxw

[Jon Paul Mayse @jonpmayse]

You can be glorious again. The way is clear.

[Jon Paul Mayse @jonpmayse]

The lack of pepper jack cheese is why Britain is an inferior country.

[Jon Paul Mayse @jonpmayse]

Austerity has left its mark as well.

How many professional composers do you know in their 30s?

Or even out of education?

[Jon Paul Mayse @jonpmayse]

There really needs to be a similar push in concert music as well. The pay is equivalent to what you'd pay a friend to petsit while on holiday

It's hard to raise money, I know that very well. However, what is the point of working for 3 months for 400£. At that rate, it's a hobby.

[Adele Thomas @__AdeleThomas__]

So following the tweet on director's pay, I've had hundreds and hundreds of messages from people reaching out and wanting to do something.

It's been too much for me to keep on top of, but I do have a few thoughts, for now, to share having had some time to think...