In the new edition of Music Week we take a very special look at how the music business is working during the current coronavirus lockdown.
As part of our coverage, we asked a host of top names in the biz to give us their best tips about working from home, staying healthy and how to keep business moving during the pandemic.
Here, we round up just some of the key execs, songwriters and industry figures we spoke to in order to find out what’s working for them…
Stuart Camp (founder, Grumpy Old Management)
“Separating work from home life is something to aim for – even if that’s an ambitious target for me. I’m at my desk at home at 8.30am sharp and always set a time for when I’ll walk away from the emails, put my mobile just out of reach and relax when it’s ‘home time’. If someone needs you that badly they will call – there’s no need to be glued to the screen. My days were always broken up by walking four dogs too, but that’s curtailed a bit now, so I may have to see if the treadmill is still under that pile of junk. Oh, and get dressed occasionally too!”
Kanya King (founder/CEO, MOBO Organisation)
“I have found it helpful to set a schedule and stick to it. We have a daily call with the team in the morning so that it feels like we are in the office and no one feels isolated. However, I have noticed that some of the team are turning the camera option off, so I can only assume they may still be in their PJs and haven’t done their hair – and this is 10am! Try to stay focused. The small blessings are not having the usual distractions such as endless meetings and events. Therefore I am able to do deep work.”
Jeremy Lascelles (CEO, Blue Raincoat Group)
“Speak to your staff on a regular basis. We have a daily zoom call where we all check in with one another and talk shit for 20 minutes. And also, don’t just check on their work productivity while they operate remotely, check on their wellbeing and see how they are coping. Maintain a sense of humour and perspective. A laugh goes a long way to making isolation more tolerable.”
I always set a time for when I’ll walk away from the emails
Stuart Camp, Grumpy Old Management
Barbara Charone (co-director, MBC PR)
“At some point you have to turn the news off. Get some fresh air, listen to all those albums you haven’t heard in ages, properly read newspapers and music magazines and continue buying them in any format to keep them alive. And most importantly, stock up on wine.”
Simon Wills (director, Absolute Label Services)
“Working and communicating with people from the office is easier than ever (no seriously!). We have all embraced Microsoft Teams and our systems and data are all cloud based, so we have everything we need. I am speaking one-on-one with more people without distractions and I am speaking to work groups with more focus by planning video calls. We are also making sure we have time and a network for people to chat about non work-related things to make sure we all stay sane!”
Janée Bennett (AKA Jin Jin) (Songwriter/A&R/Publisher)
“It’s super-important to get up early. If you are feeling at full strength, then get up earlier than usual. But my main tip is to set a routine and workspace so that you can definitely work from home. And make sure the area is far away from the fridge! Stop for a quick lunch and then stop at a reasonable hour so you can cook and prepare a nice evening meal.”
Subscribers can read the full feature here.
