Musicians' charity Help Musicians has welcomed cellist Abel Selaocoe to its roster of ambassadors, and Isabel Garvey, managing director of Abbey Road Studios, to its board of trustees.
The pair join the charity in their respective advocacy and governance roles. Selaocoe's experience of building a career as a musician and Garvey's experience in environments where creative, technology and business come together will add value to the work of the charity.
South African cellist Abel Selacoe has been an advocate for Help Musicians for many years. His relationship with the charity began in 2015 when he received financial support to continue his musical studies. He has since made his solo BBC Proms debut last year and is preparing to release his debut album next month.
He joins the likes of Bryan Adams, Susan Bullock, Chris Difford, Isata Kanneh-Mason, Sir Simon Rattle and more as champions of the charity’s impact on musicians in the UK.
At Abbey Road Studios, Isabel Garvey has been responsible for launching Europe's first music technology incubator, Abbey Road Red, to huge success. She also launched the Abbey Road Institute, and implemented the largest investment in the Studios since opening in 1931, encompassing the build of three new studio spaces. As the Studios turn 90, she is adding Angel Studios to the portfolio, as well as remote collaboration digital platform, Audiomovers.
James Ainscough, chief executive at Help Musicians, said: “Abel and Isabel are two of the very best in their respective fields. With very different backgrounds and careers, they both understand how to harness the power of music to delight and unite audiences the world over. Abel’s understanding of the dedication it takes to build a sustainable career in the profession (and the value of the support that Help Musicians offers), makes him an ideal ambassador for the charity’s work. Isabel’s extensive experience supporting creatives to achieve their musical vision in harmony with highly skilled technicians and cutting-edge technology is invaluable. Both have strong track-records in opening up music and careers in music to an increasingly diverse array of music-lovers and we are honoured to have Isabel and Abel with us as we continue to help musicians to recover and rebuild after the pandemic.”
Abel Selacoe said: “It is a great privilege to be an ambassador for Help Musicians. They play a life-changing role in many musicians’ lives including mine. They create a nurturing environment for artists allowing them to learn about all aspects to help build a healthy career. Let’s keep supporting.”
Isabel Garvey said: “At Abbey Road, I have the privilege of working at the heart of the creative process, surrounded by musicians. The enormity of their talent, the precarious nature of fame and the challenges faced by the gigging musician and artist are in front of my eyes every day. Help Musicians plays a vital role through all stages of the musician’s career, so I am excited to join as a Trustee to support the next phase of their evolution and help spread the word about their wonderful work.”
Help Musicians recently launched a helpline to support those suffering bullying in the music industry, following the intervention by Rebecca Ferguson, who spoke out on the need for more to be done to support musicians experiencing difficulties.
The charity has been working for over 100 years to support the health and wellbeing of musicians across the UK.
