Tuesday 17 July 2012

The Volunteer Manager/Music Correlation


Something has become increasingly clear to me over recent months as relationships have grown with other members of my profession (for it is a profession!). One thing that seemingly unites us all is a love of music; making it, listening to it or simply getting all excited and raving about it. So I decided to explore this a little deeper to discover the ABSOLUTELY VALID SCIENCE that backs up this correlation.

I think the nature of the music discussed (most recently a Tom Waits/Nick Cave “OMG how brilliant are they” discussion over Twitter) goes to show that VMs are discerning, selective and not willing to go with the mainstream or most popular for the sake of it. Not always swimming against the tide but with an eye to pick out musical gems, even in the rough, to give them a chance to shine and so often they’re rewarded.

VMs are very aware of genre and history. Music from the past nestles snugly alongside contemporary music and more often than not VMs are the ones championing new and experimental music.

Genres that recur and the science bit:

Rock- Loud and in your face, not afraid to shake things up. Covering many sub-genres and styles.
Post-punk- More complex and experimental than its forbear but with the same spirit of rebellion.
Jazz- At times smooth and calming, at others inventive, edgy and challenging.
Indie: True indie, shunning convention to back their own style and inspiring others.

The VM jukebox is big and it’s loud, it covers all genres and tastes and there is something for everyone. It makes people get up to dance and sing, but not everyone knows about the party. Unfortunately there are those happy to listen to the same old records on repeat. These people need DJs to educate them, to champion different styles and give the VMs something to listen to when Bieber is the only thing punctuating Fearne Cotton’s ramblings [OK if you still think this blog is all about music that was a thinly veiled reference to the potential VE/NCVO merger (Fearne Cotton was playing the part of Fearne Cotton though, that was just a pop-culture reference for the kids)].   

Unfortunately there is one dirty secret in the VM CD rack, one which should be consigned to BBC4 archive footage and obscure questions on Never Mind the Buzzcocks. For me as a Reading boy it is an old Slowdive album from a short-lived Shoegaze phase which was soon overrun by indie and grunge (with good reason). Described at the time as ‘The Scene that Celebrates itself’ this is a style that many VMs cling on to, listening on their own or in small groups.

So my plea to anyone who still has some in their collection, drop it off at a charity shop and leave the shoegazing to someone else, you just keep on rocking!