After graduating from Bristol Ralph became a youth worker. He now lives in London as an unemployed yet aspirational musician and activist and occaional factory commentator.
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Subscribe To My ArticlesPersistence is an integral aspect of success and the frustration of a seemingly impenetrable industry leads too many potentially brilliant musicians to abandon their course. Without radio stations and showcases like 6 Music, fewer will hold onto that drive and determination to be heard, and music’s art will suffer. If the only viable course becomes strictly mainstream, music’s development will not only become regressive, but will lose credibility and become debased further as an art form. I dread the day when CDs are stocked solely by supermarkets and truly great bands are left with nothing with which to establish a career
Musicians can make a big difference, but can’t expect to inspire political movement, at least not in this country. I hope that more politically motivated bands join the fray, as it does ultimately dismay me that music has become so generally devoid of political meaning, and the advent of an exciting cultural movement could well be imminent. But for now, for most of us, to whatever extent we are the heroes of our own narrative, music serves only as the soundtrack to our development.
If youth work is properly invested in now, the ultimate cost to the economy would be minimal but the benefits to our society would be immeasurable
The metaphorical conception of oil as the earth’s blood is only too accurate; we are bleeding it dry and the life-force we have invested far too much in will soon give up on us. Nature will have her revenge, she is already displaying her destructive potential, flexing her muscles, and we need look no further than our temperate little island to see the effects (in terms of unprecedented weather patterns and consistent meteorological anomalies)
In these troubled economic times I was finding it difficult to find a graduate job, but when I started volunteering I found a job not long after that was fulfilling and rewarding. I now recommend volunteering to everyone.
It is rare for musicians to successfully straddle the line between mainstream appeal and forthright political activism, but it has happened in the past, and rising artists must begin engaging again with the issues that affect us all.
Despite my illusions, the student population is one full of apathy and posturing when it comes to activism. We need movements that have a long-term strategy, otherwise it’s a pointless exercise.
