Raye of hope
Creativity, booze, death - and election success
It’s very satisfying to track the career of a lovely human being, particularly one who is a significant part of the UK music industry’s future.
Raye's historic victory at the Brit Awards 2024, where she secured a record six awards, is a testament to her immense talent and shows the importance of diversity and inclusion within the music industry.
The achievement underscores the essential role of varied voices enriching our cultural landscape and pushing music into new territories.
As a Brit School alumna, Raye's journey from the classrooms of one of the UK's leading institutions for performing arts to the pinnacle of music industry accolades exemplifies the critical importance of nurturing creative talent from a young age.
However, the path for upcoming artists and musicians in the UK faces significant challenges, notably highlighted by the alarming decline of music teachers in our schools, with over 1,200 lost in since 2010.
This reduction not only impacts the quality and accessibility of music education but also dims the prospects for future generations of artists who seek to follow in Raye's footsteps.
In an era increasingly dominated by technological advancements and the spectre of automation, the value of creative subjects cannot be overstated. As society moves towards a future where robots and AI play a central role in many traditional job sectors, the skills that machines cannot replicate—such as creative problem-solving and emotional intelligence—will become ever more precious.
Creative disciplines, including music, art, and literature, are fundamental in developing these skills and nurturing a workforce capable of innovation and empathy in equal measure.
Raye's success at the Brit Awards is a powerful reminder of the unique value that creative arts bring to our society and the importance of investing in the next generation of artists. It highlights the urgent need for a renewed focus on arts education, ensuring every child can explore their creative potential.
In a world where the demand for skills that transcend the capabilities of automation grows daily, safeguarding and promoting creative education is not just an investment in the arts but in the future of humanity.
Celebrating Raye's achievements and the diversity she represents reminds us of the broader importance of the arts in fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and innovative society. Her story is a clarion call for the protection and promotion of creative education, ensuring that the artists of tomorrow have the support they need to explore, create, and ultimately shape the future.
If you want to know how we can support the Music Industry going forward, take a look here: UK Music’s Manifesto.
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Watching
Loudermilk is a comedy about Sam Loudermilk, a recovering alcoholic and substance abuse adviser with a bad attitude. Despite an abrasive personality, Loudermilk is dedicated to helping others conquer their addictions. I love the sharp wit and deeply flawed yet engaging characters in this show. At it’s heart Loudermilk is an exploration of redemption, friendship, and the challenges of staying sober. It’s no surprise to me that the Lord Bird of Big Issue rates it too.
Poem of the Week
I’ve been thinking a lot about alcohol this week. I like drinking but it’s not good for me. Alcohol is a gateway drug to excessive carbohydrates. And it’s a sleep killer. Still, I like it but its a very dangerous friend.
So I dug out a poem by Beat poet, Kenneth Rexroth. Rexroth wrote “Thou shalt not kill” immediately after the death of Dylan Thomas. He blames captialism for the death of many of the 20th century’s greatest writers and his long poem was written in a single sitting. The extract below is just a part of it.
He is dead.
The bird of Rhiannon.
He is dead.
In the winter of the heart.
He is Dead.
In the canyons of death, They found him dumb at last, In the blizzard of lies.
He never spoke again.
He died.
He is dead.
In their antiseptic hands,
He is dead.
The little spellbinder of Cader Idris.
He is dead.
The sparrow of Cardiff.
He is dead.
The canary of Swansea.
Who killed him?
Who killed the bright-headed bird?
You did, you son of a bitch.
You drowned him in your cocktail brain.
He fell down and died in your synthetic heart.
You killed him,
Oppenheimer the Million-Killer.
You killed him,
Einstein the Grey Eminence.
You killed him.
Havanahavana, with your Nobel Prize.
You killed him, General,
Through the proper channels.
You strangled him, Le Mouton, With your mains étendus.
He confessed in open court to a pince-nezed skull.
You shot him in the back of the head
As he stumbled in the last cellar.
You killed him,
Benign Lady on the postage stamp.
He was found dead at a liberal weekly luncheon.
He was found dead on the cutting room floor.
He was found dead at a Time policy conference.
Henry Luce killed him with a telegram to the Pope.
Mademoiselle strangled him with a padded brassiere.
Old Possum sprinkled him with a tea ball.
After the wolves were done, the vaticides Crawled off with his bowels to their classrooms
and quarterlies.
When the news came over the radio You personally rose up shouting, "Give us
Barrabas!"
In your lonely crowd you swept over him.
Your custom built brogans and your ballet slippers Pummelled him to death in the gritty street.
You hit him with an album of Hindemith.
You stabbed him with stainless steel by Isamu
Noguchi.
He is dead.
He is Dead.
Like Ignacio the bullfighter, At four o'clock in the afternoon.
At precisely four o'clock.
I too do not want to hear it.
I too do not want to know it.
I want to run into the street, Shouting, "Remember Vanzetti!"
... And all the birds of the deep sea rise up
Over the luxury liners and scream,
"You killed him! You killed him.
In your God damned Brooks Brothers suit, You son of a bitch.
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She is a Raye of hope - and the poem is a sombre warning to all artists!