The Music Business Buddy
A podcast that aims to educate and inspire music creators in their quest to achieving their goals by gaining a greater understanding of the business of music. A new episode is released each Wednesday and aims to offer clarity and insight into a range of subjects across the music industry, all through the lens of a music creator for the benefit of other music creators. The series includes soundbites and interviews with guests from all over the world together with commentary and clarity on a range of topics. The podcast is hosted by award winning music industry professional Jonny Amos.
Jonny Amos is a music producer with credits on a range of major and independent labels, a songwriter with chart success in Europe and Asia, a senior lecturer in both music creation and music business at BIMM University UK, director of The SongLab Ltd and the author of The Music Business for Music Creators.
www.jonnyamos.com
The Music Business Buddy
Episode 48: The Roots of Music - An Interview with Youth Music CEO Matt Griffiths
When we cut the roots, the trees don't grow. This stark reality lies at the heart of the UK's current music crisis, where funding cuts to youth music programs threaten to silence the next generation of creative voices.
Matt Griffiths, CEO of Youth Music, joins us for a profound conversation about the organization's 26-year mission to equalize young people's access to music-making opportunities. What emerges is a troubling picture: Youth Music currently turns away 83% of applicants due to limited resources, while 41% of their funded partners face closure. Yet music remains young people's absolute favorite activity, according to their comprehensive 2024 survey of over 2,500 young people.
The consequences stretch far beyond statistics. Mercury Prize and BRIT Award winners Ezra Collective, alongside stars like Little Simz, Laura Mvula, and Celeste, all developed their talents through Youth Music funded projects. These community spaces provide what traditional education often cannot – environments where young people feel welcomed, inspired, and free to express themselves creatively without judgment.
"The problem is not the young people," one young participant notes in Youth Music's powerful "Rescue the Roots" documentary, "the problem is in people not believing in the young people." This sentiment resonates throughout our conversation as Matt shares stories of talented young musicians finding their voice through community programs after being discouraged in traditional settings.
Looking toward 2050, Matt envisions a future where pathways into music careers are clear and respected, where the music curriculum is reimagined through collaboration between educators and industry professionals, and where music is recognized not as a luxury but as essential to the UK's cultural and economic wellbeing.
Ready to support the next generation of musical talent? Check out the Rescue the Roots campaign here:
https://www.youthmusic.org.uk/rescue-the-roots
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The Music Business Buddy. The Music Business Buddy. Hello everybody and a very warm welcome to you. You're listening to the Music Business Buddy with me, johnny Amos, podcasting out of Birmingham in England. I'm the author of the book the Music Business for Music Creators, available in hardback, paperback and ebook format. I'm a music creator with a variety of credits I'm a consultant, an artist manager and a senior lecturer in both music business and music creation. Wherever you are, whatever you do, consider yourself welcome to this podcast and to a part of the community. I'm here to try and educate and inspire music creators from all over the world in their quest to achieving their goals by gaining a greater understanding of the business of music.
Speaker 1:Okay, so today I am talking to the CEO of Youth Music, matt Griffiths. Now, matt is a great guy, somebody that I've known for a few years and somebody that has been in his position doing what he's doing for a very long time because he's so good at it and he's so loved. So, youth music for anybody that's not familiar with youth music, just imagine it like this Right For people to get good at music and to make a living from music, right, they have to be able to practice it. Right, that applies to probably anybody that's listening to this right now. You've done that on some level already, right? That's got you to a certain state where you can go. Do you know what? I want? To make this a career. I want to take this a little more seriously or whatever, right? But for that to happen, there has to be roots. Now, for some people, those roots might be at home, they might be from a youth centre center, it might be from some local studio or from an introduction from a family or a friend or some documentary that watched or something, something that's grabbed you and kind of captured your imagination and provoked thoughts in your mind as to the idea of making a living from music. And that is absolutely beautiful. And when it's not there, it's a worry.
Speaker 1:Right, that's what youth music do. Is they fill that void? Right, and they do it absolutely superbly. So, you know, they say on their website. They say we believe that every young person deserves the chance to transform their life through the power of music. They say that we turn data into action, helping young people not just to make music but to also make a living from it. They do a lot of research that drives change and holding them accountable as a bold, equitable change maker. So, in English, they fund music projects for people to access music, to take part in music projects and to raise their aspirations. Music projects and to raise their aspirations and I tell you guys, it has produced many, many stars over the years, and not just recording artists, but people that have gone on to work in the music business, particularly in the UK. Now there are other kind of similar organizations around the world, but I just thought it'd be really nice and useful to shine a light on the UK-based youth music.
Speaker 1:We are in a time right now, in 2025, where a lot of people are kind of saying, hey, where's all the new recorded artists, where's all the new British names that are kind of, you know, sitting at the forefront of youth culture in music? Well, there might be a few reasons as to why there are less British stars making waves right now. It will change it always does but there might be some reasons, and one of them might just be to do with the huge, huge funding cuts that took place. You know that have taken place for several years now, over the last sort of 10-15 years. That is going to have an impact. That might be one of the reasons that has contributed to a kind of gaping hole of huge British stars around the world right now.
Speaker 1:Anyway, so that's one of many reasons as to why I wanted to talk to Matt Griffiths today. So let me hand over to the interview and let's hear what Matt has to say about his work, about the work of youth music, the impact that it has and what the future might look like. Matt, welcome to the Music Business, buddy. I really appreciate you joining me here. Firstly, how are you?
Speaker 2:Great, and thanks for having me, jonny. It's been a while, actually, since we've been in touch. So yeah, chuffed to be on your show.
Speaker 1:It has. There's been a little thing called the global pandemic between the now and the last time I saw you. Yeah, yeah, you know we keep calm and carry on. That's what we do, exactly. Um, so, matt, first question for you, let's just let's start by talking about the general subject of kind of young people's access to music makingmaking opportunities. Over the years, you know, we've seen economic downturns and funding cuts, youth centres disappearing. Obviously the pandemic, you know, and the various other factors as well that you know that have kind of reduced access to music-making opportunities within communities. How have youth music kind of coped in recent years, and what is it you've had to do to kind of evolve with the challenges of the times?
Speaker 2:let's say, yeah, for sure. I think it's always like adjusting and moving with the times, but probably most importantly, john Lee, like moving with young people. If you know what I mean and what we know crystal clear that music is young people's top favorite thing in their lives. We did a report in 2024 sound of the next generation and it came through as a top favorite thing, spoke to over two and a half thousand young people and, interestingly, when we've done the same report in 2019, it was their joint favourite thing and joint with gaming, and in 2024, it moved to their top favourite thing.
Speaker 2:So, in terms of young people, their appetite for music making music, listening, learning music, earning in music, going to gigs is as high as ever. And the flip side of that is, you know, with economic crisis, financial difficulties at the moment, access for all young people, you know, is a real challenge for them and that's why youth music exists. You know, we're there to equalize young people's access to music. We help marginalize young people to make and monetize their music. So I suppose what I always see and what I try and focus on is young people themselves in the uk are amazing, right, and they're doing amazing things. They're making amazing music, but all too often those that are marginalized really get forgotten, and then music unfortunately becomes for the more privileged. So what our focus is on is really equalizing that, and it has been for 26 years.
Speaker 2:So I guess, in the current climate, we're seeing a funding crisis in the grassroots youth music projects that we support, and that's a combination of cost of living, um, funding cuts and a sector that you know, you know really well, that classic youth sector.
Speaker 2:It's so vital, but sometimes it gets forgotten, yeah, and often in the narrative in the country, it's the thing that's forgotten about. Yet for us and for young people, it's the most important places. Where young people go, it's a safe environment, they can be themselves, they make friends and they can be creative, and that's what we're really always fundamentally about. So it goes in phases, you know, um, but I would say at the moment, it's it's it's a crisis. Um, we're having to turn down 83 percent of applications to youth music, so we're only able to fund 17, so the demand is going through the roof and out of our list of funded partners, 41 in january described being at risk of closure. So there's this thing young people love music, they're amazing, but the institutions and the system isn't backing them right, yeah, that's uh, yeah, neatly, uh, neatly put.
Speaker 1:Um, I very, very much enjoyed matt the um the rescue the roots. Yeah, there was a short documentary which I absolutely loved great track with it as well.
Speaker 1:Um, I was really touched by it. There was a couple of quotes in there. The one quote which opened it up said the problem is not the young people, the problem is in people not believing in the young people. And then there was one young lady that also said I had nothing before. I had this after having engaged on a project in her community which led her to releasing lots of music and even winning an award.
Speaker 1:I mean, youth music have drawn connections which led her to, you know, to doing those things, and they've made connections in communities and removed barriers and and actually that's one of the key drivers that actually builds stars. I mean, I know that's not the goal here, but that is something which kind of happens when people kind of flourish and discover themselves as a result of being introduced to music. As you and I both know, gen ones to watch funding opportunity, which I also absolutely loved, where various young people got their own funding to record and release and market their music projects. That's a brilliant initiative and it mirrors the kind of artist-centric ecosystem we now see in in the music industry. Is that the type of thing that hopefully can continue in the future, do you think?
Speaker 2:yeah, so the kind of young person's life cycle in music, from early years, early childhood, nought to fives. We're putting in about a million pounds into that area, right the way through to young people 18 to 25 considering a job on and off stage in the business in music industry, and we fund priority areas like disabled young people, youth justice, early years, young people facing barriers and, as you said, over the last five, six years, the NextGen Fund, and this was us really kind of again pushing the envelope and supporting young creatives directly with a grant which they apply for, which can be £3,000, and lots of advice and guidance. And that can be an EP, it can be, you know, doing work in production, it can be work where they're developing their career as a stage manager, a tech manager, whatever the idea is we respond to. So if you're like John, you've got the whole life cycle in music that youth music is responsible for and has created this infrastructure. So, yeah, the next gen fund um, I think we're giving out about 250 grants to young people across the uk. You know and we're now in, you know wales and scotland and england and England and touching in Northern Ireland as well, and they've often come out of the youth music organisations that we funded. So there's this lovely progression. So we still fund 350 grassroots organisations and the progression from that means that a lot of them then go as individuals and become part of the Next Gen Fund.
Speaker 2:So it's about 100,000 young people in total that we're backing and it's around social change. You know. It's around social justice and the social and personal and musical outcomes that music gives us, you know. So it is pretty significant. And then Rescue the Roots yeah, soundtrack by Next Gen funded Richard Carter, who's doing amazing. Jordan Stevens backs it, gets the tattoo done. Rescue the Roots has a tattoo, jade got involved and it's a campaign we publicly launched in March to raise, in the first phase, a million pounds, which Youth Music will match with a million pounds. So we get to two million. That money comes in and then hopefully that can then go out the door to increase the success rates for applicants and reduce the amount of organisations at risk of closure. So it's really urgent.
Speaker 1:Yeah, wow, that's so inspiring. That's, that's wonderful. Um matt, you mentioned um earlier about the the sound of the next generation report that you did from 2024. So that's like what 2100 young people, you know a really, really accurate view that had like a solid methodology behind it, and actually some of the things that I read in there really really touched me. You know, in fact I've got a quote here from Mercury Prize winners Ezra, Collective who attended a number of youth music funded projects as teenagers, right?
Speaker 1:So they benefited from, you know, being a part of funded projects as teenagers, and in timeout magazine, uh, in an article from uh december 2023, their band leader, uh femi, credits grassroots youth and community spaces in allowing them, as a collective, to kind of hone their talents. Um, in fact, he says I look, um, I look what youth clubs allowed me to have, um, and that's what makes me want to champion them. The schooling institution is under pressure to make sure that I can read and write. Um, and if you had zero funding, the saxophone is not going to be highest priority, but a youth club is. Is is a building where ability to read and write is kind of not as relevant and it's giving hope and something to you know to occupy the mind. So, to simplify, matt, you know, when we remove the roots, the trees don't grow, would you agree?
Speaker 2:I would agree 100 with thatemi Ezra Collective came out of Tomorrow's Warriors Audioactive in Brighton. All youth music funded. It's all part of our ecosystem that we support. And, you know, add to that English Teacher, obviously, jordan and Rizzle Kicks, laura Mabula, celeste Little Sims all came out of these youth spaces and that's what we're really shining a spotlight on. And Femi does it beautifully. Celeste Little Sims all came out of these youth spaces and that's what we're really shining a spotlight on. And Femi does it beautifully.
Speaker 2:And that's almost as a result of this whole life cycle that started well earlier, where young people are just in safe places. You know, they're being looked after musically and socially. They produce bangers, tunes together and then some of them will go on to a career and even for those that don't, socially and personally it's made a massive difference. Oh so you know, to have people like Femi talking about that, um English Teacher and Ezra Collective, both Mercury Award winners, and um Ezra Collective, brit Award winner, you know. So that's a really good vehicle for us to be able to say do you know what it's these youth music spaces that they came out of, whilst at the same time stressing that, yeah, it's also and fundamentally about the personal and social aspects of making music, and we all know what that feels like and probably at this very moment in time, socially in the country, in terms of, like you know, young people's mental health and wellbeing, these places are needed more than ever.
Speaker 2:So Rescue the Roots is a fundraising mechanism. Build the pot of money from philanthropists, the music industry, individual donors. We know where it's needed, you know. So we give out 10 million a year, johnny. Really, we should be giving out 40 million. Do you know what I mean?
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, and it's, and it's almost like, just remember these, these routes, as you say, literally where it starts, and a slightly different dynamic to the school day. Um, where the community spaces, the youth spaces, young people are absolutely choosing to be there and I think they find that musically, they can really be themselves. Yeah, um, without it being told somehow that this is in the box of what is called music education, which we will teach you. You know, it's a space that you and I both know, where the music leader gives lots of space you do it, you know and lots of creative space and, of course, gently directing and nudging and mentoring. But actually young people are really thriving and listened to yeah, and I just feel like so passionate. That's always needed, but perhaps you know, with the state of the UK, socially, economically needed more than ever because you know it's the complete future generation.
Speaker 1:It is. Do you know, it's funny because the names of the acts that you mentioned there matt. Well, I'm I'm just kind of sat here and kind of just very proudly happily nodding along, going, wow, thinking. And you know, what I'm also now thinking is is all of the people that are also involved, employed or self-employed, within the infrastructure of the creative industries, that aren't household names, that actually did have their introduction to music through a youth music funded project in their youth center, in a local studio, that you know maybe are not household names but perhaps work behind the scenes as writers, producers, actors, directors, screenwriters, who you know. There's all of these different areas that in some ways it's kind of impossible to measure the impact Right.
Speaker 2:And people often describe it and we would describe it as a community of changemakers, and in our attributes there's something about humility and it's less about individuals shining in terms of their own personal brand, but like enabling others to shine, and I'm really interested in that in something like the music industry, which is often so much about brand, you know, and in charity it's often about an individual leader's brand. Look at the great work I've done, where actually it's about music leaders, youth workers, mental health workers going about their day, every day and using music and probably not seeking the limelight, but doing some of the most important work in the country. And there's something about I don't know leadership in that. Something about I don't know leadership in that, you know, this idea of kind of relinquishing control where, yes, of course we're directing and I'm the CEO, I'm accountable, I have responsibilities but enabling other people to shine and, in this case, young people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I completely agree. It could be argued that for many people music making at school is not always a good fit due to, perhaps perhaps more so because of the pressures, you know, within the curriculum, certain things that have to be taught a certain way. So certainly no criticism there of any curriculum. But you know, but a quote from that same report alluded to that point.
Speaker 1:But you know, but a quote from that same report alluded to that point. Right, there was a quote from somebody in that same report that said I had singing lessons at school and it was only for 20 minutes once a week and it used to get cancelled all the time because it wasn't seen as a priority, but for someone like me, it was my priority. You know, and again, that clear importance of access is there, and so when access is not there and young people, you know, can turn to the wealth of online tuition, but it's non-human engagement, so the pedagogy is perhaps not as effective. In fact, it can turn to a sense of loneliness. In fact, I think that same report, if I, if I'm correct, matt that there was a there was, so I've got it here. Actually, 48 of people between the ages of 18 and 25 admit to feeling lonely, exactly. I mean, that's a huge problem, isn't it?
Speaker 2:loneliness and isolation. So you kind of look at the plus side of this plethora of material available online and you're kind of stuck in your bedroom or in your living room on your own with a pair of headphones on and, yes, it takes you so far. But surely, like the environments where people are together, sort of improvising with each other, making friends together, those social spaces are really important and I think that's one of the things that we've perhaps lost. But I think it's coming back, young people being quite discerning about where they go to gigs and it's an accessible venue. They're made welcome. So I think venues probably need to step up in that regard so that young people get out the house. They can economically afford it. There's a partnership between a venue and a youth club to make it affordable and they can go places and be great humans together. So so I think, yeah, I think that's really important in terms of like, the sense of like, increased mental health issues and well-being issues for for many young people, and a lot of this is, yeah, post-covid definitely, but I think it's also about interaction as humans.
Speaker 2:Um, you know, in some ways, you know I'm 57 and people might go well, hang on, you know, crack on everyone's online. They've got access to everything. On one hand, that's kind of true, but actually it's it's not access in the sense of being with people together. We're in places that music get made, I think. I think the the school's things is really interesting because, yeah, for a teacher, whatever subject I can imagine, you know when you go and visit schools, the bottom line is about attainment target, the so-called key subjects and key subjects and music being put at the bottom of the list and then factored in that less hours for teaching music, less music teachers, and it's often not the place where then young people feel at home to make music no but it's actually contradicting.
Speaker 2:It's their favorite thing, so they're finding other places. So I always believe that if you kind of fused the school day with the visiting musician and music industry people, the visiting youth worker, that curriculum between those experts working together is often fantastic and young people are right at the heart of what that curriculum looks like. The national curriculum for music is not long. People are right at the heart of what that curriculum looks like. Yeah, um, the national curriculum for music is not long. It's like two or three pages long. So if you've got a sense of ambition and innovation, you can make that curriculum whatever you want it to be. But I think sometimes teachers just feel really sort of hamstrung that they have to follow this line. But bringing others to help them from outside the school who are doing music in the youth centres, you could really diversify and, yeah, just create a curriculum that's really dynamic, if you see what I mean yeah, that that makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 1:yeah, I, I think this. I guess there's the times where you see young people thrive when, when they're working in with their friends or when they're making friends through music or they're working in groups, but then there are those that kind of really thrive when having that kind of one to one support, you know, and it might just be 15 minutes once a week or whatever it might be. Just like the person that mentioned that quote there in that report, you know that 20 minutes was the point in the week, exactly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we've supported a group Next Gen Funded. They also came out of organisations in Nottingham and the Midlands that we support, alt Black Era, and they're a MoBo Award winner. Right, and it's incredible. And you know the lead singer will talk about those experiences that they were the most important things, but it often got put at the bottom of the list, that singing lesson. But what was even more annoying was the person who was teaching the lead singer singing at the time made a kind of subjective decision that you know this person couldn't sing. You know those moments that sometimes still unfortunately happen. And Alt Black Era said, right, we're going to find our way. And they rocked up and found this amazing youth community setting where they felt at home and immediately welcomed. And they've just won a MOBA award. Wow, so it's like, yeah, and there's a connection with all those things.
Speaker 2:You know, I remember maybe you do too the places that as a young person I just felt welcomed and I could sit behind the drums and make a noise and actually make friends. But actually in other places, places it wasn't that, it was about how do you hold your sticks or who teaches you this idea that if you've got this one teacher, then this is better than another teacher, or the technical aspects of playing percussion, which, yeah, I had to do because I made my living in it, but it was more the social and personal that made me feel at home. Yeah, and that's what we see again and again. And this is, as you said, this is not a criticism of teachers, but the educational system that we have just seems really at odds with the love of music that young people have. Yeah, so if you embrace that and, yes, you're teaching and you're broadening horizons you know, I remember that project, I saw that you were doing, I think, one of the times that we met and you were doing that in the room You're kind of enabling and, yes, you're putting in expertise, but you're not directive enough.
Speaker 2:Do you see what I mean? But you are actually, yeah, definitely broadening horizons, but it's quite subtle and I suppose that's classic youth work, you know Well.
Speaker 1:I guess, though, the goal is to facilitate, not direct, isn't?
Speaker 2:it yeah.
Speaker 1:You know. But yeah, well, it's very touching that you remember that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I remember, I totally remember it. And you know we're so passionate about music and I think sometimes for some they're so passionate, they're passionate about the one area of music that they think is the most important. And it might be the most important for them when they were a young person, but for so many other young people it's not the thing. So you have to find a way this is the expression I use kind of relinquish control. You've still got a role as an educator, but actually with something like music, yeah, make sure that the youth, young youth voice in that is consistent, so they're having a say in the music they're involved in, because they, if you do that, they love it. And I can guarantee that gcse music intake will probably increase. And also, you know, a level music intake and again, that's not a a fundamental target for me, but when you do, you know really sort of, yeah, energize the curriculum. Um, you can find ways that that can happen. Oh, am I making sense?
Speaker 1:perfect sense, perfect sense. And it has a knock-on effect on everything, right, you know, on how people see themselves and, uh, and, and it has a knock-on effect on industries. I mean some, you know, somebody said to me the other day, matt, we were talking about, um, you know kind of what, the shape of what's happening musically the last few years, and you know, a couple of people said to me, you know what, why is it? You know that that there are less british emerging stars right now. I mean, there's a part of a few examples here and there there is a gaping hole right compared to sort of what's coming out of america, for example. Um, and you know there might be lots of answers, uh, for that.
Speaker 1:But I I can't help but wonder if this is what happens. When you know when funding cuts take place, right, because you know, in the, in, the immediate effect of that is, oh, we, you know, can't get the funnies to do this. That means we can't work with those guys over there, but then we kind of almost forget about it, but what actually happens is nothing, and so the knock on effect of that is that there are just less people around doing this. You know, it's kind of a little bit like um, you know we're in the year 2025, I think. Statistically speaking, there are way less people getting married this year and last year because way less people met during the pandemic.
Speaker 1:You know, it's kind of the same thing really. Um, I'm not saying that funding cuts are the reason why we have less British. You know stars right now, but it might be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and if you think about the scenes of music making that created geography and geographically around the UK, you know you choose to go to some places because they did have scenes. That was your vibe and it was where you would go as an audience member, etc. Etc. And then scenes of music making you know we can name the cities where this took place. So there was this kind of infrastructure, that kind of developed and people working together, often when things were at the most difficult politically, you know. And then scenes of music are making and made, people are writing songs about it and they're writing fantastic tunes about the time that we're all in, and I guess what can then happen is that these great tracks catch on, yeah, and people buy it.
Speaker 2:Um, it just feels sometimes it's very disposable. At the moment it's about it's about if there's less a and r, it's more about let's just go to tiktok or wherever and find it, and it's quite disposable, yeah, and actually if you, if you're marginalized and you can't afford to get involved and you haven't got those places to really spend lots of times developing your craft, you know, as a songwriter or as a musician, I think there's definitely a correlation between that missing and then you know the uk music scene at the current time, yeah, and there are amazing things and often young artists, you know, like the ones I've mentioned, kind of leading the way. But if the industry at the highest levels really backed this, you know, we know where it's needed, youth music knows where it's needed I think it would be a win-win for everybody.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I think so as well, making that case is quite hard because actually for the industry and the top echelons of the industry makes great money from artists and that's the objective, you know. But I'm also interested in, socially and personally, the kind of ecosystem for people to live healthy and fulfilling lives and to be safe well, yeah, quite, quite yeah, yeah, which is you know, uh, bigger picture stuff, which is really yeah 100 um, matt, final question for you um, let's talk about the future and all of the brilliant, you know amazing possibilities.
Speaker 1:Um, ahead, um, what would you like the future to look like for those next generations? Let's, let's imagine it's uh, the year 2050, right? So 25 years from now. What do you want that ecosystem to look like by that point?
Speaker 2:so I would say the pathways for being a young creative on and off stage are really clear. So from the moment you're in school, as a career, the teacher, the career's advice, is crystal clear about what those pathways are and even at that earliest point it's taken seriously rather than it oh, you're going to be a musician, but what's going to be a day job, you know it's taken seriously. So right at the start and I think the youth system already provides that information I think schools could do that more. Um, I think that's the first thing. So there's a kind of foundation, and who's ever working with young people knows somebody or can say themselves about how you get into a job of music yeah, okay, so education within education exactly.
Speaker 2:And yeah, and reimagining the curriculum so that that curriculum in schools could be a combination of the teacher working alongside the youth service or the music industry producer in the curriculum in the day and they're sort of working with each other, with young people at the centre, producing a curriculum in those schools that is just like so cool. Curriculum in those schools, that is just like so cool. And, yes, it broadens horizons. But it's a collaboration and dial down more, I would say and you know lots of people would disagree the, the fixation with attainment, you know, and dial up people's mental health and well-being in terms of being well supported. Yeah, because I think that's huge at the moment.
Speaker 2:And then, as it progresses into the kind of industry, industry bodies, industry partners and national music strategy proper working together and youth music can help with this, rather than each bit of the music industry doing maybe something with young people but it can actually be quite tokenistic and quite small do something ambitious around some key objectives together, which is about setting out the pathway for those young people next stage, after school. Well, there's this available or there's this available, there's these offstage roles available. This is where you can get production and it's just really crystal clear. So it I suppose it raises the status of music in the uk and indeed a job in music, um, rather than it be considered as a luxury. Yes, okay, this is like a necessity and it's part of the, you know, the health and creative economy and the well-being of the uk, so that's a kind of that's quite an audacious goal. I love it.
Speaker 1:I love it well I mean there's, there's no reason why that can't happen. It just there just needs to be, you know, a kind of collective alignment of goals and and you know there's, that sounds, that sounds very harmonious. I can't, I can't think of a reason as to why it can't happen.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and the distributing of where the money goes. The distribution it's regional. Where the money goes, the distribution it's regional. There's, you know, we have a regional balancing process here at Youth Music to make sure that we target the priority areas geographically. But actually the redistribution of music industry wealth, yes, do you know what I mean and where that goes, based on everything we've just talked about, if the majors got involved with that at the grassroots level, you know, and if, even more, if they could work together, that would be. You know. I know that doesn't happen much because it's so competitive, but in the interests of young people and coalescing around young people in this country, I can sort of visualise it. Yeah, and I suppose that keeps me motivated.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it's funny because a lot of the things that you're saying they're really really fall in line with, like, the british council's goals and right, you know, and various other different things. So, um no, I I love it. Well, it has my full support anyway great I love it um matt. Thank you so much for joining me here today.
Speaker 1:Um, it's greatly appreciated. And, whilst you're here with me, may I just say a big thank you for everything that you do. My pleasure, it's greatly appreciated. The great Matt Griffiths.
Speaker 1:When I was talking to Matt, I was thinking we're so lucky that we have him because he talks about change makers. But in order to facilitate the onset of changemakers, we need someone to make that change. And he's that guy. You know, he's very entrepreneurial, he's a leader, he's inspirational, his talks are brilliant. He could quite conceivably have chosen the career path of becoming, you know, senior vice president at Sony Music right, and he'd have been brilliant at it. But he didn't. He chose this path and I'm so glad that he did, because we need him and he's brilliant and we need people that are change makers, because this is a business that just never stands still.
Speaker 1:It's unforgiving in that sense it continually evolves, it continually moves forward, and the way in which that we often can achieve that is by listening to people. Instead of just ploughing all our faith into the next generation, we have to guide them, we have to mentor them, we have to know how they might be thinking about something, and if we don't do that, then we destroy the roots and nothing grows. So thank you, matt, and thank you everybody at Youth Music for doing what you do, because you are an absolute cornerstone of the UK music industry. Sometimes I think we can kind of almost and I'm going to include myself in this we can take entertainment for granted. We just we like to be entertained and it's always there. And actually, what if it isn't? What if the roots of it are not there? Then we don't have those moments of divine intervention where people get introduced to music and go on and achieve things and become brilliant. What if we remove those moments? Because you know a lot of people in the UK music industry and globally I'm sure, are the kind of they were, the kind of kids that were like that, that square peg that doesn't fit into the round hole, right, that doesn't learn in the same way, didn't work out at school, didn't maybe get into music at school in the same way, that didn't work out at school, didn't maybe get into music at school, maybe what happens if those kids don't have that right music teacher, or, worse still, they get put off by music? Well, that that's where youth music come in, and for a long time now they've been that point of divine intervention, and we need them to continue doing that, because the fruits of their labor are all around us. So that's why I wanted to talk to matt to shine a light on what youth music is all about and the importance of a charity like that inside the entire ecosystem of the creative industries. It's wonderful.
Speaker 1:Okay, now I also want to. Just before I let you go, I want to mention this. I talked to Matt briefly about the Rescue the Roots campaign. In fact, what I'm going to do is actually put a link to it in the description underneath this episode. Please take the time to click that link and understand what that campaign is all about, because it's right at the heart of what we're talking about here right now. So have a look at that campaign. Also, if you wish, you can donate on there as well. People donate money on there and I'll tell you, guys, I can guarantee you this every single penny of anything that you give towards that will be spent with thoughtfulness, with integrity and intelligence. Right, I'm gonna leave you to it now, guys. Have a great day until next time. May the force be with you.
