I am honoured to chair the board of trustees of the Loan Fund for Musical Instruments, a charitable trust set up in 1979. I represent the Musicians’ Union on the board, working alongside colleagues from the Worshipful Company of Musicians and other distinguished musicians and educators whose role is to provide governance for the charity and review applications for funding.
The fund exists to help young professional musicians purchase high-quality instruments that they would otherwise be unable to afford. A professional in this context is one whose main source of income is from public performance.
We offer both a grant scheme and a loan scheme. The grant scheme is for students and young professional musicians, covering a period from the beginning of their third year of full-time study until two years after the completion of their full-time course. The loan scheme is for professional players under the age of 36 with sufficient income to repay a loan.
Preference is given to British nationals or applicants who are looking to pursue a career in the UK. In the case of string players, we are particularly interested in supporting the purchase of instruments from UK makers.
Tips for success
While the fund does not provide formal advice on how to submit a successful application, I can offer some personal tips based on my own experiences as a trustee.
First, I want to see that any application for a grant or loan is part of a costed plan to raise the rest of the money that will be required. The maximum grant we offer is £5,000 or one-third the cost of the instrument to be purchased, whichever is lower. To raise the full amount, which will usually be more than we can award, some applicants will draw on parental support or savings, while others will rely on the sale of another instrument or applications to other trusts. Trustees understand that grants from other trusts cannot always be guaranteed at the time of making an application to us, so we are looking for a sincere and realistic attempt to put forward an affordable proposal.
A personal statement
Part of the application is a personal statement, which is an opportunity to tell us why a new instrument will help move a career forward. In combination with a CV, this is an opportunity to demonstrate that the applicant is already playing at a high level and is on a trajectory towards developing and sustaining a successful career as a musician.
I am always interested to hear about an applicant’s background and motivation, and it is reassuring when a statement is imbued with an understanding of what a career in music involves. Self-awareness is another important quality to demonstrate, showing which musical niche you could occupy and succeed within. This is not to limit ambition, but rather to show how a career is being approached strategically.
We also ask for references, which can be more revealing than you might realise. All references tend to be positive, but some are more persuasive than others. Think carefully about who to ask for a reference, and don’t be afraid to have a conversation with your referee about what they could mention.
We don’t ask applicants to provide videos or recordings, but there is nothing to stop them including links to these. Otherwise, applications are judged entirely on what is submitted in writing.
How to apply
The fund has a website where you can download application forms, read the full regulations, and find the next deadline for applications. We usually get more applications than we can award funding to, and we may well encourage people to apply again if they miss out.
Perhaps the most important advice I can offer is to research the landscape of trusts and charities (our website has a short list to get you started) and ensure that you apply to as many as you can. Every application you make is another opportunity to get closer to your goals.
