Daniel Thompson launched Culture Music in 2015 with business
partner, Charlotte Coggin, having identified a gap in the market of the
orchestral music scene. ‘Obviously Hull has the Hull Philharmonic, very well
respected, great local orchestra, and then you’ve got the Youth Music Services,’
Daniel said, ‘It’s the bit in between that we were interested in, when you
kind of drop off between those services … if you’d been a youth player, a lot
of people were putting their instrument under the bed and not keeping on
playing - there wasn’t alot in the city centre for someone to get involved in
at that level,’.
Daniel & Charlotte’s passion for making classical music
engaging and accessible in the city has led them to develop highly successful
ventures with Hull Minster, hosting several sell out shows a year. Initiatives
such as orchestral performances of music from Star Wars and The Lion King have
proved so popular with musicians and audiences alike that they’re already
looking at expanding Culture Music into new areas! This steep learning curve,
however, had it’s challenges. ‘The help that CreativeENRG has been able to
give us is in exposing us to the mechanics of creating & developing a
business, enabling us to take music out of it completely and just go down to
the skeleton of what the business is doing, and getting a good business
structure in place. It’s been completely invaluable, it would’ve been a much
longer & more difficult process without having knowledgeable people to help
us and advise us on ‘you need to fill this is, this is when you’re expected to
have your tax return by’ - you know, all these kind of things that you juggle
when you’re opening something new,’.
They’ve taken full advantage of the networking events
Creative ENRG have offered and Daniel speaks passionalty about the importance
of this part of their development process, ‘Just being able to mix and
mingle and get your face known and your business known and talk with people
that care about the same kind of things as us creates ripples, and I think on a
personal level the most important thing is to have yourself ready first!’.
With several upcoming shows planned in Hull Minster in
addition to rehearsals every Monday, teaching at several schools in the area,
instrument repairs and freelance instrument work, both Daniel & Charlotte
have their work cut out. This, however, hasn’t slowed them down. With their
unstoppable optimism and drive Culture Music goes from strength to strength.
Looking back on their journey with Creative ENRG, Daniel takes a moment to
reflect, ‘ it’s cheesy but Creative ENRG’s support has helped part of our
dream to come true. That’s what it is. For me and Charlotte their support
has helped us make our dream into a possibility, and to continue to grow that
dream in this city, bringing it to and for everyone,’. Speaking of their ambitions for the future,
Daniel comments, ‘We’re trying to work against classical conformity and any
kind of stuffiness—at Culture Music we throw that out the window: we just go
‘music’s for everyone’ lets make it for everyone, for the everyday person, and
that’s what I think we do really, really well,’.
Artist Website: www.culture-music.co.uk
For more information about Creative ENRG visit our website
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