As any musician will testify, losing your instrument is one of the most stressful and traumatic experiences that you can go through.
So recent research which shows that a quarter of musicians have recently lost an instrument or had it stolen is sure to resonate with fellow artists.
The study, conducted by Allianz Musical Insurance, also showed that musicians are paying out on average £650 to replace their instrument.
It comes at a time when a number of high-profile cases regarding instruments being lost or stolen have been reported.
Internationally-acclaimed Korean violinist Min-Jin Kym had her 1696 Stradivari violin, valued at around £1.2 million, taken from a sandwich bar in London last November. The instrument was in a black case that also contained a Peccatte bow worth £62,000 and another made by the Bazin School valued at over £5,000.
Elsewhere, classical guitarist Craig Ogden lost his prized 2003 Greg Smallman guitar last July, after the chart-topping musician left it in the back of a London cab.
“It’s my pride and joy, I feel like a part of me is missing without my guitar. It’s my lifeline – I don’t mean to sound corny, but it’s my heartbeat,” he told Classic FM at the time of the loss.
And Ogden’s connection with his instrument appears to be shared by the majority of those questioned in the Allianz survey, with nearly half of respondents regarding their instrument as “one of their most important possessions”.
However, of the musicians that have lost or had their instrument stolen, as many as 60 per cent admitted that it was due to their own forgetfulness. Among the common reasons for misplacing instruments included leaving it in a performance venue, leaving the instrument on public transport or leaving it in a hotel.
Robin Stagg, Allianz Musical Insurance claims manager, commented on the survey results: “Musicians are often leading busy lives attending performances and gigs, and as our research shows, there are occasions when instruments are lost or stolen.”
So recent research which shows that a quarter of musicians have recently lost an instrument or had it stolen is sure to resonate with fellow artists.
The study, conducted by Allianz Musical Insurance, also showed that musicians are paying out on average £650 to replace their instrument.
It comes at a time when a number of high-profile cases regarding instruments being lost or stolen have been reported.
Internationally-acclaimed Korean violinist Min-Jin Kym had her 1696 Stradivari violin, valued at around £1.2 million, taken from a sandwich bar in London last November. The instrument was in a black case that also contained a Peccatte bow worth £62,000 and another made by the Bazin School valued at over £5,000.
Elsewhere, classical guitarist Craig Ogden lost his prized 2003 Greg Smallman guitar last July, after the chart-topping musician left it in the back of a London cab.
“It’s my pride and joy, I feel like a part of me is missing without my guitar. It’s my lifeline – I don’t mean to sound corny, but it’s my heartbeat,” he told Classic FM at the time of the loss.
And Ogden’s connection with his instrument appears to be shared by the majority of those questioned in the Allianz survey, with nearly half of respondents regarding their instrument as “one of their most important possessions”.
However, of the musicians that have lost or had their instrument stolen, as many as 60 per cent admitted that it was due to their own forgetfulness. Among the common reasons for misplacing instruments included leaving it in a performance venue, leaving the instrument on public transport or leaving it in a hotel.
Robin Stagg, Allianz Musical Insurance claims manager, commented on the survey results: “Musicians are often leading busy lives attending performances and gigs, and as our research shows, there are occasions when instruments are lost or stolen.”