Harry — “You never know when you yourself are going to need help”
Harry raised an impressive amount through social media and the generosity of his local music community.
For jazz saxophonist Harry Keeble, music isn’t just a career – it’s the centre of his world. “Music probably means everything to me,” he says. “I spend much of my days thinking about tunes, listening to tunes, enjoying learning about music, hearing people talk about music… It’s really not an overstatement to say that music means everything to me.”
Harry studied jazz at Leeds College of Music, where he met his wife, drummer Abbie Finn. The pair built their careers together in the North East, performing and teaching while navigating the challenges of life as working musicians. Those challenges became acute during the pandemic. “I remember seeing that we weren’t going to get any help from the government and thinking, right, what are we going to do? I didn’t have a job and nowhere was hiring. We were slowly watching the bank account dwindle.”
Help Musicians stepped in with financial support that Harry describes as “an incredible help during that time – it really kept the ship afloat.” The charity also funded the release of the Abbie Finn Trio’s second album On Pink Lane, and even covered surgery and treatment for Abbie when an issue with her wrist threatened her ability to play. “The kind of help that Help Musicians can offer is ridiculously diverse,” Harry says. “From covering health issues to supporting you with the business side of things.”
“You never know when you yourself are going to need help. And the fundraising really helps keep these charities afloat.”
That support inspired Harry to give something back. A keen runner since 2023, he took on the Great North Run to raise funds for Help Musicians. “I’d been wanting to do it for a long time,” he explains. “When I got a ballot place, I thought, well, I might as well do it for Help Musicians because it’s a charity that’s very close to my heart. I’ve received very extensive help from them, and it was nice to give even just a little something back.”
Harry raised an impressive amount through social media and the generosity of his local music community. “A lot of the people who gave were members of our audience – people who’ve come to loads of our gigs and other people’s gigs. It goes to show what a lovely community it is.”
His advice to anyone thinking about fundraising? “You never know when you yourself are going to need help. And the fundraising really helps keep these charities afloat. I would recommend to all musicians: if you’ve got any means of doing fundraising at some point in your life, then do it – and especially do it for Help Musicians because it’s fantastic.”