I was thrilled to receive my hard copy of this new French language book about music criticism in the twentieth century, featuring a chapter written by myself (kindly translated into french by Isabelle Perreault). This book is the first major synthesis devoted to music criticism in the twentieth century. It explores the different types thatContinue reading “My French book chapter – out now”
On 7th May 2019 the end of year music industry talk at Solent University comprised guest speakers Colin Lester, artist manager of various music acts including Craig David, and Kanya King MBE, founder of the MOBO Awards, in conversation with Prof. Paul Rutter, author of The Music Industry Handbook (2016). Colin Lester kicked off withContinue reading “Colin Lester and Kanya King MBE in conversation at Solent University”
In 2019 I volunteered to research and curate an exhibition about music and musicians for my local community museum in the Cotswolds. The Swinford Museum typically houses displays relating to rural life and so my music-themed exhibition was to co-exist alongside permanent displays of farming equipment and stonemasonry, a patent reminder of the context forContinue reading “Swinford Museum Exhibition 2019: The Music and Musicians of Filkins and Broughton Poggs”
Come and join myself and Dr Jan Butler at Oxford’s IF Festival on Friday 19th October 7-8.30pm at the Wig and Pen (9-13 George Street Oxford, OX1 2AU) for an interactive session based upon the 2010 Squeeze album Spot the Difference. Get a feel for the complexities of music and copyright and test your closeContinue reading “Join us at Oxford’s 2018 IF Festival”
I really enjoyed delivering my paper titled ‘On the rights track: song life stories, rights migrations and the priceless ‘original” at this years IASPM UK & Ireland conference in Huddersfield on 3rd September this year. See the related post for further details about the conference itself and the panel session which I delivered alongside DrContinue reading “On the ‘rights’ track”
Here’s a summary of the panel session which I’m delivering with my esteemed colleagues from the Music Dept. at Oxford Brookes University as part of the Crosstown Traffic: Popular Music Theory and Practice, IASPM UK&Ireland Conference, University of Huddersfield, 3rd Sept 2018. Hope to see you there! For further details about the conference see https://www.iaspm.org.uk/crosstown-traffic-popular-music-theory-and-practice/. Spot the Difference:Continue reading “Crosstown Traffic: Panel session 3rd Sept ’18”
The artist formerly known as Prince had been one of my teenage idols from around the mid 1980s up until around the time of his 1992 Love Symbol Album; the combination of his music, lyrics, dance routines, exuberant clothing and all-round showmanship really packed a punch for me. So it’s fair to say that IContinue reading “New Power Generation: 2018 Common People Oxford”
I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea to go rummaging through dusty boxes of books and magazines at car boot sales, flea markets and charity shops, but for me it’s one of life’s greatest pleasures. To my mind, there’s nothing better than seeking out and finding vintage popular music-related treasures among the dust and clutter,Continue reading “Vintage Henry Hall Song Book”
I photographed this quirky concrete building at the Aire Du Jura service station in France earlier this year. The building itself is named the Circles Pavilion and this wonderful example of brutalist architecture houses a number of interesting and informative exhibitions, including one on the production and history of the local comté cheese. Despite my initial assumption that each side of the building was intendedContinue reading “Is it just me or does this building distinctly resemble an LP?”
Would anyone choose to slice their vegetables and prepare their meals on a vinyl record? The designers at Joseph seem pretty convinced that many of us would. I received one of these glossy, black (plastic) vinyl-record style cutting boards as a gift recently and am still struggling to accept the item both as a physicalContinue reading “Giving pop the chop”
Dr Jennifer Skellington