#LetTheMusicPlay is the campaign fighting for the music industry
The pandemic has caused a terrible ripple effect across the economy, and the music industry is under serious threat.
Music events and live entertainment is not going to be back for some time, and it's an incredibly worrying period for those who work in the sector.
In response to this, artists and organisations from across the UK music sector have united today in a campaign drawing attention to the urgent situation performers and venues find themselves in.
#LetTheMusicPlay was launched by UK Music, and calls on the government to offer: 'A clear conditional timeline for reopening venues without social distancing', and 'an immediate comprehensive business and employment support package', which should include 'a Government-backed insurance scheme to allow shows to go ahead; an extension of the furlough scheme and help for the self-employed and sole traders to prevent mass redundancies; [and] rent breaks for venues to allow them to reopen.'
A report published last month by Oxford Economics and commissioned by the Creative Industries Federation, which was supported by UK Music, has suggested that without help, the music industry 'is projected to lose at least £3 billion in GVA (50 per cent) and 60 per cent of jobs (114,000)'.
Many social media users have taken to platforms sharing their photos, videos and memories of the final concert they attended using the #LetTheMusicPlay hashtag. Those who perform or simply enjoy all genres – including classical – are getting involved in.
So far, an open letter has been signed by 560 major artists from the pop and rock world and beyond in support of the campaign. It says, 'Like every part of the entertainment industry, live music has been proud to play our part in the national effort to reduce the spread of Coronavirus and keep people safe. But, with no end to social distancing in sight or financial support from government yet agreed, the future for concerts and festivals and the hundreds of thousands of people who work in them looks bleak.' The campaign has also been backed by a number of high profile artists including Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Skepta, and Paul McCartney.
'This sector doesn’t want to ask for government help. The venues, promoters, festival organisers, and other employers want to be self-sufficient, as they were before lockdown. But, until these businesses can operate again, which is likely to be 2021 at the earliest, government support will be crucial to prevent mass insolvencies, and the end of this great world-leading industry.'
A £160m emergency financial package from Arts Council England was given to the arts sector in March, but with no end currently in sight for restrictions on performance more money is desperately needed to support musicians in the meantime.
The government last week published a roadmap listing the order of steps that will be taken to return the performing arts to its pre-pandemic state, though it did not contain a timeline, or an announcement of additional funding. In a Tweet yesterday the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden said 'I understand the deep anxiety of those working in music & the desire to see fixed dates for reopening. I am pushing hard for those dates & to give you a clear roadmap back. These involve v[ery] difficult decisions about the future of social distancing, which we know has saved lives'.
To find out more about the #LetTheMusicPlay campaign, visit UK Music’s website.
Part of this article was originally published on Gramophone.co.uk.
Lockdown learning: Staff and students' share their music
Lockdown learning: Since the start of lockdown we’ve been encouraging our students (and staff for that matter!) to share with us their clips of their musical jammin’ sessions at home. We’ve be sent some great clips, and shared them to our social media weekly since the start of lockdown. Students from our Exeter centre, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Gateshead and even AMSonline have been busy producing and creating during lockdown. More than lockdown learning, this is lockdown jamming!
Here’s a round up of some of the videos we’ve been enjoying these past few months…
Chloe Noel covers Childish Gambino’s Redbone
Edinburgh alumni Cameron Brown joins Brian May in the ‘Hammer to Fall’ challenge
Calder Houston jams along to Harry Styles
Ella Crossland’s uplifting cover of a Disney classic….
Exeter student Olive Whitmore covers Adele’s ‘Skyfall’
Exeter tutor and 1/3 of Pattern Pusher Alex Johnstone covers an Oasis track…
Jake Holt does Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were here’
Glasgow’s Marina Rolink performs her original track ‘In Turmoil’
Craig Leeper, an AMS Exeter student, shares his great piano cover of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
Exeter based student band Shake the Geek shake it up with this feel-good ABBA cover…
Last but not least, this great cover of Eric Johnson’s ‘Cliffs of Dover’ from our AMS Online tutor James Gordon!
Introducing a new Hip Hop and Rap pathway for our HND in Music
We’re adding a hip-hop and rap specific pathway to our popular HND course in Scotland, with acclaimed rapper Steg G joining the team to lead on the module.
We’re so excited to announce a brand-new instrument specific specialism to our widely-popular HND Music course. Hip-hop and Rap will launch for the upcoming academic year for 2020/21, and will be led by industry professionals.
The course will involve the same care and attention we apply to our contemporary instrument specific classes in songwriting, drums, guitar and more. Uniquely, it will also offer students weekly classes covering songwriting techniques, style analysis and live performance workshops to improve technical aptitude and theoretical understanding.
Our Scotland team have been working diligently with leading industry professionals over the past year to finally provide this course in an area typically overlooked in music education and we hope that we can continue to not only help prospective students reach their own goals but also provide expert industry experience and advice to prepare them for work as a full-time musician and artist.
Joining the AMS team in the near year to help deliver the module is Steven Gilfoyle (otherwise known as Steg G). Steg needs little introduction; he has performed with such acts such as 50 Cent and Kayne West over the years and is widely known in Scotland, having won the SAMA award for best hip-hop artist in 2019.
Steven also works alongside Sunny Govan, a community based radio station based in Glasgow, and has a strong background in community development and education. AMS are so excited for him to be part of the team and look forward to developing and expanding the course alongside him in the years to come.
The Hip-hop and Rap pathway promises:
- Develop and refine your lyric and writing skills
- Improve your live performance and production skills
- Gain experience as a hip-hop artist
Find out more about the HND in Music on the AMS course page.
Why hip hop and rap?
Hip-hop is an under taught and under-acknowledged topic in music education, and indeed other kinds of education. No other mainstream music college or further education centre has a course or pathway dedicated to it specifically, and it’s a gap we really want to fill.
Hip-hop originated in the Bronx in New York City in the 70’s and 80’s in marginalised communities of African Americans and Latinto’s predominantly. The culture has since grown into a global phenomenon and arguably the most commercially successful music genre currently. It has influences in street culture, various other music genres, clothes and fashion, dance, and even hairstyles – this all stems from its cultural origins. Critically, while hip hop must be understood first and foremost as an Afircan American/black genre and culture, the music has taken various forms across the world.
It began as a way for the marginalised to express their condition and experience, it later became more of a commodified global entity. However the power of the forms of hip hop, and rap specifically, as a means of expression is huge – rap involves powerful lyrical play, fascinating linguistic technique; parody, self-reflection,
Emerging recently have been academic fields focusing on hip hop itself, and specifically the role of a “hip hop pedagogy” (teaching). Hip hop pedagogy argues for the use of hip-hop and rap texts (songs, music video, lyrics) in the teaching of other traditional subjects such as literature or history. While this isn’t quite how we will teach it – focusing on more practical aspects of making your own hip-hop music – we hope this critical understanding of the subject will underpin the work we do.
We think it’s an under-valued topic all-round, and we hope we can shine some much needed attention on the benefits and cultural impact of this music form, and help students with other aspects of their music practice.
As we lead up to the start of the HND in September, we plan to bring you much more content surrounding the huge impact of hip hop and rap in the world. Stay tuned!
About the HND in Music
Our unique selling point has always been supporting students with their chosen pathway – the HND, available at AMS centres in Glasgow or Edinburgh, is a perfect example of this.
Accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), the HND is written in partnership with education professionals and industry experts, reflecting the current music industry and allows for further progression onto higher levels of study, expanding career opportunities and personal development.
All our tutors and staff are working in music, and our courses are both delivered by and written by musicians. With that comes a great community, common goals and an immediate industry focus that you won’t get at your run of the mill college.
- Pathway-specific tuition with professional musicians, now including Hip-Hop & Rap
- Gain a working, comprehensive knowledge of the music industry
- Perform and organise your own gig in collaboration with other musicians
- Compose, arrange and record your own music using industry standard software
- Exclusive access to our Higher Education enrichment programme
- HNC and HND Units
Find out more on the course page.
Join us for our second online Exeter open day!
Our Exeter Open Day is moving online! Book today and join us on 6 July for a comprehensive look at our RSL Level 3 Extended Diploma — and what studying at AMS Exeter is all about.
Join our friendly team via Zoom, as they guide you through our courses for prospective entry in September 2020. This is an opportunity for you to hear more about our courses on offer in September 2020 and chat about general student life here at the Academy of Music & Sound Exeter.
The evening will take place via Zoom, and will last for about an hour – create an account at www.zoom.us. All those we have met and that have enquired about our courses will be automatically invited, and also we will post the Zoom meeting link up here nearer the time – so check back!
We really hope you’ll come along and find out all about studying with us!
At the AMS Exeter Open Day, you can find out all about…
⭕️ RSL level 3 Extended Diploma Music Practitioners
- FULLY funded Rock School accredited music course for 16 – 19 year olds
- An internationally recognised qualification with regular updates to mirror the developments within the music industry
- Written and developed by industry specialists, with education professionals
- Fully accredited by OfQual and DfES
- Equivalent to 3 A-Levels and can yield up to 168 UCAS points
Read more on our dedicated course page.
To book a place, simply pop an email to [email protected]
See you in Cyberspace!
Free Guitar Masterclass with Kris Barras
Kris Barras Blues Rock Soloing
The Academy of Music & Sound have teamed up with world-renowned guitar player Kris Barras and musicmasterclass.com to bring you a 10 part free lesson series on blues rock soloing.
Part 1
Kris will take you through the pentatonic scale shapes most commonly used in this style, but makes a point of trying to help get you out of the tried and tested shapes to introduce new licks and vocabulary that will open up your playing to help you find your own voice.
High quality guitar TABS accompany the lessons, and are downloadable from this page.
What better way to spend your isolation than sprucing up your guitar playing with a top blues rock artist guiding you along the way?
Stay Tuned
We will be releasing lessons in the series each Wednesday exclusively for users of this website: so look out each week.
Let us know what you think through our socials!
Thanks to musicmasterclass.com and Kris Barras for collaborating to offer these lessons.
Download the TAB PDF for this lesson here
Kris Barras Blues Rock Soloing Part 2
Kris will show you how to fluently move through the shapes of the minor pentatonic scale that were covered last week. There’s a cool exercise on learning to play on just one string using the same harmonic ideas and some new lick ideas that combine pentatonic shapes, and also introduce syncopation for the pick up of a lick.
High quality guitar TABs accompany this lesson, downloadable on this page .
Stay Tuned
We will be releasing lessons in the series each Wednesday exclusively for users of this website: so look out each week.
Let us know what you think through our socials!
Thanks to musicmasterclass.com and Kris Barras for collaborating to offer these lessons.
Download the TAB PDF files for this lesson here
Kris Barras Blues Rock Soloing Part 3
This week it’s onto the blues. Kris will guide you through knowing which chord you are playing over in a typical 12 bar blues. You will learn about what chord numbers mean, and how they relate to a 12 bar sequence.
Then there’s a 12 bar study solo, making use of chord tones from the chords used in the backing track, in addition to the minor pentatonic and blues scales studied in parts 1 & 2.
High quality guitar TABs and backing track MP3 accompany this lesson, downloadable on this page .
Download the lesson PDF and backing track MP3 here:
Blues:Rock Soloing – Lesson 3 – 12 Bar Blues Pattern
Blues:Rock Soloing – Lesson 3 – Example Solo
Backing Track MP3:
Kris Barras Blues Rock Soloing Part 4
So far the scale we’ve been using is a minor pentatonic scale, this week it’s onto more chordal awareness using dominant 7th chords and the mixolydian blues scale.
Kris helps to introduce the new concepts using the minor pentatonic framework taught in the first 3 sessions.
The mixolydian blues scale introduces a sweet major tonality to the new licks that are studied this week whilst keeping things well grounded in the blues.
High quality guitar TABs and backing track MP3 accompany this lesson, downloadable on this page .
Download the lesson PDFs here:
Stay Tuned
We will be releasing lessons in the series each Wednesday exclusively for users of this website: so look out each week.
Let us know what you think through our socials!
Thanks to musicmasterclass.com and Kris Barras for collaborating to offer these lessons.
Kris Barras Blues Rock Soloing Part 5
This week it’s straight into licks.
Kris will guide you through licks that incorporate the mixolydian blues scale studied last week, but this time we’re in different positions on the fretboard. The focus this week is targeting particular chord tones from the chords of a dominant blues progression.
High quality guitar TABs accompany this lesson, downloadable on this page .
Download the PDF from this lesson here:
Kris Barras Blues Rock Soloing Part 6
This week we’re into arpeggios.
Kris will guide you through the arpeggios that relate to each of the chords found within a dominant blues progression and teaches licks that use arpeggios.
This lesson is focusing on helping soloists find notes that are within the chords of a blues using an example solo as the basis.
We really hope you are enjoying this free lesson series! Let us know by commenting in our socials.
High quality guitar TABs accompany this lesson, downloadable on this page .
Kris Barras Blues Rock Soloing Part 7
This week our arpeggios are developed into a cool example solo.
Kris play the solo first, along with the backing track that you can download on this page. After a full 12 bar demonstration it’s a note for note walk-through of the solo.
We really hope you are enjoying this free lesson series! Let us know by commenting in our socials.
High quality guitar TABs accompany this lesson, and the backing track, downloadable on this page .
Kris Barras Blues Rock Soloing Part 8
This week we’re mixing it up by changing to a minor blues.
This time chords I and IV are both minor, with the turn around using a major 7 chord for chord vi and a dominant 7 chord for the V chord.
Kris has written an example solo to help you change up to the new tonality which incorporates the natural minor, or Aeolian mode, and also some pentatonic minor licks that now change dependant on which chord we are on in addition to chord tones from the progression.
Kris will walk you through the solo bit by bit and high quality PDF transcriptions and backing track accompany this lesson.
We really hope you are enjoying this free lesson series! Let us know by commenting in our socials.
Kris Barras Blues Rock Soloing Part 9
This week we’re adding some arpeggios to our minor blues.
Kris has written out the arpeggios that come from the chords covered in last week’s lesson, and runs through them first note by note, the TAB is downloadable on this page.
Kris has written another example solo over the same backing track as last week, this time though it’s incorporating the arpeggios that have just been demonstrated.
Kris will walk you through the solo bit by bit and high quality PDF transcriptions and backing track accompany this lesson.
We really hope you are enjoying this free lesson series! Let us know by commenting in our socials.
Kris Barras Blues Rock Soloing Part 10
This week we’re adding some speed!
This final lesson is all about how blues players and blues rock players incorporate speed to add some variation to their soloing.
Kris guides you through some example licks, including repetition of a phrase using both double stops and scale ideas from major and minor pentatonic scales.
Next it’s onto sequencing, Kris uses ascending and descending sequences of pentatonic scales to create rising sequences that build in intensity.
Next it’s chromatic runs and how they can inject some creative injections of speed and fluency into your soling, and finally incorporating chromatic runs to link dominant 7 arpeggios.
TAB PDFs are available to download from this page.
We really hope you have enjoyed this free lesson series! Let us know by commenting in our socials.
Downloadable lesson materials:
Our Women in Music online short course is happening next week! Get to know the hosts
Next weekend (20-21 June & 27-28 June) we’re hosting our latest Women In Music short course. This time, we’re online!
Women in Music: Empowerment and Employability is designed for anyone identifying as female who wants to enhance their knowledge, network and toolkit with the aim of being employed in the music industries in any capacity. The 4 day course (spread across two subsequent weekends) will be hosted by industry experts and AMS friends Melisa Kelly and Karlyn King, and is available for anyone living in Scotland over 14 years of age.
On the first day we’ll be covering why the course is necessary and start to reflect on what valuable skills and experience we already have and want to gain, with modern industry context. The second day will focused on creative CV and mock interview skills, while day 3 deals with situations and intro’s to music management. The final day will feature a masterclass with Melisa Kelly (who is a professional singer and songwriter and also teaching day 2).
Melisa Kelly
Melisa Kelly has been working in the music industry for over ten years and in that time she has been a performer, a writer, and a tutor. Her band ‘Melisa Kelly and the Smokin Crows’, have played up and down the country including festivals Eden, and Kelburn Garden Party. Their album ‘Devil’s Luck’ which was solely written by Melisa, featured players from Jools Holland’s R’n’B orchestra and was mastered at Abbey Road studios by Geoff Pesche. She graduated from the Academy of Music and Sound with a BA Hons in Performance Industries (First Class) and went on to tutor for AMS in Vocals, Songwriting, and Employability. Melisa is currently writing her next album and is in the final semester of her Masters from UWS in Songwriting and Music Composition.
Karlyn King
Karlyn King is a Popular Music academic, lecturer and researcher who teaches all over the UK. She leads on modules such as Artist Development and PR, Sound and Culture and Popular Music Debates with a special interest in rock n roll history, here at AMS and at colleges across the UK. She is currently working on a PhD at University of Birmingham exploring the enduring format of vinyl.
She is a regular panel speaker and conference presenter on all things vinyl, including a recent event with UK band IDLES. In her spare time, she has toured as a singer/songwriter/guitarist and works for a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
"You cannot enjoy the rhythm and ignore the blues" – anti-racism and race studies resources
We've provided a brief context to what has been happening in the states, along with a list of resources of which you can donate to help Black Lives Matter and relevant organisations, plus some reading lists to kick-start your race studies and race-consciousness.
So, what's happening in America? A very concise context:
On 25 May 2020 George Floyd, a black American man, was killed by a police officer while several looked on. It was captured on video and has now been watched by millions, globally. (As James Corden said in a great recent statement on white responsibly) If this was an isolated innocent it would be a horrific tragedy, and those responsible should be held accountable. But it is not a singular incident. This one of the latest (and there have been more since protesting begun) in several incidents of police brutality against black civilians.
To understand the weight of these protests is essential. This is not a recent issue, and anti-blackness goes way beyond this. In America, racial tensions, divisions, inequalities and violence against black bodies has been taking place since the first African was stolen from their homeland and forcibly given the identity, "slave", and transpired in various ways since. After slavery was abolished, the Jim Crow laws were brought in, laws included segregation and denying black people the vote – it was in many ways, enslavement under a new guise.
Many of us are taught about the Civil Rights Movement of the 5os and 60s, where divergent protest ideologies of Martin Luther King and Malcom X and the Black Panthers brought serious racial change to US, resulting in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but we aren't taught much else . We aren't taught the detailed ways in which racist legacies persist in new forms and dominant structures today. Although black Americans were then given the vote, it was by no means the end of America's racial problem.
To start to understand post-civil rights era systemic anti-blackness in the US, a good place to start might be Michelle Alexander's book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colourblindness. She argues that the modern day criminal justice system in America, is essentially a contemporary 'Jim Crow' - a disproportionate amount of black people are incarcerated in America today, many for small crimes and the system, once your in, makes it near impossible to get-out (Ava DuVernay's film 13th also is a great explainer on this).
"We have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.” – Michelle Alexander
Floyd's tragic death belongs to a legacy of violence against black Americans. That's not to say day-to-day racist actions don't exist, they do, but we must see them as part of an enduring and morphing system - and see the protests in response many, many facets of repression, by extension.
This is also not just America's problem. Although the African American experience is unique in many ways, the Black British experience is all too similar and the pervasive issue of racism in the UK is all-too real, and commonly ignored (Read more on this here and here.) You can read more about the Black british context in a great book called Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge and use this GoogleDoc to find out How to Support Black Lives in the UK immediately.
"After all, you're accusing a you're accusing a captive population who has been robbed of everything of looting. I think it's obscene." – James Baldwin, 1968
~
So, what can you do?
IMMEDIATE ACTION – DONATE
Right now we can take tangible action to Black Lives Matter and related causes, committed to fighting racial injustice.
George Floyd Memorial Fund
Minnesota Freedom Fund
Black Lives Matter
Reclaim the Block
Black Visions Collective
Unicorn Riot
North Star Health Collective
Community Bail Funds (specifically -– National Bail Out Fund #FreeBlackMamas
National Bail Out Fund #FreeBlackMamas
George Floyd Memorial Fund by his brother
Justice For Breonna Taylor petition & fundraiser
Justice for Tony McDade
UK Resources and funds here.
and many more HERE.
LONG TERM - EDUCATE
This is a systemic problem, in the UK as well as the US. Reading black writers work, and academics who have written about race is a great place to start in understanding how entrenched, engrained, and pervasive the issue is. Also how this (white hegemony and racist ideology) plays out in the cultural and pop cultural realms.
Books
Women, Race, Class – Angela Davis
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness – Michelle Alexander
The Fire Next Time – James Baldwin
Notes of a Native Son – James Baldwin
I know why the caged bird sings – Maya Angelou
Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism – bell hooks
Black Looks – bell hooks
Reel to real: Race, Class and Sex at the Movies – bell hooks
The Signifyin' Monkey – Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Beloved – Toni Morrison
Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment – Patricia Hill Collins
From Black Power to Hip Hop: Racism, Nationalism, and Feminism – Patricia Hill Collins
Between The World and Me – Ta-Nehisi Coates
So You Want To Talk About Race – Ijeoma Oluo
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race – Reni Eddo-Lodge
I will not be erased – galdem
What is this ‘Black’ in Black Popular Culture – Stuart Hall, in Gina Dent, ed., Black Popular Culture Journal
Framing Blackness: The African American Image in Film – Ed Guerrero
The Souls of Black Men - Hazel Carby
Criteria of Black Art – W.E.B. Du Bois
Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston
Black skin, white masks – Frantz Fanon
Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America – Tricia Rose
Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop – Imani Perry
(See also this Master List of Black Revolutionary Texts)
Films
Do The Right Thing (Spike Lee)
13th (Ava Duvernay)
Dear White People (Justin Simien) - Netflix
If Beale Street Could Talk
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011, Göran Olsson)
Daughters of Dust (1993, Julie Dash)
Fruitvale Station (2013, Ryan Coogler)
Selma (2014, Ava DuVernay)
Malcolm X (1992, Spike Lee)
Get Out (2017, Jordan Peele)
Speeches / music
James Baldwin on the Black experience in America
Angela Davis 'on Violence and Revolution'
bell hooks - Are You Still a Slave? Liberating the Black Female Body
'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' – Gil Scot Heron
'Fight the Power' – Public Enemy (and article on Why It Still Resonates)
Podcasts
About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge
Come Through with Rebecca Carroll
Code Switch
No Country for Young Women
This Is Spoke
Say Your Mind
George The Poet on youth violence, representations and limitations of government
INTROGRATE WHITENESS:
White: Essays on race and culture – Richard Dyer
White fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism – Robin DiAngelo
On Being White and Other Lies – James Baldwin
KEEP GOING - SPEAK OUT, CALL OUT, STEP UP
Call it out if you see it, and of course take tangible action. Take note of your circles and how diverse the world around you is. It might involve having awkward or difficult conversations you haven't had before. Keep it going, day in, day out. Also going forward, take check of the images and words and stories told to you – how does pop culture - film, music, etc, engrain these ideologies? And how do structures and infrastructures work to keep certain people down?
Lockdown listening: The 8 best podcasts about music
The podcast represents the perfect light-form entertainment – the easy-going listen, the pop-on in the background and zone out. We’ve picked out some of the best which centre on our favourite topic – music.
Who isn’t going podcast-crazy during lockdown? We’ve certainly been enjoying our fair-share of lockdown listens these past few weeks, and it’s true, there’s a lot out there to get lost in. Back-to-back podcasts on a lazy afternoon is a great way to shut off, relax, de-stress, or indeed help you to calmly focus on your tasks at hand. There’s some excellent music-related shows out there so we decided to pick out some of the best. Whether it’s deep-dive music analysis, a round up of the week’s best new songs, comedian Romesh Ranganathan on hip-hop, or music and mental health with George Ezra – we’ve hand selected the very best podcasts for lockdown.
All the below podcasts are readily available on all the usual platforms. Enjoy!
Desert Island Discs
First up, it’s an old favourite. Desert Island Discs has been going strong on BBC Radio 4 since 1943, first hosted by the likes of Roy Plomley, Michael Parkinson, Kirsty Young and now Lauren Laverene. The show has become a national ‘buried’ treasure and is listened to by millions.
The format is simple: well-known and successful figures pick the 8 tracks, a book and a luxury item to take with them on a remote desert island. It’s an inherently musical format but invites guests from all walks of life – writers, musicians, activists, actors, producers, chefs, comedians, festival organisers, farmers, fashion designers and more, to pick the tracks that are important to them, the music that moves them, or has had significance to their lives. Their picks are surprising, enlightening, moving and uplifting, and there’s some great life stories to get lost in here. Perfect to whack on in the background on a lazy afternoon.
Where to start: Bruce Springsteen, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Graham, Thom Yorke, Emily Eavis, Bob Mortimer, Jack Whitehall, Stephen Fry, Naomi Klien, Lily Allen
Listen on: BBC Sounds, Apple.
James Acaster’s Perfect Sounds
Much-loved comedian James Acaster is convinced 2016 was the best year for music, ever. In this podcast he attempts to explain to other comedians why this is the case. His new podcast series is based around the concept of his recent book ‘Perfect Sound, Whatever’ which makes a compelling case for the year as the best for new music. It releases an episode every Friday – so keep an eye out during the coming few weeks.
So far James has chatted to Romesh Ranganathan about Beyonce’s album Lemonade, Phil Wang on Eurosceptic experimental hip-hop album United Diktatürs of Europe, by Anarchist Republic of BZZZ and Sophie Ducker on the samba-punk fusion album MM3 by Meta Meta. Other albums which featured on Acaster’s 2016 list – and could be the focus of upcoming episodes – include David Bowie’s Blackstar, Sturgill Simpson’s A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, Moor Mother’s Fetish Bones and James Blake’s The Colour In Anything.
Listen on: BBC Sounds
Dissect
“Great art deserves more than a swipe”
Are you ready for a musical deep-dive? The Dissect podcast might be for you. Named “Best Podcast of 2018” by The New York Times, Dissect takes on one album per season, and one track per episode. The podcast aims to dissect – forensically and interrogatively – the cultural and musical significance of some truly great art. Great music can be explained simply – “this sounds great” – but some great tracks deserve a little more attention than this claims Dissect. Cultural significance, what songs and albums embody and represent often gets lost in mainstream culture – and this podcast aims to rectify that.
Specialising in R&B and hip-hop, the podcast is fascinating, soul food for the nerd within you. Some albums the podcast has examined the music, lyrics and themes include, To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar (Season 1), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West (Season 2), Channel Orange & Blonde by Frank Ocean (Season 3), The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Mini-Series 1), Flower Boy by Tyler, The Creator (Season 4), DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar (Season 5) and Lemonade by Beyonce (Season 6).
Listen on: Apple, Spotify, Stitcher.
Hip Hop Saved My Life with Romesh Ranaganathan
This podcast focuses on hip-hop, and everything in-between – but you don’t have to be an expert to dive-in. Hip Hop Saved My Life is perfect for those either new to the genre, or those who hold a special place in their heart for the music and culture. British Comedian Rommesh Ranganathan hosts a regular ode to the genre in this hilarious, deep-dive podcast, and invites a host of guests along with him.
Some highlight shows include a recent episode with journalist Louis Theroux, who chats all about his love of old school, and his strong feelings about the early UK hip hop scene, and early episode with comedian Katherine Ryan who brings up the hot debate of hip-hop and feminism. Plus some proper good artists have joined him for episodes along the way including the legend DJ Premier, UK rapper Kano, Loyle Carner, Ocean Wisdom and Michael Kitawana.
Where to start: Jaguar Skills, Riz Ahmed, Mikill Pane, DJ Premier, Kano, Louis Theroux, Michael Kitawana, Loyle Carner, ocean wisdom, Katherine Ryan.
Listen on: Apple, acast
Check out our free online hip hop and rap short course.
Loud and Quiet – Midnight Chats AND Music Made Me Do it
This podcast is from music magazine Loud and Quiet. First launched in August 2019, it features interviews and rambling chats with some of the best alternative and indie artists. Plenty to tuck into here.
Where to start: Biffy Clyro, Kim Gordon, La Roux, Jenny Beth, Holly Herndon, Haim, Kate Tempest, Johnny Marr, Mac Demarco, Laura Marling, Mike Skinner, Metronomy.
Listen on: loudandquiet.com, Apple
Another podcast from Loud and Quiet worth recommending is their ‘Music Made Me Do It’ series, where they talk to people working in the industry, from record labels, managers, to promoters, producers, agents, and PR managers, on how they got into working in music. It proudly unpacks the different jobs that make the industry work – it’s just like we say, you don’t have to be on stage to be making waves in the scene.
Where to start: The Festival Founder – End of the Road’s Simon Taffe, The Press Officer – MBC PR Founder Barbara Charone, The Live Agent – Alex Hardee.
Listen on: loudandquiet.com, Apple
Phone A Friend with George Ezra & Ollie MN
Phone A Friend features open and honest discussions about mental health between two long-time friends and musicians, George Ezra and Ollie MN. They share their ups-and-downs of the week, and discuss how to balance mental health concerns with the other stresses of daily life. It’s great to hear a podcast by musicians that puts mental health front and centre. They also encourage listeners to start their own conversations about their well-being. An all-round positive experience. We couldn’t recommend it enough.
Listen on: Apple, Sony, Stitcher.
Resident Asvisor podcast / RA Exchange
If electronic music is your thing, then this is the podcast for you. Dance music and events ticket platform Resident Advisor produces two weekly podcasts: one features the best new mixes in electronic music, and the second chats about production, music culture, dance music history and more with some exciting artists of all kinds plus label heads, scene legends, agents and promoters alike. Techno, house, disco, italo, ambient, dubstep, jazz, soul and more – they’ve got you sorted.
Where to start: Grimes, Jeremy Deller, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, ‘On the Scene: Manchester’.
Listen on: residentadvisor.net, Apple
NRP’s All Songs Considered
First launched in 2000, this podcast is now a cornerstone of NPR Music. Hosted by NPR’s Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton, the pair talk audiences through the best new music from emerging artists and long-standing legends. It’s a music discovery platform of the highest order. It includes a regular Friday ‘new music’ show and occasional special editions. Their latest episode promises something different from the day-to-day sameness we’re all facing at the moment: “At a time when every day can feel the same, on this week’s All Songs Considered you can meet someone new, with a mix of memorable music discoveries.”
Where to start: The weekly ‘New Music Friday’ show, ‘Kraftwerk’s Remarkable Journey and Where It Took Us’, ‘The Wit, Wisdom and Awe of Fiona Apple’s Fetch The Bolt Cutters’.
Listen on: Apple, npr.org.
Honourable mentions:
Grounded With Louis Theroux – EP. 2 Boy George
Journalist and national treasure Louis Theroux’s latest project – his lockdown podcasts – invites well-known figures Louis has been dying to track down for years, for a digital chat. This episode with Boy George is a fascinating interview from a real pro.
Listen on: BBC Sounds, Apple
George Ezra and Friends: Lewis Capaldi
We couldn’t resist recommending this episode with our very own former student and funny-man Lewis Capaldi. He chats to his good friend and host George Ezra in this hilarious episode.
Do you agree with our list? What podcasts are you loving right now? Let us know in the comments!
Want more content? Check out our round up of 8 great films about music to watch during isolation and read our Coronavirus and Musicians advice blog here.
Dates announced for Scotland online short courses!
We’ve updated our new free short-course schedule for summer!
Check out dates, times and more details on the courses below.
• 1st June – Sound Production
• 8th June – Sound Production
• 8th June – Hip-Hop and Rap with Steg G
• 20th June – Women in Music: Empowerment and Employability with Karlyn King and Melisa Kelly
Each class is open to anyone currently living in Scotland, and of course, is completely free.
You can apply via the link below or contact our Scotland teams:
[email protected]
Exeter Uncovered calls for Devon bands to take part in new Stay Home Sessions
The Stay Home Sessions launches Thursday 14 May with live performances from, SVVIM, Okay Bye, Ollie Dixon and Soote Sprite via the instagram account of the Grassroots publication and digital platform Exeter Uncovered.
The event promises several hours of live music from some of Exeter's brightest talents. Check out the incredible event poster below (artwork provided by Grace Elizabeth of Okay Bye) and make sure you tune in next Thursday!
Plus, Exeter Uncovered are also now calling for Exeter or Devon-based bands, including AMS student bands and student music projects, to participate for an Instagram live session, for a date TBC.
More details will be released soon. In the meantime, if you're a Devon-based AMS student and you're interested in being involved, please email our freelance marketing officer Izzy: [email protected], stating your interest.
Students! Submit your Self Isolation Sessions to us
Calling all AMS and AMSonline students! This is an open call. We want to see and share the great stuff you've been creating during lockdown.
Been jammin' during lockdown? Made use of some of this free time to write a new song, or cover an old one? We'd love to hear from you. Lately we've been sourcing and sharing some video clips from our students who have been doing some solo-sessions during the pandemic.
Simply email: [email protected] or message our main page on Facebook or Instagram, and we'll re-post and share your self isolation session and include you on our blog post when all this is over!
Happy jammin'
AMS.
Feast your ears on our Lockdown Playlist!
Lockdown Listening from our Exeter team.
AMS Exeter's Jemma Sloman has curated an incredible playlist for us – perfect soul food for all your lockdown listening needs. It includes Students and Staff members past and present of AMS Exeter, with all the sounds from our South West centre and hub, buzzing under the umbrella of one perfect little playlist.
So what's in there? It's truly packed full of goodness, featuring tracks like Pattern Pusher's Crazy Enough, and Shakey, Lizzie Kirwan's The Unknown, Shake the Geek's Jenga, and Bad Screens from First Person. Perfect to get tucked into on one of these quiet - or not so quiet - lockdown days.
Plus the playlist also features two tracks from the new band and product of lockdown, Wired Design – made up of two of our Exeter staff members; Jon the Level 3 course leader and Jordan our Exeter technician.
Get locked.