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Will Champion from Coldplay visits the Music Department!

Two of our first year Music students, Martina Stramaccioni and James Needs, reflect on a recent visit to the Department by Coldplay drummer Will Champion. Martina: "I found Will Champion’s visit a humbling experience. It was unbelievable that a musician as successful and well respected as him had taken time out of his busy schedule and come talk to us young musicians in person. As students, embarking upon our own musical journeys, the talk was inspiring. Continue reading →

Southampton Showcase

Final year BA Music and Management Science student and Showcase Intern Vicky Halloran updates us on developing Showcase and plans for the future: As someone with a head for business and a love of music, I was enthused by the opportunity of an internship which provides real-world business engagement in the music field. Continue reading →

Jack Wylie (Portico Quartet) ‘VIP Guest Talk’

On Friday 13th October, Jack Wylie from the group Portico Quartet visited the Southampton Music Department to deliver a ‘VIP Guest Talk' about his career and approach to making music. 3rd-Year Music student Archie Combes tells us more: After performing a short solo set of soprano sax and electronic loop pedals, Jack talked extensively about how he forged a career in music whilst still being able to stay true to his own artist intentions. Continue reading →

Share The Sound

Share The Sound Festival has returned! If you’ve been involved or attended the event before we’re sure you can’t wait to see what 2017 holds. Whether you’ve been before or not, know that a sensational two days of jazz, pop, funk, rock and more are coming your way. If you’re not sure what we’re about, here is our Facebook page. Created for up and coming, unsigned artists, Share The Sound Festival is an annual live music event held at The Talking Heads in Southampton. Continue reading →

Bastien Terraz Concert

Bastien Terraz is a freelance double bass and electric bass player and teacher based in Southampton. He is a Southampton University music graduate (BA 2001, MA 2002) and has taught Jazz & Pop bass in the department since 2001. I’ll be playing the Monday lunchtime concert on March 14th this year. Now, I’ve done this about 5 or 6 times before, and whilst I’ve led or co-led the band almost every time in the past, this time it’s going to be a little different. Continue reading →

Share the Sound (2016)

Following last year’s huge success, we are all very excited to announce the return of Share The Sound Festival (2016). If you were involved with, or attended the event in March 2015, you will of course be itching to know who will be playing at our next musical extravaganza. If however you haven’t heard about us yet – here’s all you need to know. Continue reading →

The Hoosiers Session

Music finalist Jamie Wall reports on a collaboration between The Edge, SUSUtv and Music, bringing bands into the Music Department studios for live sessions to be broadcast on SUSUtv. From the start of this academic year I have been working alongside people from The Edge magazine and SUSUtv on a project called ‘The Edge Sessions’. Continue reading →

Liane Carroll and Julian Joseph workshops

 Thomas Seltz, Head of Jazz and Pop, reports on fantastic visits from great performers: The jazz pianist and singer Liane Carroll took to the stage with jazz and pop performance students on Friday 20 November 2015 for a workshop prior to her amazing performance in Turner Sims with Harvey Brough and the University of Southampton Voices in Songs in the Theme of Love. She covered areas of musicianship and performance relating to original compositions and jazz standards. Continue reading →

What a Performance!

Our British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow Kate Guthrie consulted on a documentary for BBC 4, broadcasting this month. She writes about her experience: In early September, I received out-of-the-blue an invitation to consult on a BBC 4 documentary. The producers were in the middle of filming a three-part series tracing the evolution of music hall in Britain, from its mid-19th-century roots, through the Golden Age of variety entertainment, to the working men’s clubs of the 1950s. Continue reading →

Performance roundup

A few more items from the last month in performance: We were really chuffed to read this wonderful blog post from London Sinfonietta violinist extraordinaire David Alberman, who joined Southampton staff and students for the world premiere of Michael Finnissy's new work, Remembrance Day. This year jazz and pop students from the department of Music and MuSoc - the student music society - are putting on a series of nights at our partner live music venue, Talking Heads. Continue reading →

Last month in jazz and pop

Our head of jazz and pop performance, Thomas Seltz, reports on October events: 30 October: In the first of four events organised in partnership between MuSoc (the Student Union Music Society) and the Music Department, the new generation of entertainers took to the stage of Talking Heads and delighted the crowds with their beautiful songs and youthful energy. On 24 October, the jazz performance class had a visit from Tim Garland. Continue reading →

Why ‘Happy’ makes us happy

Yesterday's Guardian featured an article asking the experts why Pharell Williams's single 'Happy' works so well.  Southampton's own Andy Fisher, Head of Commercial Composition, provided an analysis of the musical basis of the song's appeal - check it out here. And here's the video of 'Happy' for anyone who needs cheering up today. https://www.youtube. Continue reading →