<jats:p>Review of: <jats:italic>Music by Numbers: The Use and Abuse of Statistics in ... more <jats:p>Review of: <jats:italic>Music by Numbers: The Use and Abuse of Statistics in the Music Industries</jats:italic>, Richard Osborne and Dave Laing (eds) (2021)</jats:p> <jats:p>Bristol: Intellect, 270 pp.,</jats:p> <jats:p>ISBN 978-1-78938-253-2, h/bk, £85.00</jats:p>
This volume brings together a range of writers from different academic disciplines and different ... more This volume brings together a range of writers from different academic disciplines and different locations to provide an engaging and accessible critical exploration of one of the most revered and reviled bands in the history of popular ...
The connection between punk and what became known as ‘indie’ were evident in the latter’s commitm... more The connection between punk and what became known as ‘indie’ were evident in the latter’s commitment to an ethos of DIY. Fanzines were very much part of this, a link that Pete dale makes explicit by examining the politics and meanings ascribed to music and fanzine production within the indie scene.
Radical politics and radical aesthetics: how closely are they linked? This question is spectral t... more Radical politics and radical aesthetics: how closely are they linked? This question is spectral to Joanna Bullivant’s excellent book on the communist composer Alan Bush, in my reading. Does a composer with a strong commitment to radical social change, such as Bush, need to shock and/or challenge the audience with experimentation, dissonance and/or ostentatious novelty of some kind? Alternatively, are there other (and perhaps more subtle, nuanced) ways of navigating the aesthetic path whilst n...
Slampt Underground Organisation was conceived in 1992 by Rachel Holborow and Pete Dale, issuing m... more Slampt Underground Organisation was conceived in 1992 by Rachel Holborow and Pete Dale, issuing music, fanzines and ephemera from then until 2000. Perceived as a record label, Slampt sold tens of thousands of units and seems to have had a significant impact on particular individuals who might or might not be best described as ‘fans’. This article uses the author’s archives and reflections to collate detail, much of it not publically available before, about a label/distributor/organization, which has already been a point of interest to several researchers and journalists but which is nonetheless unknown to most, even in punk-related music scenes, in the present century. The author, as one half of Slampt’s de facto leading partnership, reveals that this status as a largely forgotten arm of 1990s UK punk is not entirely accidental: Dale and Holborow actively believed in ephemerality as an ideal, particularly in punk. Using this case as a starting point, the article asks whether punk re...
Dick Hebdige’s text Subculture: The Meaning of Style summed up punk with admirable promptness in ... more Dick Hebdige’s text Subculture: The Meaning of Style summed up punk with admirable promptness in 1979. The text remains well worth reading. However, the summary of punk it offers can also be faulted in several regards. Some issues cannot be blamed upon Hebdige: punk looked to be finished at his time of writing and whilst punk has spread around the world with marked tenacity in the decades since, he could hardly have predicted such a thing. Even the structuralist thinking which Hebdige employs, and which this chapter critiques, is quite understandable given that the twin attack of post-structuralism and postmodernism was little known in the Anglophone world at his time of writing. Nonetheless, this chapter uncovers several problems with Hebdige’s approach from a post-structuralist perspective. Most problematic, in this regard, is his employment of the concept of ‘bricolage’, as borrowed from the structural anthropology of Claude Levi-Strauss: as is often the case, the scholar assumes...
With Contemporary Punk Rock Communities, Ellen M. Bernhard makes a valuable contribution to schol... more With Contemporary Punk Rock Communities, Ellen M. Bernhard makes a valuable contribution to scholarship on punk. She shows that punk in the US today is not identical to what it was in the past, and teases out a lot of detail about the changes that have occurred. She writes in an engaging way, weaving herself into the narrative in a manner that I found quite effective: it becomes clear, from the introductory pages onwards, that Bernhard is someone who knows these communities well. I do have a few aspects of the book to query in this review, but I certainly think it is a very welcome output which will have great value for those of us who are interested in the way US punk has changed since the 1990s. The shift in question begins with 'the popularization of the genre during the mid-90s and early 2000s, following the decline of grunge' (p. 7). From that time onwards, 'access to contemporary punk rock was accomplished with relative ease' thanks to MTV, 'video games' (Bernhard may be thinking of the likes of Skate 3) and a chain-store called Hot Topic which the author mentions at several points in the book (ibid.). Bernhard emphasises the pivotal importance of 1994 for the rise of 'pop punk' (Green Day's Dookie being released that year, for example) and demise of grunge (pp. 8-9). These days, it seems, a punk festival can be sponsored by a company like Pabst Blue Ribbon (p. 12) without many punks batting an eyelid (Bernhard herself passes over this datum without commenting that, in the 1980s, such a company linking itself to punk would have been unthinkable). The contemporary US punk scene, she argues persuasively, is more influenced by popular culture than pre-1990s punk was and is very much focussed on 'inclusivity and diversity'. She notes that her punk respondents showed 'little derision directed toward bands who signed to major record labels or agreed to allow their music to be used in an advertisement'. The respondents were 'ambivalent' about co-optation in general (ibid.). Bernhard draws some interesting links between hegemony and the co-optation process, suggesting that the relationship between punk and the mainstream is not antithetical today, owing to 'the normalization of punk fashion, the music, and the punk lifestyle' (pp. 26-7). I was a little disappointed that she did not tap into longer debates around co-optation, such as the arguments within the Frankfurt school, and was surprised at her declaration 'I believe that the mainstream is neither bad nor good when discussing contemporary punk scenes' (p. 27). That said, I recognise the veracity of her suggestion that 'issues of representation, sexism, homophobia, and so on' have today overtaken the more explicitly counter-hegemonic character which punk used to (and sometimes still does) have (p. 27). These issues of 'representation' are core to the distinction between contemporary and older punk. For Bernhard's generation, punk's main purpose is not to change
Numerous claims have been made by a wide range of commentators that punk is somehow “a folk music... more Numerous claims have been made by a wide range of commentators that punk is somehow “a folk music” of some kind. Doubtless there are several continuities. Indeed, both tend to encourage amateur music-making, both often have affiliations with the Left, and both emerge at least partly from a collective/anti-competitive approach to music-making. However, there are also significant tensions between punk and folk as ideas/ideals and as applied in practice. Most obviously, punk makes claims to a “year zero” creativity (despite inevitably offering re-presentation of at least some existing elements in every instance), whereas folk music is supposed to carry forward a tradition (which, thankfully, is more recognized in recent decades as a subject-to-change “living tradition” than was the case in folk’s more purist periods). Politically, meanwhile, postwar folk has tended more toward a socialist and/or Marxist orientation, both in the US and UK, whereas punk has at least rhetorically claimed ...
In order to 'Do it Yourself', one needs to have some idea as to what 'it' is, presumably. From th... more In order to 'Do it Yourself', one needs to have some idea as to what 'it' is, presumably. From the late 1970s punk scene onwards, many took 'it' to be releasing a record: some were content to simply perform a gig or several gigs, but actually releasing a vinyl record, or even a flexi or a tape, brought a certain credibility and seriousness to the profile of a band. However, some within the punk scene would appear to have realised early on that releasing records is not necessarily the best way to ensure that 'anyone can do it'. Latterly, record sales have slumped and yet much of the DiY punk scene, even in its more radical and leftist margins, has critically failed to really explore the necessity and validity of releasing physical copies of musical performance. Should 'we' still be making records in the 21 st century? Perhaps so, the article goes on to argue in the light of Walter Benjamin's discussion of the ongoing value of physical collections. 'The' revolution is not yet here and, under a capitalist system, we still may want to make records for some time yet; but a critical stance on pressing records in particular and DiY in general will do the punk scene no harm. Perhaps, indeed, making records is not the best 'it' which one can do and other forms of doing it yourself (putting on gigs, designing visual imagery, unrecorded musical performance and so forth) deserve to be valued more highly within the DiY punk scene(s).
thoughts on ‘bridging persistent dualities’, the most persistent in the past 200 years being that... more thoughts on ‘bridging persistent dualities’, the most persistent in the past 200 years being that between ernste Musik and leichte Musik. He notes that camp loves to position itself ‘on the louche side’ of whatever fences exist and to indulge in ‘border skirmishes’. It may be too optimistic, however, to expect any day soon that ‘campy intrusions’ will open up the concert hall to ‘less religiously regulated experiences’. On the other hand, I think Knapp is too pessimistic about the lack of scholars who are prepared to join Richard Dyer and Mitchell Morris in attacking the stigma attached to categories such as ‘entertainment’ and ‘camp’. Not only has Knapp done so himself, but musicologists Stan Hawkins and Freya Jarman have been pursuing this course for many years, and that is to say nothing of the related scholarship that has emerged in the present decade. I recommend Raymond Knapp’s book strongly; it is provocative, stimulating and overflowing in original and insightful argument. He moves the study of Haydn in a new direction, while developing new ways of understanding how idealistic perspectives on music have shaped the values attached to different forms of music-making. In advancing a camp aesthetic, he offers an alternative means of understanding music and its social dynamics.
This chapter employs Bourdieu’s approach to field theory to investigate a specific case study of ... more This chapter employs Bourdieu’s approach to field theory to investigate a specific case study of the musical practices of an all-male, peer-led, extra-curricular music programme. Drawing upon empirical evidence from a small-scale study the participants demonstrated they were capable of high levels of engagement and enthusiasm in the field of music production despite generally being considered “low achieving” and “highly disaffected” in their formal schooling. Utilizing field theory—in relation to habitus and capitals—we investigate both the social and symbolic value of music for these young men. Our interest in the extent to which the field of music-making adopts socially validated learning processes. In our analysis, it is essential to our understanding of Bourdieu’s field theory that it is theorised in tandem with the generative capacity of the habitus where individuals are agentic in their learning. More precisely, we argue the habitus, in order to accrue value, steers these youn...
connections between high theory and aesthetic practice. One theorist who, oddly to my mind, does ... more connections between high theory and aesthetic practice. One theorist who, oddly to my mind, does not make an appearance is Jacques Attali whose book Noise (1977), echoes many of the themes here. Like Dale, Attali is concerned with the relationship between sound and power and I would have welcomed a discussion of him here. Meanwhile, I must admit to finding some of the texts – both literary and musical – referenced in the book a little obscure, but it is perhaps at the margins that interesting, even innovative, ideas are most likely to be found. Chapter 6 ends the book with some considerations of pop’s future role. Here Dale answers his own question by concluding that it is not necessary to have a radical novelty in popular music to kindle radical change in society (p. 178). Not necessary, but perhaps desirable nonetheless. Overall, this book is highly ambitious and it is not surprising, therefore, that it doesn’t always work. However, it is never less than challenging (to use Dale’s own term) and thoughtful. Students might find the book hard going. I’d argue that it is difficult – but worthwhile. It challenges the reader and makes them think – and that’s always a good thing. If not always providing the right answers, it certainly benefits from asking the right questions. Dale certainly wants to make the world a better place – and in writing this book he has made his own, distinctive, contribution to that.
In recent years, researchers and theorists of music education have taken a stronger interest in q... more In recent years, researchers and theorists of music education have taken a stronger interest in questions of justice. Meanwhile, in educational research more broadly, there has been a simultaneous growth in efforts to bring deconstruction and the theories of Jacques Derrida to bear upon philosophies of education. One significant difficulty with the latter effort, however, has been Derrida’s insistence that justice, about which he wrote a great deal in his later years, is impossible. This article suggests that, nevertheless, music education can perhaps present special opportunities for something like Derridean justice in the classroom. The author suggests that his own encouragement of DJing and MCing in his inner-city music classroom may have made possible precisely such a seeming impossibility. Given, however, that Derrida’s conception of justice is contingent upon aporia, any decision on this matter must be infinitely deferred. Despite this, the article suggests that elements of Derrida’s theoretical insistence upon aporia can remain valuable to teachers who would strive for an ethical classroom practice.
the role that societal context played in the movie-going experience, these reminisces, interspers... more the role that societal context played in the movie-going experience, these reminisces, interspersed with the analysis, do not always seamlessly fit into text. Furthermore, the brief narrative interludes notwithstanding, Williams tends to utilize references from earlier in the book in her analysis, which makes it difficult to read the book piecemeal and often requires the reader to go back and regain the needed context to understand the current argument.
<jats:p>Review of: <jats:italic>Music by Numbers: The Use and Abuse of Statistics in ... more <jats:p>Review of: <jats:italic>Music by Numbers: The Use and Abuse of Statistics in the Music Industries</jats:italic>, Richard Osborne and Dave Laing (eds) (2021)</jats:p> <jats:p>Bristol: Intellect, 270 pp.,</jats:p> <jats:p>ISBN 978-1-78938-253-2, h/bk, £85.00</jats:p>
This volume brings together a range of writers from different academic disciplines and different ... more This volume brings together a range of writers from different academic disciplines and different locations to provide an engaging and accessible critical exploration of one of the most revered and reviled bands in the history of popular ...
The connection between punk and what became known as ‘indie’ were evident in the latter’s commitm... more The connection between punk and what became known as ‘indie’ were evident in the latter’s commitment to an ethos of DIY. Fanzines were very much part of this, a link that Pete dale makes explicit by examining the politics and meanings ascribed to music and fanzine production within the indie scene.
Radical politics and radical aesthetics: how closely are they linked? This question is spectral t... more Radical politics and radical aesthetics: how closely are they linked? This question is spectral to Joanna Bullivant’s excellent book on the communist composer Alan Bush, in my reading. Does a composer with a strong commitment to radical social change, such as Bush, need to shock and/or challenge the audience with experimentation, dissonance and/or ostentatious novelty of some kind? Alternatively, are there other (and perhaps more subtle, nuanced) ways of navigating the aesthetic path whilst n...
Slampt Underground Organisation was conceived in 1992 by Rachel Holborow and Pete Dale, issuing m... more Slampt Underground Organisation was conceived in 1992 by Rachel Holborow and Pete Dale, issuing music, fanzines and ephemera from then until 2000. Perceived as a record label, Slampt sold tens of thousands of units and seems to have had a significant impact on particular individuals who might or might not be best described as ‘fans’. This article uses the author’s archives and reflections to collate detail, much of it not publically available before, about a label/distributor/organization, which has already been a point of interest to several researchers and journalists but which is nonetheless unknown to most, even in punk-related music scenes, in the present century. The author, as one half of Slampt’s de facto leading partnership, reveals that this status as a largely forgotten arm of 1990s UK punk is not entirely accidental: Dale and Holborow actively believed in ephemerality as an ideal, particularly in punk. Using this case as a starting point, the article asks whether punk re...
Dick Hebdige’s text Subculture: The Meaning of Style summed up punk with admirable promptness in ... more Dick Hebdige’s text Subculture: The Meaning of Style summed up punk with admirable promptness in 1979. The text remains well worth reading. However, the summary of punk it offers can also be faulted in several regards. Some issues cannot be blamed upon Hebdige: punk looked to be finished at his time of writing and whilst punk has spread around the world with marked tenacity in the decades since, he could hardly have predicted such a thing. Even the structuralist thinking which Hebdige employs, and which this chapter critiques, is quite understandable given that the twin attack of post-structuralism and postmodernism was little known in the Anglophone world at his time of writing. Nonetheless, this chapter uncovers several problems with Hebdige’s approach from a post-structuralist perspective. Most problematic, in this regard, is his employment of the concept of ‘bricolage’, as borrowed from the structural anthropology of Claude Levi-Strauss: as is often the case, the scholar assumes...
With Contemporary Punk Rock Communities, Ellen M. Bernhard makes a valuable contribution to schol... more With Contemporary Punk Rock Communities, Ellen M. Bernhard makes a valuable contribution to scholarship on punk. She shows that punk in the US today is not identical to what it was in the past, and teases out a lot of detail about the changes that have occurred. She writes in an engaging way, weaving herself into the narrative in a manner that I found quite effective: it becomes clear, from the introductory pages onwards, that Bernhard is someone who knows these communities well. I do have a few aspects of the book to query in this review, but I certainly think it is a very welcome output which will have great value for those of us who are interested in the way US punk has changed since the 1990s. The shift in question begins with 'the popularization of the genre during the mid-90s and early 2000s, following the decline of grunge' (p. 7). From that time onwards, 'access to contemporary punk rock was accomplished with relative ease' thanks to MTV, 'video games' (Bernhard may be thinking of the likes of Skate 3) and a chain-store called Hot Topic which the author mentions at several points in the book (ibid.). Bernhard emphasises the pivotal importance of 1994 for the rise of 'pop punk' (Green Day's Dookie being released that year, for example) and demise of grunge (pp. 8-9). These days, it seems, a punk festival can be sponsored by a company like Pabst Blue Ribbon (p. 12) without many punks batting an eyelid (Bernhard herself passes over this datum without commenting that, in the 1980s, such a company linking itself to punk would have been unthinkable). The contemporary US punk scene, she argues persuasively, is more influenced by popular culture than pre-1990s punk was and is very much focussed on 'inclusivity and diversity'. She notes that her punk respondents showed 'little derision directed toward bands who signed to major record labels or agreed to allow their music to be used in an advertisement'. The respondents were 'ambivalent' about co-optation in general (ibid.). Bernhard draws some interesting links between hegemony and the co-optation process, suggesting that the relationship between punk and the mainstream is not antithetical today, owing to 'the normalization of punk fashion, the music, and the punk lifestyle' (pp. 26-7). I was a little disappointed that she did not tap into longer debates around co-optation, such as the arguments within the Frankfurt school, and was surprised at her declaration 'I believe that the mainstream is neither bad nor good when discussing contemporary punk scenes' (p. 27). That said, I recognise the veracity of her suggestion that 'issues of representation, sexism, homophobia, and so on' have today overtaken the more explicitly counter-hegemonic character which punk used to (and sometimes still does) have (p. 27). These issues of 'representation' are core to the distinction between contemporary and older punk. For Bernhard's generation, punk's main purpose is not to change
Numerous claims have been made by a wide range of commentators that punk is somehow “a folk music... more Numerous claims have been made by a wide range of commentators that punk is somehow “a folk music” of some kind. Doubtless there are several continuities. Indeed, both tend to encourage amateur music-making, both often have affiliations with the Left, and both emerge at least partly from a collective/anti-competitive approach to music-making. However, there are also significant tensions between punk and folk as ideas/ideals and as applied in practice. Most obviously, punk makes claims to a “year zero” creativity (despite inevitably offering re-presentation of at least some existing elements in every instance), whereas folk music is supposed to carry forward a tradition (which, thankfully, is more recognized in recent decades as a subject-to-change “living tradition” than was the case in folk’s more purist periods). Politically, meanwhile, postwar folk has tended more toward a socialist and/or Marxist orientation, both in the US and UK, whereas punk has at least rhetorically claimed ...
In order to 'Do it Yourself', one needs to have some idea as to what 'it' is, presumably. From th... more In order to 'Do it Yourself', one needs to have some idea as to what 'it' is, presumably. From the late 1970s punk scene onwards, many took 'it' to be releasing a record: some were content to simply perform a gig or several gigs, but actually releasing a vinyl record, or even a flexi or a tape, brought a certain credibility and seriousness to the profile of a band. However, some within the punk scene would appear to have realised early on that releasing records is not necessarily the best way to ensure that 'anyone can do it'. Latterly, record sales have slumped and yet much of the DiY punk scene, even in its more radical and leftist margins, has critically failed to really explore the necessity and validity of releasing physical copies of musical performance. Should 'we' still be making records in the 21 st century? Perhaps so, the article goes on to argue in the light of Walter Benjamin's discussion of the ongoing value of physical collections. 'The' revolution is not yet here and, under a capitalist system, we still may want to make records for some time yet; but a critical stance on pressing records in particular and DiY in general will do the punk scene no harm. Perhaps, indeed, making records is not the best 'it' which one can do and other forms of doing it yourself (putting on gigs, designing visual imagery, unrecorded musical performance and so forth) deserve to be valued more highly within the DiY punk scene(s).
thoughts on ‘bridging persistent dualities’, the most persistent in the past 200 years being that... more thoughts on ‘bridging persistent dualities’, the most persistent in the past 200 years being that between ernste Musik and leichte Musik. He notes that camp loves to position itself ‘on the louche side’ of whatever fences exist and to indulge in ‘border skirmishes’. It may be too optimistic, however, to expect any day soon that ‘campy intrusions’ will open up the concert hall to ‘less religiously regulated experiences’. On the other hand, I think Knapp is too pessimistic about the lack of scholars who are prepared to join Richard Dyer and Mitchell Morris in attacking the stigma attached to categories such as ‘entertainment’ and ‘camp’. Not only has Knapp done so himself, but musicologists Stan Hawkins and Freya Jarman have been pursuing this course for many years, and that is to say nothing of the related scholarship that has emerged in the present decade. I recommend Raymond Knapp’s book strongly; it is provocative, stimulating and overflowing in original and insightful argument. He moves the study of Haydn in a new direction, while developing new ways of understanding how idealistic perspectives on music have shaped the values attached to different forms of music-making. In advancing a camp aesthetic, he offers an alternative means of understanding music and its social dynamics.
This chapter employs Bourdieu’s approach to field theory to investigate a specific case study of ... more This chapter employs Bourdieu’s approach to field theory to investigate a specific case study of the musical practices of an all-male, peer-led, extra-curricular music programme. Drawing upon empirical evidence from a small-scale study the participants demonstrated they were capable of high levels of engagement and enthusiasm in the field of music production despite generally being considered “low achieving” and “highly disaffected” in their formal schooling. Utilizing field theory—in relation to habitus and capitals—we investigate both the social and symbolic value of music for these young men. Our interest in the extent to which the field of music-making adopts socially validated learning processes. In our analysis, it is essential to our understanding of Bourdieu’s field theory that it is theorised in tandem with the generative capacity of the habitus where individuals are agentic in their learning. More precisely, we argue the habitus, in order to accrue value, steers these youn...
connections between high theory and aesthetic practice. One theorist who, oddly to my mind, does ... more connections between high theory and aesthetic practice. One theorist who, oddly to my mind, does not make an appearance is Jacques Attali whose book Noise (1977), echoes many of the themes here. Like Dale, Attali is concerned with the relationship between sound and power and I would have welcomed a discussion of him here. Meanwhile, I must admit to finding some of the texts – both literary and musical – referenced in the book a little obscure, but it is perhaps at the margins that interesting, even innovative, ideas are most likely to be found. Chapter 6 ends the book with some considerations of pop’s future role. Here Dale answers his own question by concluding that it is not necessary to have a radical novelty in popular music to kindle radical change in society (p. 178). Not necessary, but perhaps desirable nonetheless. Overall, this book is highly ambitious and it is not surprising, therefore, that it doesn’t always work. However, it is never less than challenging (to use Dale’s own term) and thoughtful. Students might find the book hard going. I’d argue that it is difficult – but worthwhile. It challenges the reader and makes them think – and that’s always a good thing. If not always providing the right answers, it certainly benefits from asking the right questions. Dale certainly wants to make the world a better place – and in writing this book he has made his own, distinctive, contribution to that.
In recent years, researchers and theorists of music education have taken a stronger interest in q... more In recent years, researchers and theorists of music education have taken a stronger interest in questions of justice. Meanwhile, in educational research more broadly, there has been a simultaneous growth in efforts to bring deconstruction and the theories of Jacques Derrida to bear upon philosophies of education. One significant difficulty with the latter effort, however, has been Derrida’s insistence that justice, about which he wrote a great deal in his later years, is impossible. This article suggests that, nevertheless, music education can perhaps present special opportunities for something like Derridean justice in the classroom. The author suggests that his own encouragement of DJing and MCing in his inner-city music classroom may have made possible precisely such a seeming impossibility. Given, however, that Derrida’s conception of justice is contingent upon aporia, any decision on this matter must be infinitely deferred. Despite this, the article suggests that elements of Derrida’s theoretical insistence upon aporia can remain valuable to teachers who would strive for an ethical classroom practice.
the role that societal context played in the movie-going experience, these reminisces, interspers... more the role that societal context played in the movie-going experience, these reminisces, interspersed with the analysis, do not always seamlessly fit into text. Furthermore, the brief narrative interludes notwithstanding, Williams tends to utilize references from earlier in the book in her analysis, which makes it difficult to read the book piecemeal and often requires the reader to go back and regain the needed context to understand the current argument.
Mike Dines is seeking contributions from the wide spectrum of musicology and social sciences for ... more Mike Dines is seeking contributions from the wide spectrum of musicology and social sciences for an edited text on the anarcho-punk scene of the 1980s that will reflect upon its origins, its music(s), its identity, its legacy, its membership and circulation. Seven years ago, I was awarded my PhD for my research into the emergence of the anarcho-punk scene and, to my surprise, there are still no academic texts that fully unpack this fascinating movement and its politics. As such, I would like to put out a call for proposals in the hope that we might rectify this omission: and thus raising questions as to how we can define aesthetically, culturally, politically and ideologically the concept and meaning of the anarcho-punk scene. As such, the volume has guaranteed contributions from the likes of Andy Worthington, author of The Battle of the Beanfield and Stonehenge: Celebration and Subversion and Russell Bestley, whose book The Art of Punk is due for release. Furthermore, George McKay, Professor of Cultural Studies and Director of the Communication, Cultural & Media Studies Research Centre from the University of Salford will preface the volume. Perhaps the foremost academic in the field of alternative cultures and protest movements, George is the author of a number of books including Senseless Acts of Beauty: Cultures of Resistance since the Sixties and Glastonbury: A Very English Fair.
We will be hosting a 1-2 day symposium at Mansions of the Future in Lincoln (UK) on the 4th and 5... more We will be hosting a 1-2 day symposium at Mansions of the Future in Lincoln (UK) on the 4th and 5th of July 2019* on the subject of punk pedagogies as part of the Punk Scholars’ Network’s series of themed symposiums.
Since 1997 saw the publication of “Never Mind the Tagmemics, Where’s the Sex Pistols” (CCC 48.1 pp 9 -29) there has been an increasing interest in the way in which the ethics, attitudes and people of punk rock can inform, shape, critique and revolutionise teaching pedagogies. In part this is due to the rising number of punkademics and punk teachers, but it is so much more than that. It is also because of the value for education in approaches that centre on philosophies such as Do-It-Yourself, creativity and resistance; a framework of enquiry and a toolkit that potentially helps take cynicism to critique. In short, punk can offer pedagogical tools for interrogating the world around us. However it is a two way street, and punk can learn much from newly emerging pedagogical ideas and approaches within secondary, further and higher education. This 1-2 day symposium aims to provide a space to explore, in a supportive environment, those interactions and lessons. It seeks to ask questions such as what can be gained from using punk tools and approaches as a pedagogical approach within ‘the classroom’? What can experiences and innovations in ‘the classroom’ offer to the continuing development and learning of punks and the subculture of punk rock?
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Since 1997 saw the publication of “Never Mind the Tagmemics, Where’s the Sex Pistols” (CCC 48.1 pp 9 -29) there has been an increasing interest in the way in which the ethics, attitudes and people of punk rock can inform, shape, critique and revolutionise teaching pedagogies. In part this is due to the rising number of punkademics and punk teachers, but it is so much more than that. It is also because of the value for education in approaches that centre on philosophies such as Do-It-Yourself, creativity and resistance; a framework of enquiry and a toolkit that potentially helps take cynicism to critique. In short, punk can offer pedagogical tools for interrogating the world around us. However it is a two way street, and punk can learn much from newly emerging pedagogical ideas and approaches within secondary, further and higher education. This 1-2 day symposium aims to provide a space to explore, in a supportive environment, those interactions and lessons. It seeks to ask questions such as what can be gained from using punk tools and approaches as a pedagogical approach within ‘the classroom’? What can experiences and innovations in ‘the classroom’ offer to the continuing development and learning of punks and the subculture of punk rock?