Creative Spheres

So I am coming to the end of finishing my second book, Creative Spheres, and as well as the relief and excitement there is also a slight feeling of loss. The work is done. Now, though, comes the tricky task of finding a publisher. Who will release a book that crosses academic and commercial arenas? It is the next mission, to find the place in the world for my latest baby. Here are the chapters…

Creative Spheres: the resonance of music scenes

Contents

Opening Reel

Resonance

Passing Through

Introduction

Part 1: Scenius

Art worlds and music worlds

Popular Music genres

Places and bands

Part 2: The elements

(i)           Hierarchies

The ordinary musician            

Interlocutor

Politics of creative space

Leisure

Media

(ii)          Process.

Materiality

Physicality

Chance/ Serendipity

Taste

Sonic spaces

Jamming

Lyrics, words, phrases, repetition

Technology

Critique

Tempo

And space

(iii)    Experimentation

Without the fear of failure

Attitude/ radical

Politics

Protest

Humour

Words/ lyrics

Eclecticism

Fashion

Examples

(iv)   Relationships

Master/ Apprentice

Instigator

Linkers

Tension

Place

Family

Friendships

Social Rhythm

Gigs

Sex, Sex,Sex

Fans

Religion

(v)       Flow

           Autotelic

           Dancing

 

Creative Spheres

Epilogue

 

Chihuahua band logo from Creative Spheres

 

1983

In 1983 I left school for college and embarked on an adventure to the South of France, with my band mates Hoedown at Hanks in legendary Transit van The Cow, hub caps designed like Newcastle Brown bottle tops. In music worlds other things were also occurring…

Pop critic Paul Morley talks about 1973 as an iconic year within both classical and popular Western music worlds, with releases from Roxy Music to Steve Reich to Bach (?). Our Covid19 neighbour and friend downstairs Matt Davies, alternatively sees 1983 as the most vital year for music. Billy Jean has got your number walking down the pathway, ligting up dancefloors across the globe up. The three members of the Thompson Twins have love on your side whilst in rural Bath, UK the Roman Baths echo to the pain of Tears for Fears. Sweet Dreams and Let’s Dance are two iconic tracks that are played as much today, with the Eurythmics track the theme to the Women’s football world cup in Australia. We come from the land down under, where women glow and men plunder. Still true indeed Louis Rubiales. If you ever get a song stuck in your head, known as an earworm, then listening to a few bars of Karma Chameleon will sort you out. Looking forward, Prince was yet to be symbol but he could predict the millennium bug. Rip it up by Orange Juice. Everything Counts for Depeche Mode, introducing a new synthesised aesthetic to pop worlds, taking the sound of underground electronica into the hit parade. A youthful madame Ciccone was having a Holiday in Club Tropicana with George and friends. This Charming Man, True, Let the Music Play on New Years Day. I was young, Too Shy Shy, hush hush to be much of a Love Cat, Oblivious that Love is a Battlefield. Wow what a year, where the scenius was popular music in general, an epoch where a combination of scenii interact, snowballing Over and Over, a year where popular culture turned to Gold.

Hoedown at Hanks off to le sud be France