StudyVox FM award winner Emma McGann was named Band of the Month for June by BBC Coventry & Warwickshire. The Coventry University music composition student has had an eventful few years as she has set up her own music night and met Kylie Minogue at The StudyVox Bursary Awards in February. Emma has also just released her debut album ‘Start The Show’.

BBC Coventry & Warwickshire caught up with Emma to ask her a few questions...

How did you get in to music?

I've always played really. I taught myself guitar and wrote songs from as far back as I can remember. Guitar's my first instrument but I dabble in others... drums being a favourite! Eventually I decided to play around some live music nights around Coventry which people seemed to really enjoy and it sort of took off from there.

What have been your musical highlights so far?

Performing to Kylie tops the list of course. Surreal like you would not believe! And as for winning a music award, I'd never won a thing in my life, if you don't include the odd pub quiz.

Tell us a bit about your debut album

It's due to be released in Summer 2010. Very excited about it all! It's entitled Start the Show, mostly pop and indie tracks but I squeezed a couple of acoustic goodies in there too! Really this is the first music project I've taken seriously. The reaction we had from people after listening to the tracks in their early stages motivated us to put the album together. I couldn't have done it without everyone involved in the project and the support I've had from family and friends. Do keep an ear out and grab yourselves a copy.

What are your plans for the rest of 2010?

Apart from the album I'd love to get gigging properly again in the summer if I find the time! I've been so busy with uni and the album that I miss getting outside of Coventry and performing in new places! Watch this space for the new album/website/gigs.

To find out more about Emma McGann, visit her official website by clicking on the link below:

MySpace: Emma McGann

Source: BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

An 18-year-old business student, Wilkins is running for Parliament as an independent in Erewash, central England. He saved up money from a weekend job at McDonald's to pay the £500 election deposit. Inspired by President Barack Obama's innovative use of the Net to attract campaign workers and funds, he sought 10 pound donations from 100 people to pay to have leaflets printed.

Despite the parties' enthusiasm for new technology, some say this election could reveal a generational divide that is wider than ever before.

With the economy weakened by recession and debt, young people face higher unemployment than older age groups, along with disappearing pensions and the looming burden of paying for their aging elders. And many still don't think politicians are speaking their language.

''They're all 'Blah blah, stop immigration, stop this and that.' It doesn't help get young people anywhere,'' said Resa Banjica, a 19-year-old London fashion student.

Many older people, meanwhile, see youth as a threat -- a view encouraged by media stories of teenage criminals and drunken louts.

Ben Page of pollster Ipsos Mori said last week that teenage misbehavior was a huge factor in whether people liked where they lived. He told the BBC that surveys sent a stark message: ''The more teenagers there are in a local authority, the more miserable people are.''

The Youth Council's Delaney is encouraged to see politicians reaching out to young people online, but thinks more needs to be done to bridge the generation gap.

''I'm encouraged to see that the political parties are doing more social media stuff,'' she said. ''But not all young people have broadband and are whizzing around the social networking sites. Traditional ways of engaging with young people are as important as new ones.''

Source: New York Times

With the advent of Spring, it seems the warmer weather has put everyone in a gigging mood, with details coming in thick and fast to music.co.uk, including details of The 3rd Degree Festival.

Although new to music.co.uk, this festival has been running for the last five years at the Liverpool Institute Of Performing Arts (LIPA). The Institute was founded by former Beatles star Paul McCartney, and final year students at the academy set up and run the festival from the auditorium named after him. Every year a host of LIPA bands take to the stage, covering everything from Indie to Jazz, Folk, Soul, and Rock n Roll. Music is something us Brits do well, and this festival will showcase the diversity of talent at the Institute, and in the UK as a whole.

Lauren Pritchard Appears At The 3rd Degree Festival

In 2010 the festival will take place over 2 weeks from April 16th to May 1st, with tickets costing just £12 for a two week pass. This is certainly a great value ticket, but what will it buy you? Well the festival organisers have just announced a superb start to the festival in the shape of special guest Lauren Pritchard. Lauren is originally from Jackson in Tennessee, and is now launching a career in the UK, thanks to a recent deal with Island Records. She releases her debut E.P ‘The Jackson Sessions’ on April 26th, and having watched a live stream of one of her gigs recently, I can safely say she is well worth looking out for, both on record, and in the live arena!

Lauren is just one of a whole host of acts appearing at the festival, and the line-up also includes Pink Film, Magnum Bliss, Summerskin, LA Jean, The Neon Lights, Untouched, and ATQO. They will be playing alongside other acts like Fables, Foothills, Anna Lena and The Orchids, and In Casino Out.

A whole host of talent then, not just for music fans, but for talent-spotters in the industry too, as the event regularly attracts agents, labels, and managers, who have previously sourced acts like Sandi Thom, and The Wombats at this event. The 3rd Degree also acts as a good lead in to the famed ‘Liverpool Sound City’ event, whose team are also one of the 3rd Degree Sponsors. There’s a lot going on in this city of culture then, but will you be a part of it?

If you fancy seeing Lauren Pritchard live, or putting the performance, event management, and production skills of the LIPA students to the test, then why not head on over to http://3rddegreefestival.com for more information.

The people who work at the anti-piracy divisions of Warner Bros. and other large media companies have to be experts in file-sharing technology. It is therefore no surprise that Warner Bros. is actively recruiting students for a job as Anti-Piracy Intern, as most students have grown up sharing files.

Warner Bros Entertainment UK is currently offering an internship to “IT literate” students with knowledge of file-sharing networks to assist in the company’s ongoing anti-piracy efforts. The internship deals with both digital and physical piracy and among other things the applicant will have to make trap purchases and maintain accounts at private file-sharing sites.

The intern will further have to scour the Internet for illegally posted Warner Bros. and NBC Universal content and gather intelligence on the sites that offer these pirated goods. One of the more boring tasks listed in the job description is the sending of takedown requests and infringement notices to sites and users.

The full job description taken from the vacancy (pdf) at The University of Manchester reads as follows:

During the 12 month internship, duties will include: monitoring local Internet forums and IRC for pirated WB and NBCU content and in order to gather information on pirate sites, pirate groups and other pirate activities; finding new and maintaining existing accounts on private sites; scanning for links to hosted pirated WB and NBCU content and using tools to issue takedown requests; maintaining and developing bots for Internet link scanning system (training provided); preparing sending of infringement notices and logging feedback; performing trap purchases of pirated product and logging results; inputting pirate hard goods data and other intelligence into the forensics database; selecting local keywords and submitting local filenames for monitoring and countermeasure campaigns and periodically producing research documents on piracy related technological developments. Various training will be provided.

The lucky student who gets the job will receive a £17,500 salary for the 12 month internship that starts July 2010. Applicants are required to study a degree in a computing related discipline and programming experience with Java or JSP and PHP, Perl or Python is seen as a bonus.

We encourage all eligible TorrentFreak readers to apply for this exciting internship and provide us with regular updates on Warner Bros’ anti-piracy efforts. You have to be quick though, the vacancy closes on March 31.

Source: torrentFreak/Written by Ernesto on March 29, 2010 

The UK music industry is responsible for around 540,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year, according to researchers from the UK and US. From Environmentalresearchweb, part of the Guardian Environment Network

Each year the UK music industry is responsible for around 540,000 tonnes of greenhouse-gas emissions, according to researchers from the UK and US. Three-quarters of this is due to live music performances, while the rest is caused by music recording and publishing.

"This is the first study to map the greenhouse-gas emission profile of the music industry," Catherine Bottrill of the University of Surrey told environmentalresearchweb. "Furthermore, there are few publicly available studies of service industries and we can't think of one directly comparable."

The study was commissioned from the University of Oxford's Environmental Change Institute by Julie's Bicycle, a non-profit organisation launched by UK music industry heavyweights on the eve of Live Earth in 2007.

"In a highly competitive industry such as popular music, this type of co-ordinated approach is unusual, but provides the opportunity to build consensus and develop rapid strategies for a lower-carbon future for this sector," write Bottrill and colleagues Max Boykoff from the University of Colorado Boulder, US, and Diana Liverman of the University of Arizona, US, and Oxford University, UK, in a paper in Environmental Research Letters (ERL). "A number of artists are firmly committed to social and environmental issues, such as Annie Lennox, U2, Sting, K T Tunstall and Peter Gabriel to name a few, but until the efforts of Julie's Bicycle, these artists did not have the co-ordinated support of their industry behind them."

According to Bottrill, there was a need for an original piece of research because information about the industry's greenhouse-gas emissions was very limited. "There existed only one major study about the greenhouse-gas emissions produced in CD production and distribution, and also a few artists have done an emissions audit of their tours," she said.

The researchers collected case studies from across the industry and scaled up this data to estimate total emissions. They calculated that audience travel accounts for 43% of greenhouse-gases produced, while live venue music events create 23%, and music recording and publishing emit 26%. Within recording and publishing, music retailing and CD packaging and distribution were particularly high-emitting sectors.

Julie's Bicycle aims to provide practical guidance on the steps that the music industry can take to reduce its emissions. As a result of the study the organization is running campaigns to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from CD packaging, venue energy use and audience travel.

"The study has also informed the development of the Industry Green certification scheme for core music products and services (i.e. CD packaging, venues, festivals and offices) whereby over two years a music company will have to demonstrate engagement, measurement, reduction and disclosure of greenhouse-gas emissions," said Bottrill. "Also, Julie's Bicycle approach of sector-specific research used to inform [a] greenhouse-gas emission-reduction campaign is being adopted by theatre and visual arts in the UK. It is becoming a template for the creative industries in the UK."

Julie's Bicycle has been responding to interest from other music markets, particularly Germany and the US. Bottrill believes that there is potential for directly applying approaches such as Industry Green certification, but some adjustments will be required to allow for different contexts.

"There is great commonality between the UK music industry and the music industries of other countries in terms of the supply chain of actors, i.e. artists, agents, managers, promoters, record labels and venues, and also the core products and services being sold – physical and digital music and live performances," said Bottrill. "However, there are nuances between the different music markets, which affect the appropriateness of different responses."

Now Bottrill is leading research for Julie's Bicycle into the emissions impacts of touring by UK-based bands, orchestras and theatre companies within the UK and abroad. As well as quantifying emissions, the research is looking at "the actor decision-making process in the planning and undertaking of tours" to identify opportunities and challenges for greenhouse-gas reductions. Results are due in early May.

A number of UK music venues, including iconic buildings the Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Arena, are now using SMEasure, a web-based building-energy management tool developed by Bottrill and Russell Layberry at Lower Carbon Futures.

Source: the Guardian; 12th March 2010

The vice-chancellors of all but three leading institutions received raises averaging 8.5 per cent last year, new figures compiled by The Daily Telegraph show.

Combined with annual pension contributions of up to £63,000, the heads of the Russell Group of 20 top research universities had average total pay deals of £308,000 – significantly higher than the Prime Minister’s.

The university chiefs, who are among the best paid public sector workers, enjoyed better raises than the average FTSE 100 chief executive and more than three times the 2.6 per cent average around Britain.

Prof John Hood, the vice-chancellor of Oxford University, was given a 21 per cent pay increase, pushing his total package to £327,000.

Sir Howard Newby, the vice-chancellor of Liverpool, has a pay deal worth £386,000 – more than 20 per cent higher than his predecessor’s the previous year.

Yet both their pay deals were eclipsed by that of Prof Malcolm Grant, the Provost of University College, London (UCL), whose total package amounted to £404,272.

The figures, which provoked anger among teaching and student groups, come after Lord Mandelson announced £950 million of cuts to higher education budgets.

Lecturers, who were paid £46,251 on average during the period, are facing job losses while students are enduring reduced course places.

They are also preparing for a hike in tuition fees from their current £3,145 limit. Lord Browne, the former chief executive of BP, is reviewing the fees system and is being lobbied by some vice-chancellors to allow US-style fees of £20,000 a year.

In addition to their generous pay deals, almost all the university heads receive free accommodation and the use of a car, significantly reducing their costs of living.

Prof Peter Gregson, the vice-chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast, also has his £900-a-year subscription fee for The Athenaeum Club in London’s Pall Mall paid for.

A spokesman said: “Membership provides a London base for Queen’s and access to low cost accommodation”.

The figures were yesterday condemned by the leaders of student and lecturer groups.

Wes Streeting, the president of the National Union of Students, said: "At a time when vice chancellors are demanding a doubling of tuition fees, the fact that they are giving themselves and other managers such huge pay rises will raise questions about whether students' money is being well spent."

After the disclosure of pay rises last year, Jocelyn Prudence, the head of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association, said: “After years of plenty, famine could follow … we would not expect to see this trend continue.”

Sally Hunt, the general secretary of the University and College Union, said: “This time last year they intimated that large pay rises would have to stop. The evidence proves otherwise.

“There is no transparency or justification for the, usually enormous, rises they receive.

“Those at the top hide behind the clandestine world of remuneration committees as an excuse for their massive salaries, whilst the majority of their staff have to drag them kicking and screaming to agree any sort of pay increase.”

A spokesman for Oxford University said Prof Hood’s pay was “not unreasonable”.

“According to every national league table in 2009, Oxford was the number one university in the country," the spokesman said. "It is the biggest research provider in the UK and is probably the most complex institutionally.”

A spokesman for Liverpool University said: “Our Vice-Chancellor’s salary reflects his exceptional and significant expertise in the HE sector.”

A spokesman for UCL said: “The decisions taken around the Provost's salary reflected a strong period of growth for UCL and pre-dated the current financial crisis.”

He said Prof Grant had forgone a pay rise this year and would now consider taking a pay cut next year.

The top ten pay, benefits and pension packages in the Russell Group of 20 leading research universities, 2008/09

1. UCL - Prof Malcolm Grant - £404,742

2. Liverpool - Sir Howard Newby# - £386,000

3. Imperial College London - Sir Roy Anderson* - £373,000

4. Birmingham - Prof Michael Sterling/Prof David Eastwood (after March 31) - £352,000

5. Manchester - Prof Alan Gilbert - £334,000

6. Nottingham - Prof David Greenaway^ - £332,333

7. Oxford - Prof John Hood - £327,000

8. Leeds - Prof Michael Arthur - £315,000

9. King's College London - Rick Trainor - £312,000

10. Bristol - Prof Eric Thomas - £309,000

# Pro-rata: succeeded Prof Drummond Bone in September 2008

* Since resigned. One month overlap with Sir Richard Sykes

^ Pro-rata: succeeded Sir Colin Campbell on 1 October 2008

Source: Daily Telegraph; 15th March 2010

Pop superstar Kylie Minogue has awarded £16k to help four student members of studyvox.co.uk to pay for their University education at an exclusive awards ceremony this week.

 

Pictured above: Hayley Roberts, winning £2,000. Image thanks to Metro

Kylie is the patron of the StudyVox Foundation, the new charity created by us, the UK student social networking site, StudyVox (www.studyvox.co.uk). The StudyVox Foundation has been formed to provide bursary support to UK undergraduates seeking help with tuition fees.

The event attracted the worlds press and within hours had photos and articles circulating national news papers including the Telegraph as well as BBC Online and Metro Showbiz. Regional BBC news also ran the story, featuring Kylie awarding the bursaries.

 Jessie Gurr, from London Metropolitan University won the award of £10,000 and three other awards of £2,000 each went to randomly selected members of the website. Jessie Said: “This money has changed my life, this is the biggest thank you I have ever said, I am so grateful.

Kevin Martin, Joint CEO of StudyVox, added: “Today highlights our complete commitment to the student population. We are very proud to have awarded this money to our student members, and can’t wait for the journey ahead.”

Emma McGann, a musician from Coventry University was presented with the StudyVox FM Student Musician of the Year award by Kylie – and played a special gig for the audience to mark the occasion.

The awards were hosted by Ian Rawlinson (Chairman of the Foundation) and Trustee Jack Lowman (pictured above with Kylie Minogue). The event marks the the start of StudyVox’s activities to support the student Community.

 

Above: All the Winner!