A land without music?

This episode features the second half of our interview with psychiatrist, neuroscientist, literary scholar and author of The Master and His Emissary, Iain McGilchrist.

It's a wide ranging interview, reflecting Iain's exceptionally broad frame of reference, taking in the evolution of the human brain, art, music, modernism, AI, society, politics and spirituality. The first half of the interview was released on Monday 14th April.

Written and presented by Julian Leeks

To get in touch with Sound World please email [email protected] or leave a post on out Facebook page SoundWorldUK.

For more info about Sound World visit sound-world.org

Music:

In The Steps of Apollo by Julian Leeks (performed by Zelkova String Quartet).

Beehive by Julian Leeks (Note Performer demo version recorded for our sponsors)

This episode features the first half of our interview with psychiatrist, neuroscientist, literary scholar and author of The Master and His Emissary, Iain McGilchrist. We’ve decide to put this out following the interview with AI researcher Peter Flach since it touches on many of the same issues, albeit from a very different perspective.

Beyond that, it's a wide ranging interview, reflecting Iain's exceptionally broad frame of reference, taking in the evolution of the human brain, art, music, modernism, society, politics and spirituality. The second half of the interview will be released on Monday 28th April.

Written and presented by Julian Leeks

To get in touch with Sound World please email [email protected] or leave a post on out Facebook page SoundWorldUK.

For more info about Sound World visit sound-world.org

Music:

In The Steps of Apollo by Julian Leeks (performed by Zelkova String Quartet).

Beehive by Julian Leeks (Note Performer demo version recorded for our sponsors).

This is another of our bonus episodes featuring one of the full length interviews that we recorded for the main strand of A land without music?.

Following on from our last episode in which our guests discussed various aspects of AI and technology, we’re talking to Prof. Peter Flach. For anyone trying to make sense of AI, how it works and what it might mean for us to, Peter is someone to listen to. Professor of artificial intelligence and an expert in machine learning, Peter is a knowledgable and measured voice in a field often characterised by hyperbole and hysteria.

Written and presented by Julian Leeks

Music:

In The Steps of Apollo by Julian Leeks (performed by Zelkova String Quartet).

Beehive by Julian Leeks (Note Performer demo version recorded for our sponsors)

To get in touch with Sound World please email [email protected] or leave a post on out Facebook page SoundWorldUK.

For more info about Sound World visit sound-world.org

What are the dangers posed by AI and what opportunities does it bring?

What does it mean for music and for how we value, understand and experience creativity?

Leading AI researcher Prof. Peter Flach and psychiatrist, neuroscientist and author Dr. Iain McGilchrist shed light on this complex and hugely consequential subject.

Written and presented by Julian Leeks

Music:

In The Steps of Apollo by Julian Leeks (performed by Zelkova String Quartet).

Beehive by Julian Leeks (Note Performer demo version recorded for our sponsors)

To get in touch with Sound World please email [email protected] or leave a post on out Facebook page SoundWorldUK.

For more info about Sound World visit sound-world.org

Today’s episode is one of the bonus episodes featuring full length versions of the interviews recorded the main strand of A land without music?

Our guest is a Bristol based Burnley born composer John Pickard. John's works includes six symphonies, two concertos, songs, chamber pieces and six string quartets.

His orchestral piece The Flight of Icarus was described by the San Francisco Chronicle as "...a contender for the most exciting première of the year" and The Times commented that "his orchestral mastery is total".

Written and presented by Julian Leeks.

Produced by Sound World

Music

The Grace of Silence by Evelyn Glennie (performed by Harriet Riley and Paul Israel). Listen on Apple Music or Spotify

In The Steps of Apollo by Julian Leeks (performed by Zelkova String Quartet). Listen here.

Beehive by Julian Leeks (Note Performer demo version recorded for our sponsors)

For more info about Sound World visit sound-world.org

In episode nine of A land without music? our guests discuss the practical issues of teaching music including timetable pressure, the allocation of scarce resources and the multiplicity of genres competing for our attention. 

Written and presented by Julian Leeks.

With guests Hilary Dunford, Peter Flach, Daniel Kidane, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Guy Guerrini, Sadie Harrison, Ingrid McLean, Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason & John Pickard.

Produced by Sound World

Music

In The Steps of Apollo by Julian Leeks (performed by Zelkova String Quartet).

Beehive by Julian Leeks (Note Performer demo version recorded for our sponsors)

To get in touch with Sound World please email [email protected] or leave a post on out Facebook page SoundWorldUK.

For more info about Sound World visit sound-world.org

Today's episode is the third of our bonus episodes featuring the full length interviews that we recorded for the main strand of A land without music? 

Our guest, Nico Muhly, is an American composer whose wide ranging work includes orchestral and chamber music, operas, songs and music for film and TV. Since his early days as an archivist for Philip Glass he has worked with many of the worlds major orchestras and opera companies as well as musicians such as Sofjan Steven’s, Bryce Dessner and Björk.

Written and presented by Julian Leeks

Music:

In The Steps of Apollo by Julian Leeks (performed by Zelkova String Quartet).

Beehive by Julian Leeks (Note Performer demo version recorded for our sponsors)

To get in touch with Sound World please email [email protected] or leave a post on out Facebook page SoundWorldUK.

For more info about Sound World visit sound-world.org

In episode seven of A land without music? our guests talk about what are the essential elements of music that all children should be taught. In a changing world of developing technology, multiculturalism and ever greater timetable and syllabus pressure, it's all a lot more complicated than it used to be. 

Written and presented by Julian Leeks.

With guests Sally Beamish, Daniel Kidane, Jess Gillam, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Sadie Harrison, Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason, Nico Muhly, John Pickard & Jörg Widmann.

Produced by Sound World

Music

Trombone Phrases by Nico Muhly. Listen on Apple Music or Spotify

In The Steps of Apollo by Julian Leeks (performed by Zelkova String Quartet).

Beehive by Julian Leeks (Note Performer demo version recorded for our sponsors)

To get in touch with Sound World please email [email protected] or leave a post on out Facebook page SoundWorldUK.

For more info about Sound World visit sound-world.org

Episode six is a special short episode made in response to emails we’ve received asking about the motivating factors behind the making of A land without music?

Those who have heard earlier episodes will be aware that we believe music in the UK is in poor and declining health. In this episode we look at the evidence that led us to have these concerns.

Please send comments or suggestions to [email protected] or post to our Facebook page SoundWorldUK.

A land without music? is written and presented by Julian Leeks

Produced by Sound World.

Music

In The Steps of Apollo by Julian Leeks (performed by Zelkova String Quartet).

Beehive by Julian Leeks (Note Performer demo version recorded for our sponsors)

Today’s episode is the second of our bonus episodes featuring full length versions of the interviews that we recorded for the main strand of A land without music?

Our guest is Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason, mother of 7 talented children, all of whom are classical musicians. Her memoir, House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons, won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Storytelling Award in November 2021 and the following year she was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of The Royal Academy of Music. Kadiatu is also a tireless campaigner for music in education.

Written and presented by Julian Leeks

Produced by Sound World

Music:

Altissima Luce composed by Gavin Bryars and performed by Mary Barrett, Fran Higgs and Juliet McCarthy (listen here)

In The Steps of Apollo composed by Julian Leeks and performed by Zelkova Quartet (listen here)