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Where does popular music come from?

This is a Music Subject Spotlight with Dr Tom Attah from Leeds Arts University. An interactive, cinematic course taster experience to allow students to gain insights into what it's like to study Music.

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Join Dr Tom Attah as he both defines and contextualises popular music as a socio-cultural activity and practice, looks at how popular music genres are made up of individual style elements, and discusses music as a form of 'language'. Tom also thinks about listening to music for feeling in a fascinating activity involving the theme tune to Jaws!

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About Leeds Arts University

Leeds Arts University is the only specialist arts university in the North of England, providing the best opportunity in which to grow as an artist, designer, musician or filmmaker. Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth studied here, as did, more recently, Marcus Harvey, Damien Hirst and Omar Kashoura. It has been ranked number one in the country in the Design & Crafts subject table, and has won several recent awards for its world class facilities. With roots dating back to 1846 and the original Leeds School of Art, it is always improving its equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups.

More about Leeds Arts University

Meet the academics

Dr Tom Attah

Dr Tom Attah is a practising musician and Course Leader for BMus (Hons) Popular Music Performance at Leeds Arts University. His research interests include the effects of technology on popular music, particularly blues music and blues culture. As a guitarist and singer, Tom performs solo, with an acoustic duo and as part of an electric band. Tom's solo acoustic work includes his own original Blues compositions and has led to performances at major music festivals around Europe, including major stages at the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, the Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival, and Blues Autour Du Zinc. Tom’s live work includes theatre and festival performances, workshops, seminars, lectures and recitals delivered to learning institutions, artistic communities and blues dance specialist events in the United Kingdom, mainland Europe, Russia, and the United States. Tom's original music commissions include composing and performing the music for the HandelHendrix permanent exhibition in Mayfair, London, and Tom's multiple national radio appearances include performances and documentaries for BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4, and Sky Arts. Visit Tom at: www.tomattah.co.uk

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Subject Spotlight?

Subject Spotlights fuse education and entertainment to bring you the new way of researching your university options.

Entirely free and available on-demand, you can choose to engage with the content in the way that best suits you - whether that's in bite-sized chunks or in binge-sessions!

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Get a real, representative impression of what pursuing a subject at university is actually like, so that you can make the right decision for you.

Stand out from the competition by completing a Subject Spotlight to gain the most relevant references and evidence for your personal statement.

Who is this Spotlight for?

This subject spotlight is made for students aged 16 and above, that are considering applying to University, particularly to study the subject in the title, or similar areas.

How should I talk about completing a Subject Spotlight on my UCAS application?

Completing a Subject Spotlight shows the university you're applying to that you've taken time outside of school to engage with relevant content.

The easiest way to include it would be to briefly mention one or two things you learned from it and how/why those learnings have furthered your desire to study the subject. We don't want to prescribe an answer because it's your personal statement but this is a good starting point!