“One more tune!” The encore ritual in live music events – Emma Webster

A paper examining the curious phenomenon of the encore ritual in live music events, which argues that while the encore began as a spontaneous display of audience enthusiasm, it has now become an expected and ritualized part of a live music performance.

Drawing Live Music – A Different Kind of ‘Listening’ – Jenny Soep

Visual artist Jenny Soep discusses her experiences of drawing live music, the pros and cons of using ‘traditional’ and digital materials, her personal guidelines for drawing live music, and links to other artists who draw or visualise live music in one form or another.

The pervasive curse of pay-to-play in Tokyo – James Hadfield

Today’s guest post is by James Hadfield, an English writer and photographer based in Tokyo, where he writes about music and other subjects for The Japan Times and Tokyo TimeOut amongst others. In this piece he looks at the ubiquity of pay-to-play, or noruma, in the Japanese capital.

Ghosts from the Bridge – Darren Mueller

This guest post by Darren Mueller- saxophonist, teacher and PhD candidate at Duke University – reflects on how live jazz performances are haunted, and infused, by the recordings of the past.

New fees for foreign musicians touring Canada – Richard Sutherland

Richard Sutherland offers a well-informed summary of the changes to Canada’s visa rules for musicians, brought in July 31st 2013.

Cultural and Community Distribution Deregulation Bill [HL] – Second Reading

The text from the Second Reading of Lord Clement-Jones’ Cultural and Community Distribution Deregulation Bill in the House of Lords, July 5 2013.

The health benefits of live music on premature babies – Professor Graham Welch

Professor Graham Welch, Chair of Music Education at the Institute of Education, discusses the latest research on the positive effects of live music on premature babies.

The UK Festival Market Report 2010 – Matt Brennan and Emma Webster

The UK Festival Market Report 2010 includes a detailed industry overview and the results of that year’s UK Festival Census.

An Edinburgh Fringe Guide for Bands – MJ Hibbett

MJ Hibbett offers musicians a survival guide to the Edinburgh Fringe, and some thoughts on the difference between Fringe gigs and regular gigs along with why bands are well equipped to deal with it.

Right On: Live Music, Noise and Rights – Adam Behr

Following last week’s post about what makes for a healthy ‘musical city’ Adam Behr looks at the concepts that underpin the legislative agenda on live music, and the issues that surround the difference between music and noise.