Dr Martin Isherwood

Director of School of Music

Martin has many years’ professional experience as a songwriter, producer and music entrepreneur. He has achieved top 20 UK chart success and received a number of songwriting awards including winning BBC Song for Europe in 2003. He has been Head of Music at LIPA since 2001 and is a member of UK Music Skills Academy and has served on the Boards of many music organisations and urban regeneration projects. Martin has featured in a number of TV and radio programmes, panels at music industry conferences, presented songwriting papers at Higher Education conferences and published research commissioned by the Higher Education Academy in 2014.

Steve Parker

Senior Lecturer

Steve’s professional career includes production, songwriting, remixing, session playing, engineering, mixing, arranging and composition. As a writer and producer Steve worked in partnership with Pete Waterman for over a decade, developing projects and achieving releases on all major record labels (BMG, Sony, Warner, EMI, Universal, Jive/Zomba) and working on music projects for national TV and live events. Steve has achieved numerous top 40 singles and albums, attaining 11 platinum album sales. As a remixer, credits include well-known names such as Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue along with many more underground artists, achieving numerous number 1 dance chart positions. Steve believes that listening to and analysis of a wide range of material, coupled with a solid theoretical understanding is key to broadening your understanding of songwriting and of production and arrangement. His extensive experience helps students develop the practical skills and the work ethic and judgment required for a professional career.

Steve leads sessions in songwriting and in music production, delivering lectures, practical workshops, seminars and one-to-one sessions. He takes a practical task-based approach to teaching and developing skills and holds dear the belief that being able to realise your songs and musical ideas as effective demos is vital for any musician working in the music industry today.

Steve’s professional industry experience informs all aspects of his teaching, experiences such as working to deadlines, making decisions, understanding commercial briefs, analysing and understanding unfamiliar styles of music, and being able to realise commercially viable products are central to the experiences he tries to create for students. Steve is acutely aware that while you’re not always fortunate enough to work on what you want, what you create still has to be musically effective.

Tim Pike

Programme Leader: PMMT and Senior Lecturer

Tim studied music at Breton Hall College starting on oboe but switching to bass guitar midway through. He is a multi-instrumentalist playing bass guitar, guitar, keys, saxes and double bass.

After graduating he embarked on a career as a session musician and teacher. As both a music-reader and improviser, Tim has performed in theatres in the UK, recording sessions in London, playing for theatre shows at the Edinburgh Fringe and many jazz gigs. He was invited to teach at two of the institutions that he had previously studied at, and teaching became the dominant passion. After completing his MA in 1994, Tim began full-time teaching at LIPA in 1995. Since then, as well as teaching, Tim has mainly focused on jazz gigs on bass guitar for pleasure. He also turned his hand to other varied projects including the pre-production and recording of music played at The Beatles Story exhibition, to performing with China Crisis, and editing the music manuscript for Bill Bailey’s songbook. He can currently be found playing bass in two big bands (one with a weekly residency), and also holding the bass chair at the Liverpool Jazz Club’s monthly sessions.

Dr Helen Davies

Senior Lecturer

Helen is a popular music researcher. Her key research interests are gender and sexuality, music education, music and visual creativity, music in everyday life and ethnographic research. Her doctoral thesis, ‘Music in the everyday lives of young teenage girls’ (University of Liverpool, 2011), is based on ethnographic research in domestic and school settings in Merseyside. More recently, she has researched gender related issues for young musicians studying on popular music higher education courses and/or in early career. Since 2019, she has collaborated with the organisation UK Music on their research into diversity in the UK music industry. Currently, she is researching visual creativities for musicians. Helen is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a member of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM), and an editorial board member of IASPM Journal.

Helen is responsible for the design and delivery of all academic and popular music studies modules on LIPA’s music degrees and foundation courses, including supervision and day to day management of a small teaching team. In these modules, students are encouraged to critically analyse their own and other musicians’ practice and explore aspects of popular music culture and industry that are relevant to them. Helen brings her research interests and scholarly experience to all aspects of her teaching.

Selected outputs

Book chapters

2022 

‘How do I look? The importance of visual analysis for musicians in popular music higher education.’ In D. Walzer (ed.) The Handbook on Music Business and Creative Industries in Education. Sheffield: Equinox.

2021 

‘Because I’m a girl’: exploring experiences, practices and challenges relating to gender and sexuality for female musicians in popular music higher education.’ In R. Mathias (ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Women’s Work in Music, pp.26-35. London: Routledge.

2019 

‘Preparing for the ‘real world’? Exploring gender issues in the music industry and the role of vocational popular music higher education.’ In C. Strong and S. Raine (eds.) Towards Gender Equality in the Music Industry. Education, Practice, and Strategies for Change, pp.29-44. London: Bloomsbury. 

Journal articles 

2019

‘Gender issues in the music industry and popular music higher education: Exploring the experiences of young musicians.’ Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica special issue: Music as a social phenomenon – theoretical concepts and empirical inquiries, 20/2, 211–227. 

2013

‘Never mind the generation gap? Music listening in the everyday lives of young teenage girls and their parents.’ Volume! La revue des musiques populaires, 10/1, pp. 229-247. 

Conference presentations 

2022 

‘Technological change, visual creativities, and popular music higher education.’ International Association for the Study of Popular Music UK & Ireland Branch Biennial Conference. University of Liverpool, 31 August-2 September. 

‘UK Music Diversity Report 2020: the data behind the report and actions.’ UK Music - Music Academic Partnership Symposium. Online, 26 May. 

2018

‘Preparing for the ‘real world’? Exploring the role of music education in addressing gender and sexuality issues experienced by young popular musicians.’ Association for Popular Music Education conference. Middle Tennessee State University, 24-27 June. 

2017 

‘Young musicians, gender and sexuality: researching the issues in an educational context.’ 1st Symposium of the LGBTQ+ Music Study Group. Edge Hill University, 27 May.

Keith Mullin

Head of Department: Management; Music Department: Subject Leader Professional Practice & Music Business

MA, PGDip, FHEA Course Leader  

Keith is a member of Liverpool band The Farm and works as a freelance music professional. The band’s first album reached number one in the UK and they continue to perform at festivals and UK venues. He has also managed bands and artists, and co-owned independent labels Honey Records, Produce Records and recently Vile Entertainment. Keith was also a member of The Justice Collective achieving the 2012 Christmas number one with their recording of He Ain’t Heavy, He’s, My Brother, working with Guy Chambers, Sir Paul McCartney, Mick Jones from The Clash, Robbie Williams and former Spice Girl Mel C.

With over 30 years’ experience in the music industry, he has acquired a knowledge and experience of the industry’s management structures and common business practice which he passes on to his students. He uses a mixture of approaches and methods to ensure that learning feeds into career-focused development for musicians and artists.

With an MA in Music Industry Studies, and PGCert in higher education teaching, he has mentored and taught numerous musicians who have gone on to enjoy successful careers in the music industry as songwriters, managers, A&R managers, live music industry media and digital marketing professionals. He continues to maintain relationships with many professional entertainment companies, publishers, record labels, agents, managers, promoters. In addition, he has performed with numerous experienced artists such as, Mick Jones (The Clash), Paul Heaton, Suggs, David Bryn, Susan Vega, Fun Lovin Criminals, Happy Mondays, Take That, Eurasia, Clean Bandit, Madness, The Stone Roses, Beverly Knight, Lightening Seeds, BA Robinson, New Order, Peter Hook & The Light and many other high-profile artists. More recently he worked alongside Rob Sloman as associate producer, composer and music director for the documentary Howard’s Way, the documentary currently features on sky documentaries.

Keith teaches a broad range of subjects across the disciplines of music and management, music industry and business, professional practice, research skills, practical project, work, live music and events, performance techniques and coaching. Keith’s industry knowledge and experience permit a relevant contribution to teaching and learning across multiple disciplines.

Keith possesses an extensive portfolio of professional experience having worked in the music and creative industries for 32 years. Working as a successful artist/entrepreneur since 1989 to the present day, has assisted in acquiring a comprehensive knowledge of music industry conventions and contemporary business practices. Enabling the application of music industry insights and practices within educational settings. Professional experience in Keith’s view is “an integral part of preparing students for a profession, through linking theoretical studies to deliberate practice and their learning”

Publications

What is a good higher education teacher? "Am I what I say I am?" Published 2017-04-18 LJMU Innovations In Practice

Hillsborough Justice Tour 2012 - The John Robb Diary, Book, Chapter Contribution

Music releases

Albums

Spartacus (1991)

Love Sees No Colour (1992)

Hullabaloo (1994)

Pastures Old and New (1986)

Spartacus Live (1991) 

Groovy Times (1991)

Best of The Farm (1998) 

The Very Best of The Farm (2001) [compilation] Back Together Now! Live (2006) All Together with The Farm (2007) [live album] Singles.

Keith’s songs have featured on 90-compilation albums

Singles

Hearts and Minds (1984)

Steps of Emotion (1985)

Some People (1986)

Body and Soul (1989)

Stepping Stone / Family of Man, Groovy Train, All Together Now (1990)

Sinful! (Scary Jiggin' with Doctor Love) with Pete Wylie, Don't Let Me Down, Mind (1991)

Love See No Colour, Rising Sun, Don't You Want Me, Love See No Colour (re-mix) (1992)

Messiah, Comfort (1994)

All Together Now (Everton FA Cup Final version) (1995)

All Together Now 2004 (feat. SFX Boys Choir) (1994)

Dr Eva Petersen

Programme leader

Paul Mitchell-Davidson

Lecturer

Paul has been a professional musician for over 50 years, starting out in pop music before moving on to jazz and classical. His career has spanned radio, TV, theatre and dance and he has worked as a studio session musician for radio and TV as well as a composer, arranger, musical director, conductor and performer. Paul has arranged for pop and rock acts including rap artist Red Venom, N-Trance and China Crisis. Having worked in most areas of the music profession at the highest level, he is able to pass on the techniques and pragmatic elements involved in making a living writing music.

Kate Blair

Teaching Fellow

Kate is a singer-musician who has enjoyed a dual career as a performer and teacher since the early 2000s. An experienced vocal and performance coach holding both a PGCE and an MA by Research in Vocal Pedagogy, Kate has a particular interest in working with pop/rock artists in order to develop their individual sound and the expressive skills required for effective live and recorded performance.

Kate specialises in contemporary vocal technique, rooted in an in-depth knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the voice and 'voice science'. Having trained extensively with international voice pedagogues in a wide-range of areas such as Estill Voice Training, Accent Method and Primal Voice, Kate continues to develop her teaching and performance practice, keeping up to date with the latest research.

Vocal health and rehabilitation are key areas of Kate’s practice and she is an active member of The British Voice Association, regularly working and training alongside interdisciplinary voice professionals, such as speech and language therapists. Kate works with singers to develop efficient vocal technique and an understanding of how to look after the voice, reducing the risk of vocal fatigue and other vocal issues which may arise as a result of busy gigging and recording schedules.  This technique also underpins the exploration of the capabilities of the vocal instrument and the development of the artist’s individual sound and expressive performance.

Kate's approach is holistic and she draws on a wide range of research and related practice in order to develop the skills required by the contemporary singer and artist-songwriter. Kate’s research interests include interdisciplinary approaches to contemporary singer training; her postgraduate research focussing on Laban technique and Michael Chekhov technique.  Her current research centres on somatic movement practices and how they may be utilised in order to build healthy vocal technique and to develop stage skills such as physical expression, emotional connection, stage presence and artist persona. Kate plans to extend this work to explore the use of physical techniques in combination with other approaches, such as Primal Sound.

Clare Canty

Teaching Fellow

Clare has been teaching for more than 20 years and singing for even longer. She has worked as a studio session singer, live backing vocalist and radio DJ, as well as writing and recording her own songs. In the 1990s, she fronted dance act Lucid, achieving top 40 singles and performing on Top of the Pops. Having experienced the ‘pop star lifestyle’, Clare understands the fun-side and challenges involved in such things as media attention and giving interviews, live TV, club PAs, photo shoots, making videos and touring. In her teaching she uses a holistic approach, combining physical exercises and confidence building techniques to help each singer find and express their own unique voice.

Peter Fairclough

Teaching Fellow

As a freelance drummer for 40 years, among the many artists Peter has worked with are Ute Lemper, John Harle and Keith Tippett. He has experience in theatre, film, TV, big band and recording and has released five albums of his own music. Peter has played across Europe, Canada, Hong Kong and India and attended the Drum Fantasy Camp in Chicago where he studied with Mark Guiliana, Antonio Sanchez, Virgil Donati and Dave Weckl. Peter continues to record with the Discus Music label.

Peter teaches weekly one-to-one drum lessons. He delivers a syllabus he has created especially for LIPA that is designed to produce creative, professional drummers who can prove themselves worthy of a degree. The lessons are based on a playlist of classic recordings.

In preparing students for their professional careers, Peter teaches classic grooves, interpreting the snare drum rudiments for the kit, co-ordination and reading – all of which he has called upon in his career.

Jim Faulkner

Teaching Fellow

Jim Faulkner has been a professional guitarist for more than 20 years, working in studios, touring bands, theatre shows, tribute shows, and original bands. 

Known for his versatility, he has recorded and performed in genres as diverse as contemporary classical music, progressive rock, fusion, contemporary jazz, traditional jazz and world music. 

He has appeared at venues across Europe and continues to perform regularly with a variety of artists across the UK. Primarily known as a jazz guitarist, Jim has performed at many UK jazz festivals including Manchester, Liverpool, London and Brecon among others.

As well as maintaining a busy freelance schedule, Jim can be heard performing regularly with the world music group Unfurl (who he also composes for) and with Gavin Barras' Family Tree. 

Jim is currently writing for his own solo project and will be recording his debut album to be released in 2023.

In Jim’s one-to-one guitar lessons he wants to help the students develop a strong musical foundation and show them how to join the dots between music theory, technique and their instrument. This is how the student can become empowered and find their own identity as a musician and guitarist. 

In the improvisation lectures Jim wants to help the students learn how to express themselves and how to become a better musician within a band setting, how to support others within the group and how to become more fluent on their instruments. Playing different genres which use improvisation is a great way to build ability and confidence. 

Jim feels most comfortable in settings where he is improvising, expressing what he is hearing and feeling through his instrument. As this is the area he mostly works in Jim is constantly looking for ways to improve his abilities in this and on his instrument, through this he develops methods to progress which he can then pass on to students. 

Martin Smith

Teaching Fellow

With over 25 years of professional experience, Martin’s recording credits include The Coral, Super Furry Animals and The Lightning Seeds, among many others. Martin is a lifetime member of cult jazz-punk beat combo The Wizards of Twiddly, and has toured extensively in Europe with The Muffin Men (Frank Zappa tribute band) and The BrassHoppers, a New Orleans-style street band. Outside teaching, Martin’s main focus is The Weave, an internationally-acclaimed jazz sextet. His experience of playing with groups of all genres means he has a good understanding of what’s required to become a high-functioning and valuable member of any ensemble.

Dan Sanders

Subject Leader: Music Production

MMus SFHEA Subject Leader, Music Production, School of Music 

As a self-employed music professional, Dan delivered projects with major and indie labels for 15 years before joining LIPA full-time. Day-to-day negotiation with A&R, artist management and label executives plus a practice-based understanding of music rights shaped Dan's experience, allowing him to pick up multiple platinum sales awards for his production work along the way. Dan now looks at how the new generation of music entrepreneurs can meet the challenges of a changing music industry.