Rob Upton

Yeah! Just random stuff happening - random spins, blowing up, seven-lap pit stops…all sorts!

Is it my rose-tinted vision, but I seem to remember cars being lapped repeatedly occurring a lot more in the late 80s-mid 90s. Is this true?

Why ruin my day like this, Statto?

So satisfying.

So, tomorrow marks a week off. What have I done with my time, you ask?

Built a motherflipping oak dressing table out of some shelves

I Kieron
You Kieron
He/She/They Kieron
We Kieroned
They Kieroned

Three days off and counting. Will my face ever not be infectious?

Maybe you’re the one with no taste.

Full Platter.

No notes.

What was the player doing shooting *at* Martinez - prone on the floor - rather than at the gaping whole on the other side of the goal??

Well, he’s not wrong.

The music department has tentacles that stretch deep into the fabric of the university and the local community: shutting down the music department down will leave UoN a much poorer place and I for one think it’s a very short-sighted idea.

It’s mainly disappointing given recent - yesterday in fact - governmental support for the arts and music in particular, that this announcement comes. Yes, typical “classical” music and musicians are declining but that’s not what a modern music dept looks like anymore.

What goes with the music department? Rehearsal space and resources for having a first-class orchestra (or 4 when I was there), limitless groups and ensembles that are the lifeblood of a holistic and well-functioning society, giving people spaces to feel welcome and be creative. That disappears.

I’m seeing ever increasing numbers of music students - I see nearly 250 a week in-and-out of school - and it makes my job to retain parental interest much harder if they see the supposed pinnacle of musical study being closed off.

I must admit that when I left, I predicted that the music department would shut within 10 years - 5 is a little ahead but it was obvious then that the university had decided it wanted the space and resources elsewhere. Hopefully they’ll reconsider, especially as:

This is one by-product of studying music - skill transfer and employability. But music in-and-of-itself is also viable. Especially in these “Down with this sort of thing” times, people need an outlet, an interest, a reason to get from day to day. And how does that happen with no specialists?

Several went into politics, one a chief advisor for a recent prime minister, able to advise on a broad range of subjects because the study of music goes beyond into sociology, philosophy, semiotics and - indeed - politics. Many went into the civil service, some accountancy.

Most obviously, becoming music school teachers inspiring children through performing and exploring creatively. Several of my friends - incredible performers - are now barristers who regularly take on high profile cases, able to do so because they are incredible at commanding audiences.

The biggest hill I will die on: “what use is a music degree?” Well, music was one of the original academic subjects highlighted by Plato as vital to society and human nature. But that’s not argument enough. A list of what my friends at uni went on to do:

Uni of Nottingham music department is *my* department. I lived there for nearly 20 years, firstly as an architecture-student outsider before studying three degrees in music and finally teaching there for 5 years.

When I joined it was top 3 for music in the country.

Music and modern languages courses suspended at University of Nottingham In a statement the institution also says it is

This hits home somewhat, and deserves a thread.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Playful - very good!

Many excellent stories across his career

Haha! This has brought back some memories!

Very thin ice!

The only thing I can think of is this becoming 14A (End of act one) for a Lin Manuel Miranda musical sometime in 2045

Have you read Ben Folds’s autobiography discussing recording Shatner’s first album? Some hilarious anecdotes

First day off sick in forever. (Impetigo and teaching musical instruments does not mix).

Not really sure what to do with myself until 3:30...

Pussy 😂😂😂