2012
SMILE (Solent Music Industries Live Event) was launched in 2009 as a creative and enjoyable insight for Southampton Solent University students who have a passion for everything the music industries have to offer.
Over the past three years, guest speakers have included:
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Rob da Bank (Radio 1, Sunday Best Records, Bestival and Camp Bestival, and former features editor of Muzik magazine)
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Garry Mulholland (freelance music journalist and author, and former music editor for Time Out)
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Nick Halkes (who signed electronic music superstars The Prodigy)
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Mark Cann (Michael Eavis’s deputy at Glastonbury Festival)
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Maria Forte (Digital rights management and music services)
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Janine Warren (PR for Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party)
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and Olivier Bezhadi (former head of A&R for Sony Music International where he worked closely with artists such as Destiny’s Child, David Bowie, Cypress Hill and Evanescence).
Foreign Beggars
The event has also seen masterclass performances and interviews
with music artists such as:
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the hip hop/grime group Foreign Beggars (Dented);
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singer-songwriter Lauren Pritchard (Island/Universal);
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Laurent Barnard and Steph Carter of hardcore punk band Gallows (Warner Music UK), and songwriter Jon McClure (of Reverend and the Makers).
In addition, each year has seen a Demo Jury of music industry professionals who give their feedback and advice on tracks submitted by Popular Music scheme students.
The Widowmaker
For more info and to view films, biographies, reviews and the event programme, all produced by BA (Hons) Popular Music Journalism| students go to: www.smilefest.co.uk|