City music scene gets boost from Solent students past and present

This autumn, Southampton Solent University graduates, Jamie Ford and Matt Bisgrove have been collaborating with current students studying BA (Hons) Music Business to run The Playbook – a series of masterclasses created to serve and grow local industry.

The first event was chaired by third-year undergraduate, Valentina Longo while the latest, Your Local Music Ecosystem, took place at Vinilo Record Store on Wednesday 26 November and gave first-year, Denisha Skilton the opportunity to chair a major conversation on the city’s music offering.

“I attended the first Playbook back in September and loved it,” Denisha says. “When Jamie reached out to ask me to host, I couldn’t say no! It helped me develop networking skills, as well as how to communicate with my local industry network, but also further expand my contacts which will help my future.”

Your Local Music Ecosystem invited industry experts, Matt Hanner, Amy Butters and Virginia Coe to share unique insights on a range of areas, from running a business and booking talent to producing and promoting. This series of events stems from Parallel Music Conference which launched in 2024 with support from Solent University and has since welcomed multiple partners for sell-out industry talks in the city.

On the impact opportunities like these have on students at Solent, Parallel Music Conference Co-founder and Programme Director, Jamie Ford says:

“Student collaboration is ingrained in the ethos of Parallel Music Conference, and an incredibly important aspect of our monthly masterclass series. Giving students real-time experience while they study allows them to develop skillsets and gain experience in a way that is relevant to the modern music industry, right on their doorstep. Not only was this important to me when I was a student, but we are actually finding that Solent students are incredibly well-equipped to take on such host and panellist roles; from individual confidence to offering audiences interesting insights on the music ecosystem from their perspective.”

Since graduating, Jamie and Matt have both established themselves within the music industry, and they’re now paying it forward by collaborating with Solent to connect students with opportunities that complement what they learn while at university.

Events like these, supported by both students and staff at Solent, play a role in de-centralising the music industry by giving local professionals the opportunity to take part in tailored events right here in the city. Course Leader for Music Industries and Event Management, James Hannam says:

"We're very pleased to see the Parallel Music Conference branch out into year-round activities, in partnership with local music organisation SoCo. We're also delighted that our students have featured prominently in the first few editions, with two out of three events chaired by current Music Business students at Solent. The success of The Playbook shows that our students and graduates are playing a key part in the local music scene."

Image credit: Alfie Mallett.