Who's who
Dr D Ferrett
Award Leader, Popular Music
BA(Hons), MA, PhD
Keywords
Voice, gender, mythologies, philosophy, politics, songwriting, folklore, cultural theory
Academic interests/teaching themes
D's background is based in a diverse range of music practices extending through blues, punk, indie-rock, drum n bass to semi-improvised music. Throughout her studies, D has worked extensively with music, film and text. Consequently, she combines an interest in music-making, the visual arts and literature in modules like ‘Music and the Moving Image', ‘Popular Music and Signs' and ‘Voice, Text, Machines'.
D is also a writer in the academic areas of cultural theory and popular music studies. She was awarded her PhD at the University of Leeds in 2009 for a thesis based on the mythologies of the ineffable and the repertoire of experimental singer/composer Diamanda Galás. As such, D's teaching explores mergers of music practice, critical theory and philosophy by formulating creative approaches to songwriting, performance and the written articulation of music practice in a cultural and critical context. Primarily, D is invested in exploring how literature, culture and philosophy effect and are effected by making music. In particular, her teaching aims to encourage creativity and questions to do with the ways in which we talk about, think about, write about and play music whilst facing the everyday challenges of a working musician.
Research interests
D's research interests lie at the intersections of vocal practice, technology, the discourse and philosophies around the singing voice, ideologies of music and the ineffable, experimental voice, popular music artists, gender, sexuality, politics, audio-visual performance, DIY music culture, music pedagogy, the vocal body in performance, singing and folklore.
Academic/industry background and industry links
D has worked for over two years as co-editor of the international and peer-reviewed academic journal 'parallax' based at the University of Leeds.
Recent outputs
- Nicholas Chare and D. Ferrett, ‘Entwined Voices: an interview with Diamanda Galás', in parallax 42, 13:1 (2007), 65-73.
- D. Ferrett, ‘Fragile Sonic Walls', in Hearing Places: Sound, Place Time and Culture, eds, Ros Bandt, Michelle Duffy and Dolly Mackinnon (Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2007), pp.155-166.
- Barbara Engh, D. Ferrett and Marcel Swiboda, ‘Preliminary Soundings', in parallax 41, 12:4 (2006), 1-8.
Current projects/forthcoming outputs
I am currently working on a monograph based on experimental vocal production and my PhD thesis. I am also recording and writing for an audio book inspired by certain sounds, voices, folklore and narratives relating to water and to Cornwall.
Membership of learned societies/subject associations
Performing Rights Society
Supervision of research degrees
I am particularly interested in supervising PhDs in the following areas: Voice, Popular Music Studies, Cultural Studies, Critical Theory.
Contact
E:
T:01326 255911
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