by Joe Bennett | Jun 9, 2026 | 5live, Forensic Musicology, music education, musicology, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
This week, Tony and I Hit the North (stay tuned for more on that)! Lancashire is a ceremonial county in North West England, and is bordered by Greater Manchester. Cumbria, North and West Yorkshire, Merseyside, and the Irish Sea. The county has a long tradition of... 
by Joe Bennett | Feb 9, 2026 | 5live, Forensic Musicology, music education, musicology, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
This week Tony and I went a capella! A cappella, or acapella, music refers to unaccompanied singing, a practice that originated in Renaissance sacred music and later developed across classical, folk, gospel, and popular traditions. While historically associated with... 
by Joe Bennett | Dec 16, 2025 | 5live, Education, fm, Forensic Musicology, music education, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
This week Tony and I explored songs of Revolution! Throughout modern history, songwriters have used music to comment on and engage with political change, social inequality, and shifts in collective identity. Some songs engage directly with protest and revolution,... 
by Joe Bennett | Nov 4, 2025 | 5live, Articles, fm, Forensic Musicology, music education, musicology, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
This week Tony and I discussed the Rhodes! The Rhodes piano was invented by Harold Rhodes during World War II as a therapeutic instrument for recovering airmen. Following its commercial partnership with Fender in the 1950s, the first production model – the... 
by Joe Bennett | Nov 3, 2025 | 5live, berklee, fm, Forensic Musicology, music education, musicology, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
This week Tony and I went to the movies! Soundtracks have been a feature of film for longer than speech (in the form of live piano or organ accompaniment), and the silver screen has inspired some of the twentieth century’s most iconic music. This week we heard a... 
by Joe Bennett | Sep 17, 2025 | 5live, Forensic Musicology, music education, musicology, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
On the show this week Tony and I explored the harmonica! The harmonica is one of the most versatile and portable instruments in popular music, equally at home in blues, folk, rock, soul, and even dance-pop. Its distinctive sound comes from reeds vibrating as the...
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