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It must be wonderful for those kids in East Yorkshire who have Jeffrey Boakye as a teacher. That comes across very clearly in this book - Boakye is a teacher, through and through. He simplifies but never talks down. He has a way of talking about a subject so passionately that you suddenly feel passionate about it too. That's a real skill, and Boakye has managed to capture it on paper with this book. These chapters are punctuated by a new feature – Sound Bites – an array of short stories concerning well-known music-makers which further reinforce the assertions made in previous volumes. Pupils could create their own “musical truths”– projects that combine music to define their place and space in the world, and words to capture their voice in society. Boakye is a special talent and Musical Truth is a special book… [it] deserves to be read widely.’ Books for Keeps
Sonny’s Lettah by Linton Kwesi Johnson could be used in a range of lessons – from literacy in KS3, KS4 poetry studies or PSHE. The text could be used as an interesting and more extreme counterpoint to Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka – written a generation earlier; which might further inspire pupils to think about they would express their own experiences in the 2020s. Compiled by Mark Devlin, this two hour sonic journey brings the TCATC story to life with a selection of the music that was around during the book’s timeframe, and interspersed with news footage, radio station recordings and other relevant snippets. To most people, the music industry represents a source of harmless fun and entertainment. Beneath the glossy veneer, however, lies the devastating truth of who really controls these institutions, and the deeply malevolent agendas for which they’re being used.Boakye makes for an excellent guide. At times he recalls how the songs impacted him growing up in London and how they shaped his perception of his identity and at other times he paints broader strokes considering how these songs don't just celebrate but also provide vehicles for discussion and tools for resistance. His style and tone is accessible so much so that much of the text would work in Year 6 and certainly in KS3+ with some care around songs that have explicit lyrics. Personal experiences lived through music often possess a powerful and universal resonance that isn’t always replicated in prose or photography. I often listen to “Musical Youth”, a segment in Trevor Nelson’s Rhythm Nation, in which people describe pivotal points in their life through a song. Even if it’s not a familiar artist or favourite song, the combination of words and period music always seem to evoke technicolour flashes of that time. Our Family Station in St Pancras is open from 10.00-12.00 every Friday and we're continuing to welcome schools, as well as families and adult learners to our courses and access events. All our in-person and livestreamed events are going ahead. Other services Each chapter is about a song and it's historical context. Spanning multiple genres, from ragtime, calypso to grime. The book is almost like a dj set as he gives hints of upcoming songs in following chapters similar to a dj giving you a snippet of what’s to come but in this case with words. Each mention igniting excitement in the reader if they are familiar with the song. The manipulations run so deep, however, that the full story couldn’t be told in just that first book. Here, in Volume 2, he continues to guide readers through the dark labyrinth of machinations.
A breakdown of “wha gwan” (in the verbiage of ‘Top Boy’) with my various activities at the moment – my recent home move (again!); my upcoming trips to Las Vegas and Australia; the imminent release of my allegorical novel ‘The Gift & The Curse’; the walking tours of Oxford I plan to organise around it; the 10th anniversary shows for The Sound of Freedom, and the offer of The MD Archives. For those who don't know me, let me clarify: I am white. Therefore, I can't testify to the #OwnVoices factor of this book particularly since I don't feel that it is my place - but I can tell you that it's obvious this book has been written with every ounce of Jeffrey Boakye's heart and soul. He writes from his experiences, from his family's experiences - and his heartfelt tone shows, loud and clear. Musical Truth is a textually useful impetus to add bite to review writing and ARC-style literacy units in KS3. There is a lot of potential to provoke talk, both in the classroom and at home, by using the format developed in this book. For example, pupils might discuss the music that reflects their social history and circumstances with classmates, older siblings, or vertical tutor groups. At home, there’s the potential for intergenerational involvement – comparing the music that defined the teenage years of their parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. Musical Truth Volume 3’ completes club and radio DJ-turned author/ researcher Mark Devlin’s trilogy of books exposing the REAL nature of the corporate music industry and those that populate it.
The Sound of Now
Using music to transport the writer and reader to a particular atmosphere or time in their life is an interesting device to explore with teens in KS4. Aware that an era – their formal schooling – is ending, there is already an almost timetabled period of reflection that could be used to capture thoughts, writing and media that define their lives and experiences. And it’s not just music that could be included – with the wealth of media, clips, videos, TikTok’s, podcasts, samples, imagery and archival material on the internet; today’s teens could define their lives in immersive, permanent and multimedia ways.
Gonna have to be brutally honest about this because it’s marketed at 12+. I’ve given a 1 because I thought the illustrations were interesting - would have been nice in colour but it gave the chapters a bit more life.When words fail, music speaks. Pure positive vibrations from the lyrics and overall feel of these powerful tunes. I hope listeners get as much inspiration from these multi-generational songs as I have in these past few months. It’s an emotional journey.
Young people need to be able to honestly express their fears and their thoughts and their reactions. And as a teacher you can’t just leave that to random chat in the playground—you actually have to create spaces where you can talk about these things”
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Oxford, England, and the respectable facade of the City of Dreaming Spires is being shattered by a series of brutal murders. In his groundbreaking book Musical Truth, DJ-turned author/ researcher Mark Devlin showed how the true nature of the corporate music industry tells a very different story to what’s conveyed on its glossy, glamorous surface. Crucially, Volume 2 reminds readers of how the music industry’s activities form only one small part of what’s really going on in this reality, and how the power to bring it all to an end lies with us and us alone. It always has. We’ve just been programmed to forget. The book ends on an inspirational note, revealing some spiritual and metaphysical truths that have been hidden from humanity for so long, but which, it turns out, a handful of visionary songwriters seem to have cryptically encoded into their songs. Thanks to the Musical Truth "Playlist", I rediscovered music I'd heard before but not known the artist or title of. I also discovered completely new songs, artists and genres of music. There were a few I already knew well, but not that many. I definitely enjoyed every song mentioned.
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