In this online panel, BA (Hons) Music Industries course director’s Dr Matt Grimes and Dr Iain Taylor, talk with 3rd year Music Industries and Media and Communications students Simone Barton and Jess Hammond. Partly inspired by their interaction with the 3rd year workshop module ‘DiY Music Cultures’, Simone and Jess share their experiences of, and reasons for, producing and self publishing ‘zines that highlight and tackle issues around inclusion/exclusion and diversity in contemporary music scenes and subcultures.

Dr Matt Grimes is the BA (Hons) Music Industries course director and Gen Sec of the Punk Scholars Network. He has published work on subjects covering punk ‘zines, anarcho-punk and DiY punk scenes, punk pedagogy and music entrepreneurship.

Dr Iain Taylor is the BA (Hons) Music Industries deputy course director. He has published work on subjects as music materiality and curation, music entrepreneurship, punk pedagogy and Covid-19 and the UK Live Music Industry.

Simone Barton is a final year Music Industries student. She is also the author, producer and publisher of ’Tear It Down’, a ‘zine which celebrates the misfits of rock and metal music cultures (i.e. POC, women, and the LGBTQ+ community). She is also a music journalist, writing for music blogs such as Turn It Up Louder and The Alt Club.

Jess Hammond is a final year Media and Communications student with a passion for all things music related. As an adopted Brummie, she has immersed herself in the city’s vibrant and dynamic independent music scene here, grounding herself in the heart of Lower Trinity Street in Digbeth at The Night Owl venue. Her self-produced and self-published zine 'Change the Record' explores the relationship between disabilities, accessibility, and the live music industry.