Hope
University prepared me with the skills to create my own business
Melissa Davis (USA) (Alumni of the MA Beatles, Popular Music and
Society course)
I fell in love with the Beatles on February 9, 1964 when
they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show for the first time, and they became an
important part of my life – my fiancé and I even changed our wedding date so
that we could see Wings! So, when the MA course was announced, it was something
I instantly wanted to do. Had I known how many applicants there would be from
all over the world, I might have thought twice about applying, so I was
delighted to be accepted.
It was a wonderful experience to study the Beatles in their
hometown, to see what they had seen, of course, but also just to get to know
Liverpudlians on an everyday basis – grocery shopping, going to the post
office, celebrating Christmas… becoming a part of life in the city.
Dr. Brocken divided the course into what we would call
classes in the US, but are modules dealing with research, musicology, history
and context. Any expectation that we would be sitting around in pubs swapping
stories about the Fab Four were quickly dispelled as we did intensive reading,
research and writing in each of those areas of study. The tutorials were
invaluable opportunities to go deeper into a subject, get assistance when
needed (semiotic musical analysis!), clarify and focus research. I can honestly
say that much of the reading was every bit as challenging as any class I had in
law school and just as rewarding.
Melissa Davis now runs the Beatle Works Ltd which is
a unique publishing house provoking scholarly
research and writing on the impact of The Beatles on music, culture and
society.
To find about more about the MA "Beatles, Popular Music and Society", Liverpool Hope University Music
Department or other courses on offer, visit us at www.hope.ac.uk
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