Live Music in Oxford

As discussed in one of our previous blog posts entitled 'Musical Talent in Oxford', not only is Oxford home to some of the world's most most influential academics, it has also been, and continues to be, the breeding ground for some of the UK's greatest musical acts.

If you are an avid fan of live music, there are a number of venues that are surely worth a visit. For the bigger names head to the O2 Academy, 20 minutes walk from OISE Oxford. If you prefer a more local vibe there are many places to visit near to the centre, including The Cape of Good Hope, The Bookbinders and The Jericho Tavern.

Photo: Jonquil, one of Oxford's newest up and coming bands

For a list of some of the gigs taking place this week, check out Oxford Daily Info.

Jam, Joy and Traffic

Traffic jams come in all shapes sizes and are one of the most frustrating parts of life on earth. The average Brit spends an astonishing 8 months in traffic. There's only so much 'I spy with my little eye' one can play to quell this irritation. But alas, the OISE Oxford office have some great ideas to help ease the pain. Please note that these activities are strictly for non-drivers.

While away the time with a book - the Harry Potter series should keep you going for a while. Other top sellers at the moment include 'Bring up the Bodies' by Hilary Mantel, 'Sweet Tooth' by Ian McEwan, and Yann Martel's 'Life of Pi'!

Download Whatsapp and spend the spare minutes/hours being in touch with friends and family around the world at zero cost. Whatsapp also offers the opportunity to send photographs - you can keep your friends entertained with various traffic images!

Finally, log on to Itunes and get some decent music on your smart phone. There's all sorts you can listen to. Click here to read up on some of the up and coming Oxford acts!

Digital Media - The Way Forward?

Fact: Vinyl, tapes, cassettes, discs and mini-discs are slowly becoming extinct. Who needs them when you can simply download whatever kind of media you need online. Obviously some of the older stuff is harder to get hold of, but you can bet your bottom dollar that if they're not available online already, even your dad's most boring black and white films will soon be uploaded.

The big worry is that people are downloading media illegally (i.e. not paying) and then you have the obvious knock on effects of this resulting in less money for everyone involved in the industry. But as Internet controls becomes more advanced, it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to get away with illegally downloading media. Only in 2011, British student Richard O'Dywer was extradited to the US for hosting a website which provided links to downloadable pirated films and TV shows. This sent a clear message that things were tightening up.

With increased Internet controls and harsher punishments for those involved, the public are now starting to think twice about download illegally. This change in mindset, along with the extinction of physical media, is being reflected in the increased sales of digital media. 'In 2012, digital sales increased by 11%, breaking the £1 billion barrier.'1

As we all know, YouTube is a great resource, and legal, too! The advertising is getting a little aggressive, but still, it's free, and with '48 hours of video uploaded every minute, resulting in nearly 8 years of content uploaded every day',2 there's myriad songs and videos available.

Listening to music is a great way to improve one's language skills. Even if you don't recognise/understand all of the words, it's a great way to get used to their different sounds. There are thousands of songs with subtitles on YouTube, too. So if you're a foreign language learner, why don't you give it a go? 5 minutes combining language learning with pleasure. 

Here's one for all of you English learners out there:

Musical talent in Oxford!

Oxford is best known for being home to arguably the world's most influential and respected university. In addition to the University there is also a fantastic selection of high achieving schools and colleges in and around the area. Throughout the year, and especially during the summer months, the streets throng with scores of tourists that flock to soak up the city and all its charm.

These days, however, academic success is not the only thing Oxford is known for. There are also an increasing number of musical acts that are becoming more and more well-known, not only by an audience in the UK, but also on an international level.

Following a 15-20 year hiatus, since the days when Radiohead and Supergrass were appearing on the scene, there is now a new generation of Oxford bred musicians clawing their way into the mainstream. Some of these acts include the Foals, Jonquil and the Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (A.K.A. TEED). You may recognise TEED's track 'Garden' from the recent Nokia Lumia Advert. Click on the picture below for a listen: