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James Dean

Dr James Dean

I am the Suite Lead for Music, having responsibility for the Commercial Music, Creative Music Production & Technology and BA Music courses.

I am the Suite Lead for Music, having responsibility for the Commercial Music, Creative Music Production & Technology and BA Music courses. Previously, I was the Programme Director for the Commercial Music course, a role which I held for fifteen years. I am a guitarist primarily specialising in pop, blues, rock, soul, funk and jazz but also compose in jazz and fusion styles . Some of my playing and composition work can be viewed on Instagram, and heard on Bandcamp and Spotify.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesdeanguitar/reels/

Bandcamp  (original album Here and Now): https://jamesdean3.bandcamp.com/album/here-and-now

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6JGOpkqJhi3bmnTM3SYo8a?si=edd81432dd8c4c6c&nd=1&dlsi=5828ed7ed67145db

As a guitarist I have performed with artists of national and international standing and I regularly perform with a range of Kent based bands and artists. Some performance highlights include performing at the Indigo2 at the O2 arena supporting the band Chic and recently playing on a mini-tour with American soul singer and house artist, Marc Evans – a series of gigs which focussed on the work of vocalist Jon Lucien, which also featured Andrew McGuinness on drums (James Taylor Quartet) and Snowboy on percussion (Lisa Stansfield, Amy Winehouse amongst others). Some other musicians I have performed with include Paul Booth (Steve Winwood, Santana, Steely Dan, Eric Clapton), Noel McCalla (Manfred Mann), Simon Foster (Flying Pickets, Arcadia, Thunderthumbs), Steve Hamilton (Bill Bruford's Earthworks, Billy Cobham) and Gary Barnacle (Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Phil Collins).

Before working full time for the University I was active as a guitar arranger/transcriber most notably for Music Sales. A selection of the works I transcribed are listed below:

Jeff Buckley - Grace and other songs

U2 – All that you can't leave behind

Nick Drake - Way to blue: an Introduction to Nick Drake

Oasis - Standing on the shoulders of giants

The Stereophonics – Performance and cocktails

Iron Maiden – Brave New World

My teaching responsibilities have included modules in performance, independent projects, (electric) guitar tuition at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, notation and music theory, improvisation, jazz, and popular musicology.

I completed my PhD 'Fretboard Navigation Strategies in Jazz Guitar Improvisation: Theory and Practice' in November 2023 (University of Surrey).

My thesis can be accessed here:

https://openresearch.surrey.ac.uk/esploro/outputs/doctoral/Fretboard-Navigation-Strategies-in-Jazz-Guitar/99862966302346

As well as my professional practice as a guitarist academic publications include:

‘The Vanishing Stave?: considering the value of traditional notation skills in undergraduate popular music performance degrees.’ Book chapter in the Bloomsbury Handbook of Popular Music Education (2019).https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/bloomsbury-handbook-of-popular-music-education-9781350049413/ 

Pat Metheny’s finger routes: the role of muscle memory in guitar improvisation, Jazz Perspectives, (2014)https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17494060.2014.960070

During 2023-24 I am an HE Panel member for Music to advise on the development of reformed BTEC qualifications for Pearson.

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).

I have been an external examiner and validation panel member for a number of Universities and HE providers, listed below:

Sept 2019 – Oct 2023: External Examiner MMus Popular Music Performance, Institute of Contemporary Music Performance

Sept 2018 - July 2022: External Examiner for BA Commercial Music Performance and Production, University of South Wales
Sept 2013 – July 2017: External Examiner for BA in Popular Music Performance, University of Chester

July 2012 – July 2017: External Examiner for FdA Commercial Music Performance and Production, Truro and Penwith College, validated by Plymouth University

May 2012: External Adviser for BMus (Hons), ICMP (Institute of Contemporary Music Performance), validated by University of East London

Nov 2011 – Nov 2015: External Examiner for FdA Popular Musician, British Academy of New Music, validated by Westminster University

Feb 2011: External Assessor for FdA Creative Musicianship (Songwriting) validation event at ICMP (Institute of Contemporary Music Performance), validated by Middlesex University.