Searching for Sophia in Music Production Education – an analysis on the description of the ‘Swedish Music Wonder’ in Swedish music business press during the magic years in the 1980´s and 90´s
In this paper we primarily focus on the media coverage of Denniz PoP in the 1980´s and 90´s. The empirical source material includes: Musikermagasinet[1985-2000], Musikindustrin[1998-2002], Schlager[1980-1985], Showtime[1981-1990], SKAP-Nytt[1990-2000], Slitz[1986-1996] and STIM-Magasinet[1980-2000]. The results of the analysis indicate that the Swedish music business press had an indifferent attitude towards the music production of Denniz PoP [Dag Volle, 1963–1998] during his productive years. Despite his international success, the coverage of Denniz PoP was noticeably lacking in Swedish music media during his lifetime. However, that started to change after he died in 1998. The results also indicate that the ´Swedish Music Wonder´ was accomplished through dedication and hard work on a long-term basis in a delimited network of music entrepreneurs who worked in the shadow of media exposure. They started up various projects, headhunted young, creative and talented musicians and DJ´s, brought the most skilled ones in, trained them in a kind of informal master and apprentice-practice, and then started up new projects all over again. Formal music education does not appear to have been a vital criterion in the music business of the day. Instead, skillfulness in teambuilding and networking was important success factors. Finally, the analysis indicates that some of the most vital creators of the ´Swedish Music Wonder´ are almost totally absent in the Swedish music business press from the period examined. That includes the music entrepreneur and businessman Tom Talomaa (b. 1954), who – apart from owning important music clubs and restaurants – was, and still is, an exclusive business partner with first Denniz PoP, and then Max Martin, co-owning the highly successful music production companies Cheiron and Maratone. In this project: Searching for Sophia [Wisdom] in Music Production Education, a team of researchers study formal and informal learning processes in music production.
J-O Gullö & David Thyrén
Department of Music and Media Production & Music Education
Royal College of Music in Stockholm
ARP & Berklee College of Music, Boston , 2019.