Dan Elphick
@danelphick.bsky.social
Music Lecturer at RHUL, working on music history and analysis, and Slavic studies. Also a runner and TU organiser (@rhucu.bsky.social). Listen to Shostakovich. I wrote a book on Weinberg: https://tinyurl.com/5xs2h82h
https://danielelphick.co.uk
https://danielelphick.co.uk
Reposted by Dan Elphick
I *still* believe that the BBC is excellent, despite its ever growing list of flaws.
*When* it's sold off for parts future generations won't know what they missed
*When* it's sold off for parts future generations won't know what they missed
There are many subtle and complex arguments one can have about the future of the BBC — but I guarantee you that no other channel or streaming service will be as committed to factual programming, children’s education, history shows, religious discussion, poetry, arts, or state of the nation debate
November 10, 2025 at 3:54 PM
I *still* believe that the BBC is excellent, despite its ever growing list of flaws.
*When* it's sold off for parts future generations won't know what they missed
*When* it's sold off for parts future generations won't know what they missed
Reposted by Dan Elphick
The Today Programme.
November 10, 2025 at 8:06 AM
The Today Programme.
Reposted by Dan Elphick
A university without arts and languages is not a university.
Well this is awful news: tinyurl.com/yr65mjkx
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
Music and modern languages courses suspended at University of Nottingham
In a statement the institution also says it is
www.bbc.co.uk
November 7, 2025 at 4:18 PM
A university without arts and languages is not a university.
Reposted by Dan Elphick
PETITION HERE: Stop the suspension of undergraduate music courses at The University of Nottingham @uniofnottingham.bsky.social www.change.org/p/stop-the-s...
Sign the Petition
Stop the suspension of undergraduate music courses at The University of Nottingham
www.change.org
November 7, 2025 at 12:26 PM
PETITION HERE: Stop the suspension of undergraduate music courses at The University of Nottingham @uniofnottingham.bsky.social www.change.org/p/stop-the-s...
Reposted by Dan Elphick
Horrific, stupid news from @uniofnottingham.bsky.social — they are closing their music department. Apparently they all found out suddently in a meeting yesterday.
It is one of the best music departments in the country — solidarity with my colleagues and their students
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
It is one of the best music departments in the country — solidarity with my colleagues and their students
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Music and modern languages courses suspended at University of Nottingham
In a statement the institution also says it is
www.bbc.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Horrific, stupid news from @uniofnottingham.bsky.social — they are closing their music department. Apparently they all found out suddently in a meeting yesterday.
It is one of the best music departments in the country — solidarity with my colleagues and their students
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
It is one of the best music departments in the country — solidarity with my colleagues and their students
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Dan Elphick
Gonna need someone to check the dictionary definition of 'to pre-empt' because what else is this but pre-empting the decision of Council?
You'd hope those Council members don't appreciate having their hands tied like this. Because this is proper governance failure.
You'd hope those Council members don't appreciate having their hands tied like this. Because this is proper governance failure.
November 6, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Gonna need someone to check the dictionary definition of 'to pre-empt' because what else is this but pre-empting the decision of Council?
You'd hope those Council members don't appreciate having their hands tied like this. Because this is proper governance failure.
You'd hope those Council members don't appreciate having their hands tied like this. Because this is proper governance failure.
Reposted by Dan Elphick
Only a few years ago @uniofnottingham.bsky.social liked to call themselves "Britain's global university". What kind of global institution stops teaching languages?
Well this is awful news: tinyurl.com/yr65mjkx
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
Music and modern languages courses suspended at University of Nottingham
In a statement the institution also says it is
www.bbc.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Only a few years ago @uniofnottingham.bsky.social liked to call themselves "Britain's global university". What kind of global institution stops teaching languages?
Reposted by Dan Elphick
Even the BBC disapproves...
November 6, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Even the BBC disapproves...
Reposted by Dan Elphick
Wrote about this slow, miserable drift away from modern languages for @thenewworldmag.bsky.social last year.
This week's curriculum review won't help either.
www.thenewworld.co.uk/losing-the-p...
This week's curriculum review won't help either.
www.thenewworld.co.uk/losing-the-p...
November 6, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Wrote about this slow, miserable drift away from modern languages for @thenewworldmag.bsky.social last year.
This week's curriculum review won't help either.
www.thenewworld.co.uk/losing-the-p...
This week's curriculum review won't help either.
www.thenewworld.co.uk/losing-the-p...
Reposted by Dan Elphick
This is dire! We need music. We also (it goes without saying) need modern languages. Music and modern languages were my late father's absolute passions - he taught both, and he'll be turning in his grave.
#Nottingham #NotMusic! #NotModernLanguages!
#Nottingham #NotMusic! #NotModernLanguages!
Well this is awful news: tinyurl.com/yr65mjkx
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
Music and modern languages courses suspended at University of Nottingham
In a statement the institution also says it is
www.bbc.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 12:10 PM
This is dire! We need music. We also (it goes without saying) need modern languages. Music and modern languages were my late father's absolute passions - he taught both, and he'll be turning in his grave.
#Nottingham #NotMusic! #NotModernLanguages!
#Nottingham #NotMusic! #NotModernLanguages!
Reposted by Dan Elphick
...Just... woah. My musician dad and uncle got their music degrees from Nottingham 65 years ago. It's a department with a long and proud history. Awful news.
Well this is awful news: tinyurl.com/yr65mjkx
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
Music and modern languages courses suspended at University of Nottingham
In a statement the institution also says it is
www.bbc.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 11:52 AM
...Just... woah. My musician dad and uncle got their music degrees from Nottingham 65 years ago. It's a department with a long and proud history. Awful news.
Well this is awful news: tinyurl.com/yr65mjkx
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
Music and modern languages courses suspended at University of Nottingham
In a statement the institution also says it is
www.bbc.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Well this is awful news: tinyurl.com/yr65mjkx
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
Reposted by Dan Elphick
I tend to agree with this. If AI works like its cheerleaders claim/hope it will - replacing whole swathes of human labour - then they need a real economic plan for dealing with the consequences of that. This can only mean heavily redistributing the profits.
you either need universal basic income for humans or you must limit the use of Gen AI in such a way that humans aren’t radically impoverished as a result.
you cannot have both, both for morality reasons and also because this is the kind of thing that can result in globally-nightmarish conflict.
you cannot have both, both for morality reasons and also because this is the kind of thing that can result in globally-nightmarish conflict.
This seems more like an argument for universal basic income than for limiting technology. (I think both are probably futile in the current political environment, but I’d prefer the latter.)
November 2, 2025 at 5:13 PM
I tend to agree with this. If AI works like its cheerleaders claim/hope it will - replacing whole swathes of human labour - then they need a real economic plan for dealing with the consequences of that. This can only mean heavily redistributing the profits.
Reposted by Dan Elphick
“The researchers aim to show that the ‘inevitability’ of AI is just a marketing frame perpetrated by the industry and that pushback is a lot more possible than we often see.” Yes!
‘Study after study shows that students want to develop these critical thinking skills, are not lazy, and large numbers of them would be in favor of banning ChatGPT and similar tools in universities’, says @olivia.science www.ru.nl/en/research/...
‘Opposing the inevitability of AI at universities is possible and necessary’ | Radboud University
Since the widespread release of ChatGPT in December of 2022, AI has taken over much of the world by storm – including academia. Most of this happened with very little pushback, despite a myriad of iss...
www.ru.nl
November 2, 2025 at 8:07 AM
“The researchers aim to show that the ‘inevitability’ of AI is just a marketing frame perpetrated by the industry and that pushback is a lot more possible than we often see.” Yes!
Reposted by Dan Elphick
Statement on the Proposed Cancellation of the Initial Teacher Training Bursary for Music
https://www.rma.ac.uk/2025/10/31/statement-on-the-proposed-cancellation-of-the-initial-teacher-training-bursary-for-music/
https://www.rma.ac.uk/2025/10/31/statement-on-the-proposed-cancellation-of-the-initial-teacher-training-bursary-for-music/
October 31, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Statement on the Proposed Cancellation of the Initial Teacher Training Bursary for Music
https://www.rma.ac.uk/2025/10/31/statement-on-the-proposed-cancellation-of-the-initial-teacher-training-bursary-for-music/
https://www.rma.ac.uk/2025/10/31/statement-on-the-proposed-cancellation-of-the-initial-teacher-training-bursary-for-music/
Reposted by Dan Elphick
University of Glasgow Research Colloquia in Music
Glasgow hosts a series of colloquia on behalf of the Royal Musical Association featuring national and international guest speakers, along with staff and postgraduate students.
Glasgow hosts a series of colloquia on behalf of the Royal Musical Association featuring national and international guest speakers, along with staff and postgraduate students.
October 31, 2025 at 11:17 AM
University of Glasgow Research Colloquia in Music
Glasgow hosts a series of colloquia on behalf of the Royal Musical Association featuring national and international guest speakers, along with staff and postgraduate students.
Glasgow hosts a series of colloquia on behalf of the Royal Musical Association featuring national and international guest speakers, along with staff and postgraduate students.
Reposted by Dan Elphick
The tech right is at once obsessed with Tolkien and utterly unable to comprehend what his books are actually about
October 29, 2025 at 2:03 PM
The tech right is at once obsessed with Tolkien and utterly unable to comprehend what his books are actually about
On the train on my way into town for this. Looking forward to a day of great papers!
Very excited for this Saturday, hosting the 2025 Conference for the Slavonic And East European Music Study Group (SEEM) of @basees.bsky.social! Very much looking forward to welcoming brilliant researchers to Royal Holloway and sharing our beautiful central London campus.
October 25, 2025 at 7:25 AM
On the train on my way into town for this. Looking forward to a day of great papers!
Reposted by Dan Elphick
Overcrowded lectures. Growing admin. Unpredictable numbers.
On LBC last night, Jo Grady spoke about how higher education workloads are becoming inherently stressful.
This ballot is our chance to say: enough.
Vote YES for manageable workloads and fair pay.
#WeAreTheUniversity #UCU
On LBC last night, Jo Grady spoke about how higher education workloads are becoming inherently stressful.
This ballot is our chance to say: enough.
Vote YES for manageable workloads and fair pay.
#WeAreTheUniversity #UCU
October 24, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Overcrowded lectures. Growing admin. Unpredictable numbers.
On LBC last night, Jo Grady spoke about how higher education workloads are becoming inherently stressful.
This ballot is our chance to say: enough.
Vote YES for manageable workloads and fair pay.
#WeAreTheUniversity #UCU
On LBC last night, Jo Grady spoke about how higher education workloads are becoming inherently stressful.
This ballot is our chance to say: enough.
Vote YES for manageable workloads and fair pay.
#WeAreTheUniversity #UCU
Reposted by Dan Elphick
Yet again, we can't afford to let LLMs become a source of epistemic grounding for society.
Largest study of its kind shows AI assistants misrepresent news content 45% of the time – regardless of language or territory
An intensive international study was coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and led by the BBC
www.bbc.co.uk
October 24, 2025 at 5:21 AM
Yet again, we can't afford to let LLMs become a source of epistemic grounding for society.
Reposted by Dan Elphick
After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
October 22, 2025 at 7:55 AM
After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
Annnd into work for 8am, ready for a 12-hour day (finishing around 8pm). Two lectures, office hours, meetings, emails, some actual writing (!), but, most (genuinely) exciting of all -
SMA seminar this evening, starting 6pm UK time: I'm joining an online panel analysing Schnittke's Third Quartet!
SMA seminar this evening, starting 6pm UK time: I'm joining an online panel analysing Schnittke's Third Quartet!
October 23, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Annnd into work for 8am, ready for a 12-hour day (finishing around 8pm). Two lectures, office hours, meetings, emails, some actual writing (!), but, most (genuinely) exciting of all -
SMA seminar this evening, starting 6pm UK time: I'm joining an online panel analysing Schnittke's Third Quartet!
SMA seminar this evening, starting 6pm UK time: I'm joining an online panel analysing Schnittke's Third Quartet!
Very excited for this Saturday, hosting the 2025 Conference for the Slavonic And East European Music Study Group (SEEM) of @basees.bsky.social! Very much looking forward to welcoming brilliant researchers to Royal Holloway and sharing our beautiful central London campus.
October 21, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Very excited for this Saturday, hosting the 2025 Conference for the Slavonic And East European Music Study Group (SEEM) of @basees.bsky.social! Very much looking forward to welcoming brilliant researchers to Royal Holloway and sharing our beautiful central London campus.
My recent approach, once I can tell that something is AI written:
"If you can't be bothered to write it, I won't bother to read it."
Reading (especially non-fiction) is an act of trust between the reader and the author. Yes, even work emails, blogs, reports, etc.
"If you can't be bothered to write it, I won't bother to read it."
Reading (especially non-fiction) is an act of trust between the reader and the author. Yes, even work emails, blogs, reports, etc.
October 21, 2025 at 8:51 AM
My recent approach, once I can tell that something is AI written:
"If you can't be bothered to write it, I won't bother to read it."
Reading (especially non-fiction) is an act of trust between the reader and the author. Yes, even work emails, blogs, reports, etc.
"If you can't be bothered to write it, I won't bother to read it."
Reading (especially non-fiction) is an act of trust between the reader and the author. Yes, even work emails, blogs, reports, etc.
Reposted by Dan Elphick
"The AI Revolution has started" declares a lady on LinkedIn. "Welcome to the AI Age. How does that make you feel?"
It makes me feel that people who have invested an awful lot of money in a very dodgy and unethical technology are starting worry that 'Fetch' simply won't happen.
It makes me feel that people who have invested an awful lot of money in a very dodgy and unethical technology are starting worry that 'Fetch' simply won't happen.
October 14, 2025 at 11:42 AM
"The AI Revolution has started" declares a lady on LinkedIn. "Welcome to the AI Age. How does that make you feel?"
It makes me feel that people who have invested an awful lot of money in a very dodgy and unethical technology are starting worry that 'Fetch' simply won't happen.
It makes me feel that people who have invested an awful lot of money in a very dodgy and unethical technology are starting worry that 'Fetch' simply won't happen.