And the conference call for papers is now also on the website of UCL’s arts and humanities faculty. www.ucl.ac.uk/arts-humanit...

Calling all fellow academics in music and/or (sub-)Arctic area studies! The call for papers for the Music in the (sub-)Arctic conference is now open. click on the link for more information: www.music.ox.ac.uk/event/26-09-...

Getting ready for the Cultural Studies Conference in Turku (Finland) tomorrow, where my colleague Dalva and I will present on Finland’s greatest gifts to the world: metal music and sauna’s.

No-one told me toddlers would be so funny (at times). There’s a man in the street outside our house getting ready for a bike ride. Lycra gear and all. I ask the little one, ‘where do you think the man will cycle to? Toddler (very confidently): playgroup

'people who are multilingual are half as likely to show signs of accelerated biological ageing than are those who speak just one language.' Good thing that schools, universities and governments are so actively promoting modern languages then, isn't it? 1/2

Decorated my office with some essential paraphernalia, a live laugh love sign.

There's still some time to sign up for this one day seminar all about music from Finland, Karelia, and the Meänkieli. Join us in person or online for, what is promising to be, a very interesting afternoon. Fyi, light refreshments are included if you join in-person. www.music.ox.ac.uk/event/music-...

Academia is all about peer-reviewed journal articles, but they never get a nice lay-out like this. I did a short writeup of my current research project for my Faculty’s annual magazine. Background pictures were kindly provided Pekka Laukkanen.

My toddler just called a barbecue a ‘barky-boo’. The joys of toddler vocabulary.

Typo of the day ‘martial’ instead of ‘marital’. Make of that what you will.

As part of my project, I'm hosting a one-day event about music from Finland, Karelia, and the Meänkieli with some excellent speakers. The event will take place on October 14 and will be hybrid. You can book tickets here: www.oxforduniversitystores.co.uk/product-cata...

Russia’s satanic panic continues www.thetimes.com/world/russia...

Ozzy Osbourne (1948-2025), the boy from Aston who became a legend. When I was young, the local classic rock radio station played Black Sabbath’s Fluff every midnight. I remember long trips in the car, half asleep, but when Fluff came on, the volume was turned up. Thanks for the memories, Ozzy.

This portrayal of Oxford university is so bad, it’s actually kind of funny. youtu.be/EKQPCiUSRAo?...

Shameless money grab or not, the blending (pun intended) of the traditionally hyperfeminine (make up) with the hypermasculine (metal music) can only be a positive, indicating how gender identities are becoming increasingly more fluid.

Finland’s largest lake, Saimaa, comes up frequently in my research as metal bands refer to it for album and song titles as well as in lyrics. After having spent a week and a half on the shores of lake Saimaa, it’s easy to see why the lake is so inspiring.

There’s one thing I really appreciate about The Guardian. Their ability to choose the most unflattering pictures of Musk and Trump.

We're inviting expressions of interest from postdoctoral and completing graduate scholars who wish to apply for the British Academy (BA) Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme to start their project in 2026. @oxhumanities.bsky.social Find out more 👇

Just arrived in Spain for the biannual ismms conference where I'll be presenting on Friday on recurring themes in lyrics by bands from Finnish Karelia and the Republic of Karelia in Russia. The lyrics are often about history, folklore, nature, and belonging, with a connection to Karelia.

Men are extremely keen to explain to me that Britain *needs* a domestic steel production plant and doesn't necessarily *need* universities. Okay. Steel contributed about £1.7bn to the UK economy in 2024. Universities contributed more than £200bn.

It always brings me a little bit of joy when I make a typo that looks like it could be a word. Today’s typo that could be a word: ‘backbear’ instead of ‘backbeat’.

It’s my one year work anniversary today and my furry assistant has decided to finally show up and do some work.

Things no one tells you when you have a baby: during the toddler stage, they’ll sabotage all appliances with buttons and switches when you’re not looking making you think the appliance is broken. But no, it was just toddler sabotage.

Rumour has it that this entrance to St Edward’s Church in Stow-on-the-Wold inspired Tolkien for the doors of Moria. True or not, it is a fantastical place to visit.

I’ve said it on here before and I will say it again: the fact that Elon Musk is still a fellow of the Royal Society continues to make a mockery of the institution.

🎹Oxford @ox.ac.uk @madshaahr.bsky.social @hauntedplanet.com

People always ask why I learned Finnish as a Dutch person. Well it’s for these rare moments when a song uses both Dutch and Finnish of course! Bonus points for it not being my style of music at all youtu.be/5BmUrlQZDok?...

Extended deadline: February 15th 2025! The Past, the Present and the Future of Popular Music Research in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe IASPM CESE 1st international conference, 11–12.09.2025 Kraków, Poland See more: www.iaspm-dach.net/blog/2024/12...

Please sign this petition to save Cardiff’s school of music. Why is it always the humanities that face these kind of problems? (Rhetorical question) chng.it/R9G5S6nzwr

Are you a #musician, #musiceducator, #musicologist, or a music #professor or #researcher? Please fill out this brief survey and tell us how we can deliver print and digital resources that meet your needs! survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90717498/...

No notes.

I do think it’s super important right now and in the foreseeable future to really value moments of joy and to be intentional about making as many of them as you can

Anyone on here also using Pixelfed? Come find me there! pixelfed.social/Oxford-knitter

Europe has a message for Elmo.

Without downloading any pics, where are you at mentally?

One of the things I love so much about working at a music faculty: you never know what instruments you’ll come across in someone’s office.

yle.fi/a/74-20138247 I tried this myself too: Instagram doesn't anymore give search results with tags like #democrat or #obama etc. It appears that the tech bros have gotten into fascism mode.

If you don’t fancy watching the Inauguration tonight we are showing 24 hours in police custody at the same time which we aren’t saying is connected in any way shape or form…

When your co-editor takes their job a little too seriously. Although, since this is for an edited volume about the omnipresence of cats in culture, society, literature, and history, it seems fitting that my cat decided to interfere exactly when I started editing today.

My Christmas break has started so no more work stuff. Instead, I’m taking care of my little one and figuring out more ways to ruin bananas for her. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Please sign if you’re in the UK and support trans kids

Today is Finland’s Independence Day: Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää Suomi! As the promised land of metal music, it would be amiss not to share some Finnish metal with you. Here’s one of my favourites: youtu.be/44XsqXyv0-g?...

“The focus of the Fund will shift to core science, with the humanities and social sciences panels disbanded and no longer supported.” Governance by comments section. My heart goes out to all my NZ academics, and to Australians, do not think this can’t happen here.

Please sign! Why? See my previous post. Also, my body my choice. I say this as someone who has experienced infertility and miscarriage and I still support the right to choose 100% petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...

A good article that links abortion to trans rights. The @theguardian.com actually making the connection with bodily autonomy. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The Scottish tracker for its beautifully named gritters brings me joy every icy day. www.traffic.gov.scot/gritter-trac...

The fact that Elon Musk is still a fellow of the Royal Society makes a mockery out of that Society. Dorothy Bishop, the fellow who resigned out of protest, is absolutely right that Musk broke the Society’s code. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...

So I’m not really one for metal band shirts or hoodies, but I love me a good tote bag. I have quite a few by now but this is my favourite, combining cute things with metal. I love seeing the cognitive dissonance on people’s faces when they first see the unicorn and rainbow and then read the text.