About

I am a PhD candidate at the Institute of Communications Studies, University of Leeds. My thesis research focuses on critical theories of gift giving, their relationship to music piracy and the ways in which this relationship may/may not present a challenge both to the music industry and to how we conceive of the exchange of cultural products. This project forms a part of my wider interest in popular music studies, ICTs, and critical/cultural theory. I have taught popular music history at Dalhousie University and political economy of the media at McMaster University, both in Canada. I am also an accomplished professional guitarist, with two independently released albums to my name. I’ve performed with a variety of groups in the UK, US and Canada.