Sonny’s Lettah by Linton Kwesi Johnson could be used in a range of lessons – from literacy in KS3, KS4 poetry studies or PSHE. The text could be used as an interesting and more extreme counterpoint to Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka – written a generation earlier; which might further inspire pupils to think about they would express their own experiences in the 2020s.

Imagine you are a psychopath for a minute (for one out of ten of us, no imagination is needed). Now imagine you have a lifestyle beyond wealth and recognizable luxury. You live in a reality where you have access to technology and information that very few are privy to. You are truly special among billions. You pay servants (corporate CEOs, Managers, etc...) of all sorts to carry out all of your directives (money is irrelevant to you because you have the power to create money). Alongside your servants you have real slaves that you like having around just because you can; and sometimes you use them for sex or simply torture them to death because those things thrill you. Of course, many of them are children. Musical Truth Volume 3’ completes club and radio DJ-turned author/ researcher Mark Devlin’s trilogy of books exposing the REAL nature of the corporate music industry and those that populate it. Boakye is a special talent and Musical Truth is a special book… [it] deserves to be read widely.’ Books for Keeps You can also still join BIPC events and webinars and access one-to-one support. See what's available at the British Library in St Pancras or online and in person via BIPCs in libraries across London.This book is a fantastic answer to the gap in the educational curriculum in this country. It's not the best answer - it would be wonderful if the information included in this book was much more widely taught and known. But it's at least a start, and hats are off to Jeffrey for making this information so accessible to younger audiences. There are subjects he side-steps quite carefully - eg. the word Dutchie is never explained; also "asking everyone to dismiss the government (using language that I can't repeat here or we'll all get in trouble)." - theses are just a couple of examples which come to mind. This is done carefully and with taste, and honestly if Boakye had included all the details on every subject in the book, then it wouldn't be suitable for young teens after all and the point of the book would have been missed. This book is a heavy subject for any reader, young or old, but it has been carefully written in a way which means young people will be able to read, understand and enjoy it. In his groundbreaking book Musical Truth, DJ-turned author/ researcher Mark Devlin showed how the true nature of the corporate music industry tells a very different story to what’s conveyed on its glossy, glamorous surface.

The manipulations run so deep, however, that the full story couldn’t be told in just that first book. Here, in Volume 2, he continues to guide readers through the dark labyrinth of machinations.We can’t really complain about things like ‘Of Mice and Men’ being read in schools with teachers/students being given a pass to say the n word if we’re going to introduce books like this into schools and continue to perpetuate these oppressive narratives. When words fail, music speaks. Pure positive vibrations from the lyrics and overall feel of these powerful tunes. I hope listeners get as much inspiration from these multi-generational songs as I have in these past few months. It’s an emotional journey. Thorough and inspiring… Not just essential reading for older children and teens (and adults!) but essential listening too.’ BookTrust Personal experiences lived through music often possess a powerful and universal resonance that isn’t always replicated in prose or photography. I often listen to “Musical Youth”, a segment in Trevor Nelson’s Rhythm Nation, in which people describe pivotal points in their life through a song. Even if it’s not a familiar artist or favourite song, the combination of words and period music always seem to evoke technicolour flashes of that time.

All of our upcoming public events and our St Pancras building tours are going ahead. Read our latest blog post about planned events for more information. Using music to transport the writer and reader to a particular atmosphere or time in their life is an interesting device to explore with teens in KS4. Aware that an era – their formal schooling – is ending, there is already an almost timetabled period of reflection that could be used to capture thoughts, writing and media that define their lives and experiences. And it’s not just music that could be included – with the wealth of media, clips, videos, TikTok’s, podcasts, samples, imagery and archival material on the internet; today’s teens could define their lives in immersive, permanent and multimedia ways. For those who don't know me, let me clarify: I am white. Therefore, I can't testify to the #OwnVoices factor of this book particularly since I don't feel that it is my place - but I can tell you that it's obvious this book has been written with every ounce of Jeffrey Boakye's heart and soul. He writes from his experiences, from his family's experiences - and his heartfelt tone shows, loud and clear.TSOF has reached its first decade landmark! From humble beginnings as a show on the doomed The People’s Voice network in October 2013, it has survived the past ten years as pretty much THE only consistent showcase of empowering truth and freedom music for these times. Crucially, Volume 2 reminds readers of how the music industry’s activities form only one small part of what’s really going on in this reality, and how the power to bring it all to an end lies with us and us alone. It always has. We’ve just been programmed to forget. Topher Field, creator of the documentary ‘Official Battleground Melbourne’ also does a great job on the current affairs show The Aussie Wire, and had me on to talk about my Australian speaking tour and other matters.

Pupils could create their own “musical truths”– projects that combine music to define their place and space in the world, and words to capture their voice in society. Musical Truth is a textually useful impetus to add bite to review writing and ARC-style literacy units in KS3. There is a lot of potential to provoke talk, both in the classroom and at home, by using the format developed in this book. For example, pupils might discuss the music that reflects their social history and circumstances with classmates, older siblings, or vertical tutor groups. At home, there’s the potential for intergenerational involvement – comparing the music that defined the teenage years of their parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. Musical Truth is a unique book that could help today’s pupils engage with not just the music of their parents and grandparents, but their histories, experiences and stories. Not only that but there’s an opportunity for pupils to explain their own music as part of a connected and wider social narrative. I have always known music is a great tool to bring people of different communities together and the author Jeffrey Boakye articulates this perfectly.Radio reporter Verity Hunter has noticed that the choice of victim suggests a far deeper motive than that of a straight psycho-killer – a particular breed of retribution is at play – and she stumbles upon another aspect of Oxford hidden from view – the world of “elite” secret-societies. To most people, the music industry represents a source of harmless fun and entertainment. Beneath the glossy veneer, however, lies the devastating truth of who really controls these institutions, and the deeply malevolent agendas for which they’re being used. Thanks to the Musical Truth "Playlist", I rediscovered music I'd heard before but not known the artist or title of. I also discovered completely new songs, artists and genres of music. There were a few I already knew well, but not that many. I definitely enjoyed every song mentioned. I learned so, so much reading this book. Right from the outset, Boakye reintroduced me to the British Empire and shared a history which I felt pretty ashamed not to know nearly as well as I had thought. Then, progressively, song by song Boakye brings you from 1948 to 2020.