Whose Song Is It Anyway?

Sign on the Dotted Line

Why did TLC file for bankruptcy after selling 10 million albums?! In this episode I’ll tell you the story of how one of the best-selling American girl-groups of all time filed for bankruptcy, held their label to account and restructured their finances. I’ll also answer: What’s contract got to do with copyright? What do I need to understand before I sign anything? Can I re-negotiate my contract? Can you get AI to write a contract for you? Plus, what we can learn from The Sex Pistol’s band contract dispute and why JoJo’s record deal meant it took 10 years to realise an album. IN THIS EPISODE 00:50 The story of TLC filing for bankruptcy, re-negotiate their deal and take more control of their finances 02:55 What’s contract got to do with it? 05:27 The story of The Sex Pistol’s band contract 07:57 What do I actually need to understand before I sign anything? 09:53 Be aware of 360 deals 11:04 The story of JoJo and her record deal 14:31 Can I re-negotiate my contract? 17:20 Can you get AI to write a contract for you? MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE • Buy your copy of Copyright in the Music Industry (second edition, 2026):⁠ https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/copyright-in-the-music-industry-9781035330386.html⁠ FIND DR HAYLEIGH BOSHER • Instagram: ⁠@hayleigh.bosher⁠ • Website: ⁠ https://www.hayleighbosher.com/ LOVE THIS EPISODE? • Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts • Leave a 5⭐ review, it helps more people find the show CREDITS Whose Song Is It Anyway? is produced by Good Form Funded by The British Academy DISCLAIMER Nothing in this podcast constitutes legal advice. It is legal education to help you learn more about your rights.

The Art of The Sample

Why did Beyoncé remove a sample of the song Milkshake from her track ENERGY, even though she had cleared the rights? In this episode I talk about the history of sampling and answer: what is sampling and where did it come from? Can I sample that clip and how much can I take before it becomes a sample? Plus, what are the copyright exceptions do any apply and what happened in a 25-year case over a 2 second sample. IN THIS EPISODE 00:33 Why Beyoncé removed a sample of the song Milkshake, from her track ENERGY 03:50 What is sampling and where did it come from? 08:34 Can I sample that clip and how much can I take before it becomes a sample? 10:08 What are the copyright exceptions and do any of those apply? 12:12 The 25-year copyright case over a 2 second sample: Kraft Werk v Nur Mir 17:28 The difference between Fair Use and Fair Dealing copyright exceptions 18:35 How do you negotiate a sample rate? FIND DR HAYLEIGH BOSHER: • Instagram: ⁠@hayleigh.bosher⁠ • Website: ⁠https://www.hayleighbosher.com/ LOVE THIS EPISODE? • Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts • Leave a 5⭐ review, it helps more people find the show CREDITS Whose Song Is It Anyway? is produced by Good Form Funded by The British Academy DISCLAIMER Nothing in this podcast constitutes legal advice. It is legal education to help you learn more about your rights.

Inspiration or Theft?

What is the difference between taking inspiration and copying? In this episode I deep dive into the test forcopyright infringement by talking you through the story of the Ed Sheeran v Sami Switch case, over the songs Shape of You and Oh Why. Plus stories of copyingdisputes in photography and fashion. I also answer: Can I get sued for makingmusic that sounds like someone else’s? What is the legal test for copyright infringement? IN THIS EPISODE 00:35 Why Ed Sheeran records hissongwriting sessions: starting from the Blurred Lines case with PharrellWilliams which was all about money not about music 02:44 Sami Switch claimed EdSheeran claiming his song Oh Why was copied by Ed in Shape of You, but Ed’steam filed the lawsuit 05:49 The arguments set out bySami Switch’s and Ed Sheeran’s teams in the case for copyright infringement 08:00 A plot twist: similar factevidence, does previous settled disputes show a pattern of behaviour? Bothsides of the story. 12:36 Can I get sued for makingmusic that sounds like someone else’s? 14:22 Two stories of copying claims,one of a photographer and another of a fashion designer, and what we can learnfrom them. 17:03 What is the legal test forcopyright infringement? 24:14 What’s the difference betweeninspiration and copying? 27:12 The outcome of the EdSheeran trial. 30:02 The similar fact evidence plottwist revealed. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE · Sami Switch Oh Why: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeH-ObndT7M · Ed Sheeran Shape of You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGwWNGJdvx8 · Ed Sheeran interview: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-61026308 · A Copyright playlist I made for you, links to Appleand Spotify here: https://www.hayleighbosher.com/book-copyright-in-the-music-industry FIND DR HAYLEIGH BOSHER• Instagram: ⁠@hayleigh.bosher⁠• Website: ⁠ https://www.hayleighbosher.com/ LOVE THIS EPISODE?• Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts• Leave a 5⭐ review, it helps more people find the showCREDITSWhose Song Is It Anyway? is produced by Good FormFunded by The British Academy DISCLAIMERNothing in this podcast constitutes legal advice. It is legal education to help you learn more about your rights.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Even in the height of 90s contracts, the Spice Girls still made some smart choices there are benefiting from today. In this episode, hear about how they did this, and why is Spice World not on your streaming service… yet?! I also answer: What's a split sheet, why do I need one? And one of the most common questions I get asked in the industry: How do we decide the split? Plus, what does 'joint ownership' of a copyright mean and how it’s all really just about healthy boundaries, including what we can learn from the stories behind the joint ownership disputes around the film script for Florence Foster Jenkins and Lizzo’s Truth Hurts. And, what happens if my collaborator and I can't agree on the split? IN THIS EPISODE: 00:45 How did the Spice Girlscrack the code to avoid a band break up over money? 02:28 Why is Spice World not onyour streaming service… yet?! 03:10 What's a split sheet andwhy do I need one? 07:07 how do you decide who getswhat? 09:48 What does 'jointownership' of a copyright mean? 12:00 The legal criteria for jointownership under UK Law 13:13 The story behind the jointownership of the film script for Florence Foster Jenkins 16:28 What happens if mycollaborator and I can't agree on the split? 17:55 What if I alreadycollaborated by we didn’t do a split sheet or agreement? 18:40 The story behind the jointownership dispute with Lizzo and her song Truth Hurts, and how it could havebeen avoided. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE • Buy your copy of Copyright in the Music Industry (second edition, 2026) -⁠ https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/copyright-in-the-music-industry-9781035330386.html⁠ • Musicians' Union Split Sheet https://musiciansunion.org.uk/legal-money/contracts-and-agreements/standard-contracts/song-share-agreement FIND DR HAYLEIGH BOSHER • Instagram: ⁠@hayleigh.bosher⁠ • Website: ⁠https://www.hayleighbosher.com/ LOVE THIS EPISODE? • Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts • Leave a 5⭐ review, it helps more people find the show CREDITS Whose Song Is It Anyway? is produced by Good Form Funded by The British Academy DISCLAIMER Nothing in this podcast constitutes legal advice. It is legal education to help you learn more about your rights.

Show Me The Money

Why did Dolly Parton turn down a deal for Elvis to record a version of 'I Will Always Love You'? In this episode we learn from Dolly about how manage your rights, plus I cover what collecting societies to sign up to and ultimately, how to get paid, as well as how income from streaming subscriptions is divided up and how all this sits within a music industry that has a data problem. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:35 Dolly Parton making copyright moves 04:30 The musical copyright and the sound recording 07:40 What kinds of royalties are there? 09:18 How do I actually get paid when my music is used? 09:45 What are collecting societies? 11:00 Where does the money go when we pay a streaming subscription? 17:45 What are the collecting societies in the UK and which ones do I join? PRS, PPL and MCPS 19:16 How much does it costs to join a collecting society? 22:12 Tips for making sure you get paid from your collecting society 22:52 What are the identifier codes and why do I need them? 25:47 ISWC, ISRC, IPI, IPN, ISNI 28:30 What do I do if I get stuck or there is a problem with my collecting society royalties? 29:25 It’s not just you, the music industry has a data problem. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: • PRS: https://www.prsformusic.com/ • MCPS: https://www.prsformusic.com/what-we-do/mcps • PPL: https://www.ppluk.com/ • UK industry agreement on music streaming metadata: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-industry-agreement-on-music-streaming-metadata • Buy your copy of Copyright In The Music Industry (second edition, 2026) -⁠ https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/copyright-in-the-music-industry-9781035330386.html⁠ FIND DR HAYLEIGH BOSHER: • Instagram: ⁠@hayleigh.bosher⁠ • Website: ⁠hayleighbosher.com⁠ LOVE THIS EPISODE? • Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts • Leave a 5⭐ review, it helps more people find the show CREDITS Whose Song Is It Anyway? is produced by Good Form Funded by The British Academy DISCLAIMER Nothing in this podcast constitutes legal advice. It is legal education to help you learn more about your rights.

What Even IS Copyright?

Would RAYE have won a Grammy and a record-breaking six BRIT Awards in a single night if she had stayed trapped in her record deal? In this first episode, we get to grips with some copyright basics, answering: what is copyright and what does it actually do? Who owns copyright and how can we use it as a tool? And importantly – why should we care about copyright? Hayleigh dives into why every musician needs to understand it before they write, record, or release anything. No legalese. Just the stuff that actually matters to your career. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:55 Intro 11:11 Case study: RAYE and the Polydor deal 07:15 What is copyright, and what does it actually do? 11:55 Who owns copyright, and how can you use it as a tool? 15:24 Why every creator should care Note: Raye received the Harry Belafonte Humanitarian Award at the Grammys in recognition of her impact and contribution. This episode discusses the wider question of how artist- label relationships can shape career trajectories and opportunities. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Buy your copy of Copyright In The Music Industry (second edition, 2026) - https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/copyright-in-the-music-industry-9781035330386.html FIND DR HAYLEIGH BOSHER: Instagram: @hayleigh.bosher Website: hayleighbosher.com LOVE THIS EPISODE? Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts Leave a 5⭐ review, it helps more people find the show CREDITS Whose Song Is It Anyway? is produced by Good Form To bring your podcast idea to life head to ongoodform.com/podcast-production Funded by The British Academy

Season 4 Trailer

Season 4 of the Whose Song is it Anyway? podcast, hosted by Dr Hayleigh Bosher, is coming 23rd July 2026! Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.The podcast that acts as your guide to understanding the big legal questions shaping the music and creative industries right now. Each bitesized episode dives into real, current case studies – from viral sampling disputes and interpolation to AI-generated tracks – and your host Dr. Hayleigh Bosher will unpack everything into clear, jargon-free insights. Hosted by a razor sharp legal expert with impeccable style and winning charm, the show blends authority with wit, turning complex copyright law into something you never knew could be so riveting. She knows her stuff, tells it straight, and makes you feel like you’re getting the insider knowledge you never knew you needed on the latest in music IP that has you locked in. Hosted by: Dr Hayleigh Bosher https://www.hayleighbosher.com/ Produced by: Good Form https://www.ongoodform.com/ Funded by: The British Academy https://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/brunel-public-policy/news-and-events/news/British-Academy-Research-led-Innovation-Fellowships-2023-24-%E2%80%93-Dr-Hayleigh-Bosher Disclaimer: Nothing in this podcast constitutes legal advice. It is legal education to help you learn more about your rights.

Women in Music Panel with Brix Smith, Katie Waissel and Charlene Brown Season Finale

This special epsisode for the finale of this season was recorded live at the Houses of Parliament with a panel of incredible women Brix Smith, Katie Waissel and Charlene Brown at a Whose Song is it Anyway? event. Pictures of the event are here: https://shorturl.at/mqHL6 To hear about future events follow Hayleigh on social media, or email whosesongisitanyway@gmail.com Thanks for listening to this season and sharing the epsiodes, hope you have enjoyed it and we will be back next year with something new! Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://shorturl.at/ezLX4 This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/ Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania

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Eve Horne

Eve Horne - singer, songwriter, producer, executive director of the Music Producers Guild, founder of the Unheard Academy where she teaches female and non-binary people music production, and the host of the We Are The Unheard Podcast, amongst other things! In this episode we talk about Eve’s journey from BRIT School, being signed, touring with a girl group, to leaving the music industry and then returning with a massive come back and now doing all. the. things! Eve also talks about her recent ADHD and autism diagnosis. https://wearetheunheard.com/ https://www.instagram.com/eve_horne/?hl=en-gb https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/we-are-the-unheard/id1599492855 Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://shorturl.at/ezLX4 This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/ Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania

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Naomi Pohl

*trigger warning* mentions reports of sexism and misogyny from Musicians' Union members, including sexual harassment and sexual assault. Naomi Pohl is the General Secretary of the Musicians' Union, a trade union for professional musicians in the UK. Naomi is the first women to hold this position in the MU. We talk about her experience of being the first and being a woman in a position of leadership, the specific pressures and challenges faced by women in leadership as well as generally by the MU membership. Naomi highlights actions that can be taken to improve inclusion and safety in the music industry from changing the law to changes within the industry. https://musiciansunion.org.uk/ https://musiciansunion.org.uk/news/naomi-pohl-first-female-general-secretary https://committees.parliament.uk/work/6736/misogyny-in-music/ https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/get-support/bullying-harasment https://musiciansunion.org.uk/safespace Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://shorturl.at/ezLX4 This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/ Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania

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Michelle Escoffery

Michelle Escoffery is an award winning singer-songwriter, has taught as a lecturer at various institutions, is President of the PRS Members’ Council and on Ivor’s Academy Trustee Board. We talk about Michelle’s experience of coming into the music industry as part of a musical family from a young age. I ask Michelle what has been the enablers and challenges that she has faced and overcome to succeed in the music industry. She highlights the power of mentorship, shares advice for overcoming imposter syndrome, being comfortable taking up space, focusing on what you bring to the table and capabilities. Pushing back against being pigeon holed and breaking out of boxes. Being on the journey of self-compassion. Have a network, to bounce ideas, share tips and experiences. Michelle shares about the PRS affinity groups which creates safe spaces for particular groups, providing support in a way that is solution based, rather than an echo chamber. Michelle is also a qualified wellness consultant, and has developed an initiative called Pause, which creates a safe space for women of colour in the creative industries, focused on networking, support and wellness. Michelle shares some insights into her approach to embracing joy and maintaining boundaries. https://www.prsformusic.com/about-us/governance/president-of-the-prs-members-council https://www.michelleescoffery.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pause.theinnercircle/ Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://shorturl.at/ezLX4 This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/ Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania

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Dyvr

Dyvr is a musician, creative and activist working in the queer community and the founder of live music safe space, Sounds Queer. Dyvr talks about their experience of being in music, highlighting the challenges faced by non-binary and trans artists in the industry, sharing why they founded Sounds Queer and how that is creating a safe space for queer artists to grow. https://www.instagram.com/dyvrofficial/ https://www.instagram.com/soundsqueersounds/?hl=en-gb Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://shorturl.at/ezLX4 This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/ Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania

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Imogen Heap

Singer, songwriter Imogen Heap is known for her music making as much as for her innovation and pioneering approach to music, from her Mimu gloves to the Creative Passport. In this episode Imogen shares her journey to a recent ADHD diagnosis and navigating the world with ADHD. We talk about the positives and the challenges of being neurodivergent, and how important it is to support each other, especially children, to thrive in our own ways. The book’s that Imogen mentions: Better Late Than Never: Understand, Survive and Thrive a Midlife Diagnosis of ADHD by Emma Mahony and Sari Solden Dirty Laundry: Why adults with ADHD are so ashamed and what we can do to help by Richard Pink and Roxanne Emery http://imogenheap.com/ https://mimugloves.com/ Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://shorturl.at/ezLX4 This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/ Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania

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Vick Bain

Vick Bain is the founder of the The F List and is currently completing her PhD at Queen Mary University of London in the Centre for Research in Equality and Diversity looking at the experience of women in music. She was previously the Past President Independent Society of Musicians (ISM), the former CEO of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (the Ivor's Academy), and has been inducted into the Music Week Women in Music Awards Roll Of Honour and the BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour Music Powerlist. In this episode Vick shares with us some initial insights from her PhD research and generally drawing from her wealth of experience in the music industry. We discuss the data, the pay gap and gender roles, and talk about both the challenges and the enablers for women and gender expansive people in the music industry. https://thef-listmusic.uk/ https://vbain.co.uk/ Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://shorturl.at/ezLX4 This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/ Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania

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Charisse Beaumont

Trigger warning: Discusses racism. Some swearing. Charisse Beaumont is the Chief Executive of Black Lives in Music, a research and advocacy organisation advocating for black music creators and industry professionals. In this episode Charisse talks about the work that BLIM have been doing, the first research to be done on the experience of black people in the music industry, which highlights that black women are the most disadvantaged in the music industry. We talk about the pressure of being ‘the first’ and the sense of responsibility that comes with this kind of work. Charisse shares her experience of this overwhelming and heart-breaking journey, as well as how she deals with it and keeps on fighting. https://blim.org.uk/ https://blim.org.uk/report/ Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://shorturl.at/ezLX4 This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/ Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania

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Helen Choudhury

Helen Choudhury is an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion change management specialist and Head of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Music Publishers Association. Helen tells us about how she got into this work and what she has been doing in her role at the MPA. Helen also shares about how her work has been informed by her experience of living with endometriosis and adenomyosis and talks us through the MPA M3 guidance on menstruation, miscarriage, and menopause. We explore the drop off women leaving the workplace due to lack of support for people experiencing challenges with menopause. https://mpaonline.org.uk/diversity-equality-inclusion/helen-choudhury-champion-for-m%C2%B3-and-head-of-dei-statement/ https://mpaonline.org.uk/diversity-equality-inclusion/ https://www.ukmusic.org/equality-diversity/uk-music-diversity-report-2022/ Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://shorturl.at/ezLX4 This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/ Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania

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Cari Quoyeser & Silvia Olivieri

Cari Quoyeser is an indie rock singer, songwriter, lyricist, performer, artist, voice actor, and Global Artists Community Manager. Silvia Olivieri is a Publishing Program Manager, and previously collaborated with Imogen Heap on her research Life Of A Song and worked as Senior Copyright Assistant at Kobalt Music Publishing for three years. In this episode, we talk about pushing back on the false narrative of women competing with each other, moving from first wave feminism that suggests that there is only room for one woman at the top, towards an intersectional feminism that is inclusive. We share our experiences of women supporting and nurturing each other in the music industry. https://loas.creativepassport.net/ https://open.spotify.com/show/4dD3qEUU3S1ACAj0sPXh9H Books we mention: White feminism by Koa Beck Why I am not a feminist by Jessa Crispin Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://shorturl.at/ezLX4 This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/ Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania Recorded at Abbey Road Studios

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Sarah Woods

Deputy Chief Executive at Help Musicians, Sarah Wood has been in the music industry around 30 years, so she draws on her breath of experience to discuss how things have changed overtime as a woman. We build on last week’s episode on the topic of coming back to work after having a child, Sarah’s experience was whilst working for a corporation rather than as a freelancer. We also talk about reflecting on your contribution, with a positive frame of mind to help build self-confidence and understanding your worth as well as up-skilling and believing in yourself to have the capacity to learn new things! Sarah also gives some insight on the music industry landscape and the importance of the Musicians Census project to better understand the barriers faced to better support a more inclusive industry. She sets out what Help Musicians are doing to better engage with female and gender expansive musicians and the positive impact of a targeted approach, offering practical suggestions on gathering insight, engaging with the results, pro-actively driving change and constantly evaluating. https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/ https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/get-support/bullying-harasment https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/about-us/news/take-the-first-ever-musicians-census Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2GEtEjJCghbMskOuFiDSq6?si=8cd4319c72684f4e This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/ Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania

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Olga Fitzroy

Olga Fitzroy is a recording and mix engineer who has worked on records for Coldplay, The Foo Fighters and Muse, as well as film scores for top composers including Hans Zimmer and Dario Marianelli and assisted Sir George Martin on the last ever Beatles recording for the 2006 album, Love. We talk about the challanges of having a child as a freelancer working in the music industry. Olga is campaigning to change the law, she highlights issues around childcare and parental leave, talks us through what we can do to get involved in the campaign as well as what to do in the meantime, whilst the law is still catching up. http://www.olgafitzroy.com/ http://www.parentalpayequality.org.uk/ Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2GEtEjJCghbMskOuFiDSq6?si=8cd4319c72684f4e This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/ Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania

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Grace Meadows

Grace Meadows is Campaign Director at Music for Dementia, music therapist and Bassoon player. We talk about the gift of music and the power of music therapy, and how we can harness this power to help build connections and alleviate our struggles with mental and physically health conditions. Grace shares her journey from music school to music for dementia, her experience of the music industry community. How do you know how much to charge for your time? And how is that impacted by your confidence in your expertise and expectations in the industry. https://musicfordementia.org.uk/ https://www.marinalsop.com/ Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2GEtEjJCghbMskOuFiDSq6?si=8cd4319c72684f4e This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/ Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania Recorded at Abbey Road Studios

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