At Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, Matt Stokes’ show Lost in the Rhythm investigates music subcultures and focuses on music’s propensity to influence and affect the way people live. In connection with the exhibition, there will be a gallery talk at 1pm, Wednesday 24th January to tangentially address the ideas about music subcultures that abound in Stokes’ work. Dr. Adrian North, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Leicester, has been invited to the gallery to consider the provocative topic of “Is pop music bad for adolescents?”

Dr. Adrian North writes that “the history of pop music contains numerous examples of salacious performers and attempts to censor and constrain their actions”. The opening presentation, with its deliberately ironic title, will review attempts at music censorship and look to available research to provide some definitive guidance on whether censorship is appropriate for pop music. Dr. North will give specific consideration is to whether certain musical tastes have a link to suicide, the extent to which listeners can correctly decode the meaning intended in pop music lyrics and finally, whether censorship of lyrics affects listeners. In conclusion, suggestions will be put forward on whether pop music should be censored.

Dr. Adrian North obtained his PhD in music psychology in 1996. His research concerns musical preference, the impact of music on consumers and the role of music in adolescence. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Leicester.

The talk “Is pop music bad for adolescents?” is free and open to the public: booking not essential.

For further information please contact Claire Power e. claire@templebargallery.com or t. 01 671 0073.

Matt Stokes’ Lost in the Rhythm continues at Temple Bar Gallery until 24th February 2007.