Select Recent Publications/Outputs

‘Six Musicology’ (February 2024) – Middle 8s In Song.
Guest Spot on Huw Stephens Drivetime Show BBC 6 Music
(Fast forward to 1:40:00 for my section) www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001v1wc

‘Six Musicology’ (January 2024) – Reason to Rhyme.
Guest Spot on Huw Stephens Drivetime Show BBC 6 Music

– February 14th ‘I’m Not Gonna Write You A Love Song’
– January 10th ‘Reason to Rhyme’

Daniels, S. (2024). ‘Gender and Why We Write Songs’. Gendering Music Matter. Power, Affects, and Infrastructures of Music Industries Conference. University of Copenhagen. March 2024

Daniels, S. (2024 tbc) ‘(Why It Matters) Why We Write Songs’. Songwriting Studies Research Network Journal Edition 2. (Spring 2024 tbc)

Daniels, S (2023) ‘Creative Process for Songwriting’. Invited talk for CPD Series. Cambridge University. December 2023

Daniels, S. (2023) ‘On Why We Write Songs’. Dialogues on Songwriting Conference, Agder University. November 2023

Daniels, S (2023) ‘ ‘I Can Love You From Here’ – Exploring Non Commercial EP Release Strategies’. ICMP RSPP Conference, London. July 2023

Bain, V. Potocnik, M. Daniels, S. Menendes, S. (2023) ‘Report in response to the Call for Evidence, issued by the Women and Equalities Committee on ‘Misogyny in Music’ for The UK Government Women & Equalities Committee. April 2023
www.committees.parliament.uk/committee/328/women-and-equalities-committee/publications/written-evidence/?page=11

Daniels, S. (2023) ‘Writing My Own Role In UK Music Education’ Invited Keynote Lecture. The F List Music/Gender Research Hub Conference. London. May 2023

Daniels, S. (2023) ‘Why We Write Songs’ Invited Guest Lecture. Belmont University, Nashville. March 2023

Daniels, S. (2023) ‘Why We Write Songs’. Invited Guest Lecture. Middle Tennessee State University. March 2023

Daniels, S (2022) ‘Differing Values in Songwriting’. The Research Hour. F List Music/Gender Research Hub Online Series. Dec 2022

Daniels, S (2022) ‘Songwriting Practice and Therapeutic Songwriting’. Chiltern Music Therapy – Invited talk for CPD Training Hour – Nov 2022

Daniels, S. Turner, F. Pattison, P. West, A. ‘Why We Write Songs III- Round Table Discussion Event. Songwriting Studies Research Network Online Event. (May 2022)
www.songwritingstudies.com/why-we-write-songs-iii

Daniels, S. (2022) ‘Liberty’s Mother and Non-Commerical Songwriting Research’. Performance/Paper. The F List Gender/Music Research Hub Conference. University of Wolverhampton. May 2022

Daniels, S. (2022) ‘Why We Write Songs – A Community Research Project’ – ICMP RSPP Seminar Series. April 2022.

Daniels, S. Cooper, M. Gauthier, M. Collinson-Scott, J. Paulusma, P. ‘Why We Write Songs II – Round Table Discussion. Songwriting Studies Research Network Online Event.(March 2022)
www.songwritingstudies.com/why-we-write-songs-ii

Daniels, S. Marshall. Baker, Baker, Cunnah, Ashton, ‘Why We Write Songs – Round Table Discussion. Songwriting Studies Research Network Online Event.(September 2021)
www.songwritingstudies.com/why-we-write-songs

Liberty’s Mother Band Performance – Opened ‘Still Parents’ Exhibit at The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester. September 2021

Daniels, S and Beales, S. ‘Hip Hop Education Symposium’. Institute Contemporary Music Performance, London. June 2021.

Daniels, S. (2020) ‘The Value of Song’. The Future of Music in Higher Education in Europe Conference. Leeds Conservatoire. March 2020

More on; Career, research areas and interests

Sophie Daniels has been a trailblazer in the world of music education, setting the bar in the design, delivery and development of songwriting programmes since 2005.
Sophie began teaching songwriting when very few programmes and short courses were available.

Since then, the sector has rapidly developed with Sophie now Head of Songwriting at ICMP where she is responsible for overseeing programmes, recruiting and managing creative faculty and numerous industry partnerships with the likes of The Ivors, ASCAP, NSAI and The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Belmont University, Berklee College of Music and many more.

During her time in education, Sophie has networked with, recruited and trained hundreds of different creative faculty members, working closely with colleagues to support them and learn from their experiences in both the wider industry and the classroom.

Earlier in her career, Sophie worked in various roles as a songwriter, performer and teacher as well as in marketing roles at major labels including Sony UK and S Records. Professionally, Sophie has worked with Simon Cowell, Jamie Oliver, Westlife, Kelly Clarkson, Charlotte Church, Gareth Gates and Il Divo, and product managed Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond Albums and the multi-million selling concept albums ‘Classic Chillout’ and ‘Music To Watch Girls By’. At ICMP, some of Sophie’s songwriting graduates range from Daughter, Foxes, Bear’s Den, Richard Fairlie and Jordan Shaw to Rise To Remain.

Her recent songwriting industry work has seen Sophie help organise the UK launch of Song Suffragettes, a groundbreaking all-female country songwriter showcase from Nashville.

Achievements/Professional Practice Experience

Almost 20 years in songwriting education, designing, developing and leading modules and programmes with an estimated 8,000 hours teaching songwriting to date. Director of The F-List, a CiC directory service which promotes and supports female and gender-expansive people to launch music industry careers.

Responsible for launching ICMP’s MA in Songwriting and currently undertaking research on ‘Why We Write Songs’ for a book project.

Working with Middlesex University CATS department on a songwriting research project to promote positive identity with young care leavers, and with Chiltern Music Therapy to research Therapeutic Songwriting alongside networking with international colleagues in this area.

Wrote, recorded and released numerous EPs and tracks including, ‘I Can Love You From Here’ in Nashville, for a charitable and social awareness project entitled ‘Liberty’s Mother’. Worked with UK Charity Tommy’s and the APPG for Baby Loss Awareness. Sophie performed around the UK solo and with a band, at record launches, church services, charitable venues, on radio and TV and most notably at The Houses of Parliament raising over £10k in the process and achieving national press coverage.

Guest edited Issue #3 Songwriting Studies Research Network Journal due out summer 2022.

Co-curated a symposium on Hip Hop Pedagogy to support Level 5 study at ICMP.

Numerous qualifications including PFHEA (2023) and PTLLS Level 4 (2009).

Responsible for running the London branches of the Nashville Songwriters Association International and Song Suffragettes.