Tom Soper: Profile Interview

They say first impressions last, and in the case of university lecturer Tom Soper, it certainly isn’t any different. The laid back, easy going music entrepreneur guru and course leader is someone who traded in the life of a sought after DJ for a safer career in lecturing at the University of Gloucestershire and has no regrets about it. You walk into his 3rd floor office and it is full of all the music memorabilia you would come to expect. An old-school gramophone as well as a copy of The Face Magazine from 1994 with Oasis on the cover. He later went on to admit they were his colleagues memorabilia that he couldn’t bare to get rid of after his wife refused to have them in the house.

“Most lecturers will transition over quite slowly, you just get interested in different areas, you grow older”. Tom has taken on the role of course leader for music business, with many looking to take a similar route to himself. “Many come here wanting to set up and run festivals, many want to come and be good at management for record labels”.

As a part of Toms magical journey through the music industry he set up record labels that pressed out some great pieces. “We had a future sound of jazz compilation there [German record label ‘compost’] so that was quite well known. When we got most of our airplay on Radio 1 in the 00’s, we were actually creating mashups”. Reflecting back on his time when he was knee-deep in the music industry, he recalls his most treasured memory “I think it would have to be the release of the first record on the first label which involved a lot of people too and then when you get that moment where its been pressed and you see a review/ in the shop rack that’s gorgeous”.

Despite the heights he reached in the prime of his music career he still believes it was the right time to transition in to teaching and sharing his wisdom. “Oh absolutely, but yeah it’s an age thing, a generation thing and it’s a steady thing as well, because if you know you’re working sort of part-time for the first 5 years, still can do my projects and you think, this is fascinating and then getting an offer”.

Tom doesn’t come from a musical background, in fact his mother was an English teacher. But he does talk about the importance of music in his childhood. Although his parents weren’t musicians, he credits them for stoking his interest in music. “My dad would always turn up the radio, and this was in the 80’s so I was listening to I will survive by Gloria Gayner”. Tom has always maintained that the soundtrack to his childhood is Day-tripper by The Beatles. “it has an intro and when Ringo Starr kicks in with the drums, that’s a kind of whoosh moment”. He says there is a lot to be said about the music you listen to between the ages of 6-12.

“The song that inspires you between the age of about 6 and 12 is really really going to stick with you, in the industry they say 14, what ever you were listening to on your 14th birthday is the one to have its trail”.

Check out Daytripper by The Beatles, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1TLj9-jdLs

He studied English at the University of Bristol, following in the steps of his mother. And it was at this point he claims he became increasingly interested in music. “The minute I got there was active musically but not especially active academically” He smiles before saying “ i was your classic person who does a degree whilst doing something else, obviously the environment was a little bit different then, but i’m not sure I can tell you any stories” he laughs.

With a deep catalogue of contacts, Tom isn’t short of networking opportunities, with offers for his services still coming in. As he has got older, he feels less of a need because the club scene is ever changing. He puts it perfectly “I still get bookings so I don’t think I can say that I miss it, because I got deep enough into the whole practice of it, its difficult to explain but generation and age is really a part of it, do you know when they bring out bands and the 56 year olds come back and listen to them and feel 18 again , can you do that for more than one night?”