Gareth Thomas

Gareth Thomas is Senior Lecturer in Music Journalism at UCA Epsom and unit leader for Investigative, Digital & Broadcast Media (Internet, Radio, Film) and Introduction To Journalism (News, Interviewing, Media Landscape).

Gareth also tutors Final Major Project and teaches Music History and Popular Culture. He oversees the course blog, The Wave.

Gareth joined UCA in 2009 as a sessional lecturer, being appointed to a full-time post the following year. He introduced the Radio module that year and was appointed interim course leader for Fashion Journalism in 2012-13. Before joining UCA Gareth was writing freelance for a number of titles including Q, What's On In London, The Daily Mirror, Viewlondon, Audience, Kerrang, Media Week, The Sun, IQ and The Londoner. He also wrote a widely-referenced report on mature music consumption.

Prior to that he had a staff position as music editor at Billboard/Music & Media, having been taken on initially as news reporter. He has covered most of the major award shows and interviewed artists from Paolo Nutini, Alicia Keys and Noel Gallagher to Mary J Blige, Jack Bruce and Norah Jones.

In 1996 he worked as a news journalist for the BBC and ITV, before being appointed news editor at KLFM Radio in King's Lynn, where he worked for three years.

Gareth began his career in journalism as a news reporter and producer at 24-hour TV channel Euronews in Lyons, France, following the completion of a Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism at Falmouth College of Arts.

Alongside his writing career, Gareth has done PR (Bananarama), managed a band (Steranko), deejayed and promoted gigs. He has chaired discussions at music conferences and been on to A&R panels.

After graduating in French from Liverpool University in 1984, Gareth worked in Genoa and Rome as an English teacher and translator. He also performed as an artist, releasing three records.