Jenn Clempner is a Senior Lecturer, Artist Development Specialist, Researcher, and Musician with nearly two decades of experience across the music and arts industries. Her career bridges the academic and professional music worlds, with one foot firmly rooted in higher education and the other in the live and recorded music sectors.
Jenn’s performance background spans theatre and popular music. She began her career as an actor and vocalist before joining The Hoosiers (Sony BMG, 2007) as a session musician on keys and backing vocals, touring extensively across the UK, Europe, and the USA. By 25, she was managing London-based independent label Beatroute Records and has maintained an active freelance portfolio as a singer-pianist and musical director.
Since 2011, Jenn has brought her industry experience into Higher Education, beginning at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA). She currently serves as Curriculum Lead for Artist Development on the Popular Music degree at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), where she has designed and leads a forward-thinking curriculum aligned with current music industry practices. In this role, she actively manages and mentors emerging artists, producing promotional campaigns and showcasing talent from within the programme.
Jenn has been developing her research profile within music industry and education discourse. She has presented at key UK conferences including Women in Musical Leadership’s Annual Conference (2023), The F-List Conference (2024), and the MIME (Music Industry and Music Education) Conference (2024). Her presentations have explored inequalities in music education, gender dynamics in both industry and academia, and the evolution of higher popular music education curricula.
Jenn is also a PhD candidate at Erasmus University, Rotterdam. Her doctoral research examines the culture of higher popular music education, focusing on teaching and management practices, student well-being and resilience, and gender inequality within the sector.
