Air head wants to get a PhD

July 28, 2005

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AMANDA Griffiths is studying air guitar for her PhD.

MEET madcap Amanda Griffiths of Chorlton, the PhD student who is studying for a doctorate - in air guitar.

Amanda is researching the phenomena of playing along to famous electric guitar solos with nothing more in your hands than a fistful of fresh air as part of her doctorate at the University of Salford.

And the 32-year-old is even a special guest at the Air Guitar World Championships held in Oulu, where she will give a lecture on the subject.

Her love of the invisible instrument first became serious in 2002 when she came fourth in the UK championships.

Her success inspired her to study the subject in more detail - leading to the invitation to attend the multi-national competition.

Amanda said: "It's an honour to be asked to lecture at what is the biggest event in any air guitarist's calendar.

"People travel from all over the world to compete and I can't wait to meet them and find out what it is that drives them to play.

"I am really excited about the opportunity and I never thought studying the air guitar would allow me to travel to different parts of the world and meet fellow rockers."

Whilst on the trip she will be accompanied by film-maker Scott Abraham and the pair are looking for sponsors to help make their dream of an air guitar rockumentary come true.

The pair are desperately seeking around £2000 to fund their project and are looking for anyone to help their cause.

Amanda said: "No donation is too small for us and we need all the money we can get.

"If anyone does come forward to help us we would be happy to promote their goods or services when on the trip."

Scott, who has worked on programmes such as Coronation Street and Phoenix Nights, added: "Any level of investment would be most welcome at this stage."

IF you can help, contact then Amanda on: 07977 250099 or Scott on: 07884 363591.

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anne, lancashire (01/08/2005 at 18:52)

i'd be ashamed if I was salford uni - what does this say for the other legit students who study useful, creative and skillful subjects.

Matt, Norwich (02/08/2005 at 13:34)

By the time she's finished her "PhD" she could have learned to play the real guitar.

Is my tax money really paying for this?

Steve, St. Austell (02/08/2005 at 18:39)

Nice to see our money well spent.

Ed, Washington, DC (02/08/2005 at 20:14)

She should sell one of her guitars on ebay.

D. Dillard, OH, USA (02/08/2005 at 20:47)

Her parents must be so proud. A useless degree is still USELESS. What a waste of time and money.

Kenneth Johnson, Sand Point, Alaska (02/08/2005 at 21:18)

A PhD in Air Guitar. Words fail me. That is so utterly, astronomically, stupid that it is beyond pathetic. Obviously, this woman has neither life nor brain. More proof, as if any were needed, that today's colleges are worthless.

Gregg, USA (02/08/2005 at 21:33)

Reading this makes me even prouder to be an American.
Her parents must be extremely proud.

"No, its Dr. Airhead"

Erskine, London (02/08/2005 at 21:34)

What's next, Salford? Doctorate of Science in Grand Theft Auto Mods? Bachelor of Arts in Doodling Pre-Raphaelite Nudes? Associates Degrees in Whistling?

John, USA (02/08/2005 at 21:42)

As a PhD music student myself, it disgusts me that someone would think this is a legitimate field of study within the discipline. Any insititution considering granting such a degree should be ashamed.

John, USA (02/08/2005 at 22:53)

Wow, I thought there were some ridiculous things going in the USA right now!

Amber, MD, US (02/08/2005 at 23:57)

Are you kidding me?? Seriously....is this a joke? Cause if not....it's kind of sad. I wish i had the money to waste on an air guitar degree instead of going to school for something that is actually useful.

BB, Indiana (03/08/2005 at 03:18)

The fact that this is even eligible for a 'PhD' is a true insult to all the talented accomplished musicians worldwide who actually contribute something of artistic musical value worth listening to.

Kevin Quail, Schaumburg, Illinois (03/08/2005 at 19:43)

If this is story is true, then someone please shoot me.

Micky Klemsch, Vienna/Austria (05/08/2005 at 10:35)

As the President of the AllAustrianAirguitarAssociation (AAAA) I am very proud about Amandas work. We are all looking forward to meet her in Oulu at the Worldchampionships
www.airguitar.at

annie, scotland (11/08/2005 at 18:51)

well if this air head is going to get a doctorate
then I already have it - I am better than her - I have been air guitarring for 40 years !!!!!
stick that in your doctorate and smoke it....

Robert, Hulme (13/08/2005 at 19:06)

Well that a surprise, air guitar,what's the world coming to. If i was here i would consider changing subject!

Owen, Manchester (28/09/2005 at 10:21)

You are all a bunch of morons. Who are you to sit miles away pontificating about someone doing a PHD when most of you haven't the brains, energy or gumption to even attempt something like this.
Also it is self funded, has interest from publishers (That means she will get paid for it) and she has been on many different radio and TV stations. Think about that next time you are stuck in your humdrum job, gutted that your existence involves nothing more exciting then typing the same numbers into the same computer, for the same faceless corporation, day after day after boring day.

Kevin Quail, Schaumburg, Illinois (02/10/2005 at 22:03)

I don't have the brains, energy or gumption to waste my time participating in a complete fraud that takes no real talent whatsoever? Gee, I guess you're right. That's your measure of worth for something? That she gets paid for it? Her remuneration only proves that there is a group of people stupid enough to waste their money on anything involving this parasitic activity. Oh, and I don't have to get up to go to work every day; I'm 50 and semi-retired.

Owen, Manchester.. (12/10/2005 at 12:57)

Kevin, Please try to understand what I mean for a minute. I am not talking about the act of air guitar. I am talking about the act of writing about the phenomena of it. You can not deny that Air Guitar is a phenomena. Even you, based thousands of miles away, have felt compelled to write about it, therefore it is is interesting. It inspires vitroil such as your ignorant rant which just sounds like an embittered failed musician talking. Therefore there is a subject to write a PhD about.
If you think that people expressing themselves to music by dancing to it is 'parasitic' then you must be an even bigger musical snob then your posts on this board, and other boards ( this must really have affected you) make you out to be. At 50 years old as wel surely you have better things to do with your time then to post on messageboards slagging off a young woamn from thousands of miles you is trying to better herself. Grow up.

headbang no:1 air giutar in world, N WALES (23/01/2006 at 16:03)

I have been , doing air giutar for over 25 years it s not what you look like when doing it , it s how you feel when doing it. it has to come from the hart , and when you have finished you feel like a rock star thi is to Amanda Griffiths

headbang no:1 air giutar in world, N WALES (24/01/2006 at 10:38)

i whould like go in to a comp but theres not one in N wales

russell upsomgrubb, Schaumburg, Illinois (27/01/2006 at 05:21)

How would you know how a rock star feels? What the hell are you talking about? It's fake!! Not real!! Tell your imaginary friends.

headbang no:1 air giutar in world, N WALES (01/02/2006 at 13:31)

I DONT NO, WHATS ITS LIKE TO BE A ROCK STAR BUT AIR GIUTAR MAKES ME FEEL GOOD, LETS YOU GET RID OF STRESS LET IT ALL OUT ?

Michael Cecil, 10 Cedar Run Lane, Apt. 1, Lake St. Louis, MO 63367 (20/02/2006 at 07:30)

Artifice has a life of its own; in fact, it's more real to the majority of us than the handful who have been at the right place at the right time and have been given the resources to pursue the creative itch. I teach seventh-graders--early pubescent energy clusters who still harbor hopes that the generation that is in control of their strings will get it, will let go of their need to control the moment and surrender themselves to the silly energy of their youth and, subsequently, will reconnect with the creative juices that made the world seem promising and worth risking momentary physical/emotional disorientation and pain in order to achieve a more sane existence. Air guitar seems a seed of hope in this regard; it is a space that I can share with them. Keep it up! Take these comments from an old fudd as promise that there are still active energies out here from those of us on the downside of fifty. I do wonder, though, if there is room in the air guitar realm for the slower-handed blues-oriented slide. It would demand more from the performer, but the audience might become so involved that they would close their eyes and disappear into their own air-guitar dreams. I'm a gringo in this realm and wonder about how broad-ranged this spectrum is. Thanks for the website. M

Kevin Quail, Schaumburg, Illinois (03/03/2006 at 06:26)

There's nothing creative about this form of bull. Air guitar-yikes!! What's next? Air brain surgery? Air sculpture? Learn to really do something instead of pretending; all it takes is some self-discipline. Oh, but that's right- America has fulfilled the prediction of Andy Warhol- everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame. Frank Zappa was right when he said "Hydrogen isn't the most plentiful element in the universe- it's stupidity." Forget obesity- idiocy is epidemic.

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