exploring the experiences, perceptions and reflections of popular electronic musicians at uK high... more exploring the experiences, perceptions and reflections of popular electronic musicians at uK higher education institutions absTracT Although formal educational institutions in the UK, and particularly in Higher Education (HE), have begun to include aspects of dance music and hip-hop styles of music in their curricula, there is still a notable lack of research into the relationship between popular electronic music-making practices, such as performance, and formal education. This study explores some of the experiences, perceptions and reflections of popular electronic musicians in formal educational institutions in the UK with a specific focus on the performance of popular electronic music. Our findings show that formal education has had some impact on the development of popular electronic musicians' practice and, in some cases, acted as an introduction to popular electronic styles of music. However, the study's findings also highlight the need to develop more comprehensive musical curricula that include popular electronic styles of music as well as the more established popular musical styles such as rock.
Although formal educational institutions in the UK, and particularly in Higher Education (HE), ha... more Although formal educational institutions in the UK, and particularly in Higher Education (HE), have begun to include aspects of dance music and hip-hop styles of music in their curricula, there is still a notable lack of research into the relationship between popular electronic music-making practices, such as performance, and formal education. This study explores some of the experiences, perceptions and reflections of popular electronic musicians in formal educational institutions in the UK with a specific focus on the performance of popular electronic music. Our findings show that formal education has had some impact on the development of popular electronic musicians’ practice and, in some cases, acted as an introduction to popular electronic styles of music. However, the study’s findings also highlight the need to develop more comprehensive musical curricula that include popular electronic styles of music as well as the more established popular musical styles such as rock.
The emergence of localised sub-genres of hip hop around the world has been well documented (Benne... more The emergence of localised sub-genres of hip hop around the world has been well documented (Bennett, 1999; Mitchell, 2001), however the genre of UK Hip Hop (or British Hip Hop) has been largely overlooked in scholarly research. Although largely an underground music scene with very limited commercial success, UK hip hop has been recognized as being pivotal in the development of the more commercially successful genres of grime, trip hop and drum’n’bass (Hesmondhalgh & Melville, 2001; Campion, 2006). Existing research into UK hip hop has often been from a cultural or sociological, rather than musicological perspective (Hesmondhalgh & Melville, 2001; Webb, 2007; Bennett, 1999; Dedman, 2011).
Using semi-structured interviews with key UK hip-hop producers alongside analysis of published interviews from selected hip-hop media publications alongside analyses and discussion of examples of the producer’s musical works to support the interview data, the aim of this paper is to examine the impact of the amalgamation of British and hip-hop musical aesthetics and its impact on the development of UK hip-hop production practice during what is widely considered its most prolific period between 1998 and 2005 (Speers, 2014).
References Bennett, A. (1999) Rappin’ on the Tyne: White Hip Hop Culture in Northeast England – an Ethnographic Study. The Sociological Review, 47 (1), pp.1–24. Campion, C. (2006) Inside grime. The Guardian. Available from: <http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2004/may/23/urban1> [Accessed 14 November 2012]. Dedman, T. (2011) Agency in UK hip-hop and grime youth subcultures - peripherals and purists. Journal of Youth Studies, 14 (5), pp.507–522. Hesmondhalgh, D. & Melville, C. (2001) Urban Breakbeat Culture - Repercussions of Hip-Hop in the United Kingdom. In: T. Mitchell ed. Global Noise: Rap and Hip Hop outside the USA. Wesleyan University Press. Mitchell, T. ed. (2001) Global Noise: Rap and Hip Hop outside the USA. Wesleyan University Press. Speers, L. (2014) Keepin’ It Real: Negotiating Authenticity in the London Hip Hop Scene. PhD Thesis. London, Kings College London. Webb, P. (2007) Hip hop’s musicians and audiences in the local musical ‘milieu’. In: P. Hodkinson & W. Deicke eds. Youth Cultures: Scenes, Subcultures and Tribes. Oxon, Routledge.
exploring the experiences, perceptions and reflections of popular electronic musicians at uK high... more exploring the experiences, perceptions and reflections of popular electronic musicians at uK higher education institutions absTracT Although formal educational institutions in the UK, and particularly in Higher Education (HE), have begun to include aspects of dance music and hip-hop styles of music in their curricula, there is still a notable lack of research into the relationship between popular electronic music-making practices, such as performance, and formal education. This study explores some of the experiences, perceptions and reflections of popular electronic musicians in formal educational institutions in the UK with a specific focus on the performance of popular electronic music. Our findings show that formal education has had some impact on the development of popular electronic musicians' practice and, in some cases, acted as an introduction to popular electronic styles of music. However, the study's findings also highlight the need to develop more comprehensive musical curricula that include popular electronic styles of music as well as the more established popular musical styles such as rock.
Although formal educational institutions in the UK, and particularly in Higher Education (HE), ha... more Although formal educational institutions in the UK, and particularly in Higher Education (HE), have begun to include aspects of dance music and hip-hop styles of music in their curricula, there is still a notable lack of research into the relationship between popular electronic music-making practices, such as performance, and formal education. This study explores some of the experiences, perceptions and reflections of popular electronic musicians in formal educational institutions in the UK with a specific focus on the performance of popular electronic music. Our findings show that formal education has had some impact on the development of popular electronic musicians’ practice and, in some cases, acted as an introduction to popular electronic styles of music. However, the study’s findings also highlight the need to develop more comprehensive musical curricula that include popular electronic styles of music as well as the more established popular musical styles such as rock.
The emergence of localised sub-genres of hip hop around the world has been well documented (Benne... more The emergence of localised sub-genres of hip hop around the world has been well documented (Bennett, 1999; Mitchell, 2001), however the genre of UK Hip Hop (or British Hip Hop) has been largely overlooked in scholarly research. Although largely an underground music scene with very limited commercial success, UK hip hop has been recognized as being pivotal in the development of the more commercially successful genres of grime, trip hop and drum’n’bass (Hesmondhalgh & Melville, 2001; Campion, 2006). Existing research into UK hip hop has often been from a cultural or sociological, rather than musicological perspective (Hesmondhalgh & Melville, 2001; Webb, 2007; Bennett, 1999; Dedman, 2011).
Using semi-structured interviews with key UK hip-hop producers alongside analysis of published interviews from selected hip-hop media publications alongside analyses and discussion of examples of the producer’s musical works to support the interview data, the aim of this paper is to examine the impact of the amalgamation of British and hip-hop musical aesthetics and its impact on the development of UK hip-hop production practice during what is widely considered its most prolific period between 1998 and 2005 (Speers, 2014).
References Bennett, A. (1999) Rappin’ on the Tyne: White Hip Hop Culture in Northeast England – an Ethnographic Study. The Sociological Review, 47 (1), pp.1–24. Campion, C. (2006) Inside grime. The Guardian. Available from: <http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2004/may/23/urban1> [Accessed 14 November 2012]. Dedman, T. (2011) Agency in UK hip-hop and grime youth subcultures - peripherals and purists. Journal of Youth Studies, 14 (5), pp.507–522. Hesmondhalgh, D. & Melville, C. (2001) Urban Breakbeat Culture - Repercussions of Hip-Hop in the United Kingdom. In: T. Mitchell ed. Global Noise: Rap and Hip Hop outside the USA. Wesleyan University Press. Mitchell, T. ed. (2001) Global Noise: Rap and Hip Hop outside the USA. Wesleyan University Press. Speers, L. (2014) Keepin’ It Real: Negotiating Authenticity in the London Hip Hop Scene. PhD Thesis. London, Kings College London. Webb, P. (2007) Hip hop’s musicians and audiences in the local musical ‘milieu’. In: P. Hodkinson & W. Deicke eds. Youth Cultures: Scenes, Subcultures and Tribes. Oxon, Routledge.
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Using semi-structured interviews with key UK hip-hop producers alongside analysis of published interviews from selected hip-hop media publications alongside analyses and discussion of examples of the producer’s musical works to support the interview data, the aim of this paper is to examine the impact of the amalgamation of British and hip-hop musical aesthetics and its impact on the development of UK hip-hop production practice during what is widely considered its most prolific period between 1998 and 2005 (Speers, 2014).
References
Bennett, A. (1999) Rappin’ on the Tyne: White Hip Hop Culture in Northeast England – an Ethnographic Study. The Sociological Review, 47 (1), pp.1–24.
Campion, C. (2006) Inside grime. The Guardian. Available from: <http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2004/may/23/urban1> [Accessed 14 November 2012].
Dedman, T. (2011) Agency in UK hip-hop and grime youth subcultures - peripherals and purists. Journal of Youth Studies, 14 (5), pp.507–522.
Hesmondhalgh, D. & Melville, C. (2001) Urban Breakbeat Culture - Repercussions of Hip-Hop in the United Kingdom. In: T. Mitchell ed. Global Noise: Rap and Hip Hop outside the USA. Wesleyan University Press.
Mitchell, T. ed. (2001) Global Noise: Rap and Hip Hop outside the USA. Wesleyan University Press.
Speers, L. (2014) Keepin’ It Real: Negotiating Authenticity in the London Hip Hop Scene. PhD Thesis. London, Kings College London.
Webb, P. (2007) Hip hop’s musicians and audiences in the local musical ‘milieu’. In: P. Hodkinson & W. Deicke eds. Youth Cultures: Scenes, Subcultures and Tribes. Oxon, Routledge.
Using semi-structured interviews with key UK hip-hop producers alongside analysis of published interviews from selected hip-hop media publications alongside analyses and discussion of examples of the producer’s musical works to support the interview data, the aim of this paper is to examine the impact of the amalgamation of British and hip-hop musical aesthetics and its impact on the development of UK hip-hop production practice during what is widely considered its most prolific period between 1998 and 2005 (Speers, 2014).
References
Bennett, A. (1999) Rappin’ on the Tyne: White Hip Hop Culture in Northeast England – an Ethnographic Study. The Sociological Review, 47 (1), pp.1–24.
Campion, C. (2006) Inside grime. The Guardian. Available from: <http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2004/may/23/urban1> [Accessed 14 November 2012].
Dedman, T. (2011) Agency in UK hip-hop and grime youth subcultures - peripherals and purists. Journal of Youth Studies, 14 (5), pp.507–522.
Hesmondhalgh, D. & Melville, C. (2001) Urban Breakbeat Culture - Repercussions of Hip-Hop in the United Kingdom. In: T. Mitchell ed. Global Noise: Rap and Hip Hop outside the USA. Wesleyan University Press.
Mitchell, T. ed. (2001) Global Noise: Rap and Hip Hop outside the USA. Wesleyan University Press.
Speers, L. (2014) Keepin’ It Real: Negotiating Authenticity in the London Hip Hop Scene. PhD Thesis. London, Kings College London.
Webb, P. (2007) Hip hop’s musicians and audiences in the local musical ‘milieu’. In: P. Hodkinson & W. Deicke eds. Youth Cultures: Scenes, Subcultures and Tribes. Oxon, Routledge.