Musical Genres Don't Exist

24TH FEBRUARY 2009 - THE CIRCLE CLUB - MANCHESTER

THE PANEL
Chaired by JOHN ROBB (Punk), Presenter, Writer and Cultural Commentator
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THE TALK
Musical genres have been colliding recently, haven’t they? Indie bands are making disco, R’n’B (aka rhythm and blues) producers are doing house, house disciples are dancing to electro. At least that might be the opinion of someone who believes that these ‘genres’ existed in the first place. Surely music is just music, isn’t it? Whether we agree or not, cultural divisions have existed for as long as culture itself, and music is no exception. What we’ll be discussing tonight is how and why these cultural divisions are becoming blurred and how far this is affecting the creation and classification of music.


Is it helpful to categorise music?
Who for and why?
How do we define a genre?
Who labels music and how are we going to label it in the future?
Can new advances in technology dictate musical genres?
What influence is the www having on the classification of music?
Is there a significant link between music and globalisation?
Is popular music amalgamating?
If so, why now?

THE PANEL
Chaired by JOHN ROBB, presenter, writer and cultural commentator
TIM WISE teaches popular musicology, music history, and style and genre analysis at the University of Salford where he is programme leader of the Popular Music and Recording degree
GAVIN SHARP CEO at Band On The Wall, Manchester music Institution and venue
DAVID SANJEK Head of the Popular Music Research Centre University of Salford. He has also worked the performance rights society BMI, R&R Hall of Fame, the Experience Music Project, Blues Foundation.


ENTERTAINMENT
An eclectic mashup of music will be provided by the Henmania DJs, from right of centre lofi triphop with a twist of bruk to hardcore two-step fidget swingbeat.