Why do we need to understand music genre and culture to manage the crowd?
The importance of music genre to the safe delivery of an event can be understood through its use as a ‘language’ or currency. Genres enable members of that community to communicate both efficiently and effectively.
By understanding the genre and culture at a venue, organisers can apply the appropriate safety, security and service measures.
Our CEO, Professor Chris Kemp, has examined both musical genre and crowded space management in depth with a PhD in the former and a series of books on the latter. Here are some of his key findings…
Music Genre
When defining music genre, it could be argued that music is a clear “cultural case” rather than an “empirical case”. Fabbri (1999) suggests that when dealing with types of music, a reference point is needed within a framework of cultural norms.
However, such information becomes clouded as music can also denote technologies and economies as well as composers, managerial choices and aesthetic elements.
In this context, Fabbri alludes to the complex nature of the categorisation of elements, as there are a number of categories, taxonomies or elements relating to genre working at any one time. It is therefore important to be careful with the utilisation of such terminology in any exploration of the management of an audience watching live music.
Labelling
Such taxonomic instability confuses the labelling process. For example, an artist such as Metallica may be categorised as thrash metal by the consumer (owing to the original incarnation of the artist), rock by the retailer (utilising a marketing category in which to place the artist) or popular by the journalist (identified through the number of phonograms of a new product or concert tickets sold over a short period of time).
Grime and Rap Example
Grime, a subgenre of rap, is characterised by its rhythm and aggressive lyrics, often incorporating slang and references to urban life. It is distinguished by its faster tempo and utilisation of electronic sounds, as observed in Mukhtarova and Alimuradov’s (2020) comparative analysis of English and Russian grime. Afrobeats is a genre that merges West African musical styles with American funk and jazz influences, characterised by complex grooves and percussion patterns, once again demonstrating the diverse influences and cultures inherent in this intricate multi-genre area.
Interestingly, while rap and grime share common features, such as the use of slang and commentary on life, they diverge in musical style and thematic focus. Grime’s distinctiveness is further emphasised by its linguistic features, which include a wider spectrum of intertextuality in Russian-language grime than in English-language grime (Mukhtarova & Alimuradov, 2020).
Additionally, Rambarran’s (2018) study of the UK rap suggests a lack of recognition and understanding of the genre within educational settings, despite its cultural significance. This extends to the live music scene which was one of the challenges post-Covid.
Complexities
Fornas identifies genres as socially constructed concepts, both relative and deterministic, which have shared meanings and control the various groups participating in the genre utilisation process. The identification by Fornas of the relevant decision makers in the genre process concurs with the views of Negus (1999), Robinson (1991), Storey (1994) and Moore (2001).
Zorn (2000) wrote in his preface to Arcana: Musicians on Music that genres are tools used to “commodify and commercialize an artist’s complex personal vision” (Zorn 2000:v). By such commodification and commercialisation the message is disseminated and, depending on the marketing vehicle utilised, the spread of the artist’s personal vision is thus expansive or parochial.
Profiling
There are so many ways of interpreting genre and so many sub generic styles that are constantly in flux, it is almost impossible for those in venues to distinguish between artists being grouped under the same genre category.
The key to understanding the event is to have a strong profiling system which has many different fluid and flexible signifiers. By doing this the venue cuts down the inherent challenges with an event and can be ready to apply the appropriate safety, security and service posture. Perhaps one that provides the best interface with the audience and thus supports a safe and secure environment.
This is about the idiosyncratic and not the generic.
Mind Over Matter Consultancy
MOM are experts in crowd management and crowd safety. Find out more about the team here…http://www.momconsultancy.com/who-we-are/