The SongData Project explores the potential of using discographic and biographic data to learn more about how popular music genres form, develop, and evolve over time. We are developing approaches for using information about songs and artists to explore the connections between musicians and the broader socio-cultural and institutional frameworks that govern genres.
| What is discographic data? Discographic data is the information that describes a record included in a discography. This information includes the song titles, names of songwriters (authors), performers (solo artists/groups) and producers, release dates, label catalogue numbers, and classification for popular music singles. |
What is biographic data? Biographic data includes all relevant information that describes the artists (songwriter, performer, producer) responsible for the production of a record, including name (and pseudonym), birth/death date, birth/death location, gender, and race. |
There are currently three active and two foundational research projects ongoing with SongData. These projects have been funded by a professional development grants from the University of Ottawa and from research grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.