James Cannon

Profile

I am a postgraduate researcher at the School of Music under the supervision of Professor Alinka Greasley and Professor Alice O’Grady. My PhD began in 2022 and is funded by the White Rose College of the Arts & Humanities (WRoCAH). My thesis focuses on the behavioral, physiological, and musical processes that contribute to subjective experiences of electronic dance music events. Specifically, I explore musical embodiment, affective responses to music, and social bonding.

I received my MA in Applied Psychology of Music from the University of Leeds in 2019. In 2021, I published research on the impact of electronic dance music event participation on well-being in Music & Science alongside Alinka Greasley.

From 2021 to 2022 I held an interim role as a Visiting Research Assistant at the university in which I worked on a data-driven project showcasing the impact of electronic dance music on culture, communities, and well-being (supported by Audience Strategies). This included contributing to the IMS business report 2022 and leading authorship of an industry-supported report on the impact of dance music on communities and culture in conjunction with the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) and Association for Electronic Music (AFEM). This report, in turn, formed part of the UK’s first electronic music industry report released in 2023 by the NTIA. I am passionate about research impact and continue to engage in projects for the electronic music and nightlife industries.

In my spare time, I DJ and run a netlabel that hosts new releases from emerging producers in UK bass music. You can listen to my mixes here. 

View all publications on my ResearchGate profile.

Research interests

• Embodied music cognition
• Music and emotion
• Interpersonal synchronisation
• Live music participation
• Music and well-being
• Electronic dance music culture
• DJ performance

Qualifications

• MA Applied Psychology of Music
• BSc Psychology and Education (Joint Hons.)