Mix and Scratch: The Turntable Becomes a Musical Instrument, 1975-1978

Mark Katz Music, University of North Carolina Mark Katz This talk takes as its focus the transformation of the turntable from a playback device to a musical instrument during the early years of hip-hop. It will examine landmark innovations in turntable technique -- including Grandmaster Flash's development of the clock theory method of mixing records and GrandWizzard Theodore's introduction of needle-dropping and scratching -- as well as changes in turntable and mixer technology. In doing so it will offer a framework for understanding the musical and social basis for the turntable's instrumentality and demonstrate how hip-hop went from being a performance practice to a musical genre in its own right. Additional support: Musicology Division, School of Music Tuesday, March 9, 2010 4:00 pm Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum

Added 1 May 2026