Anthropology of Music

Lecture Series and Master Class

The Anthropology of Music Lecture Series and Master Class is part of a new initiative to further strengthen and expand the focus on music at the Department of Anthropology and African Studies (ifeas), Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany. Combining a public lecture series held by one of the field’s most established representatives with a Master Class designed for young researchers to present their works, this newformat provides a unique opportunity to discuss ongoing research and reflect on the current state of anthropological engagements with music and sound.

Its first edition took place in 2018, focusing on the topic of Valuing Music. As expert on this topic, Timothy Taylor, professor of ethnomusicology and musicology at the University of Los Angeles (UCLA), explored in three subsequent lectures questions of value with respect to music as a form of cultural production. The master class on the same topic provided a group of young researchers from across the globe with the opportunity to present their work, discuss it with leading exponents of their field (Timothy Taylor among them) and relate it to recent developments and debates. This year, we will explore acoustemology with Steven Feld!
The call for applications is available here.