PhD in Music - Ethnomusicology

Ethnomusicologists seek to understand the whole process within which music is imagined, discussed and made. We try to relate specific musical sounds, behaviours and ideas to their broader social, cultural and political contexts. Studying individuals and societies all around the world, including the West, we aim to discover and document human musical life in its full richness and diversity. One unifying theme in the ethnomusicological approach is the method of participant-observation: typically, we work closely with our musical contacts over a sustained period, and we often learn performance alongside others in the tradition as a means of building expertise and sharing experience.