The M.A. and Ph.D. programs in Ethnomusicology at Memorial University offer unique opportunities for individuals who are interested in researching music as a cultural practice. Courses in the program examine a variety of musical traditions, explore key issues in contemporary theory and method, and develop skills in both academic and applied ethnomusicology, including audio and video documentary film-making. The ethnomusicology programs are housed at the Research Centre for Music, Media and Place (MMaP). MMaP draws world-renowned scholars through its Music & Culture Lecture Series, scholar-in-residence program, performance series, and conferences.

Graduate study in Ethnomusicology at Memorial University is interdisciplinary, with courses offered through both the School of Music and the Department of Folklore.

The academic objectives of the program are:

• To study the ways by which music serves as a social practice both within communities and social groups, as well as between and among them.
• To investigate the way in which individuals and groups construct many levels of “meaning” from sounds that are, in themselves, neutral and abstract.
• To study how people conceptualize their practices.
• To examine how music is both an end in itself and, at times, simply the medium for various social negotiations.
• To study how power relations, including matters of policy and hegemonic value systems, impact on musical practices.
• To explore the impact of new modes of communication and globalized economies on the production and distribution of music.

For more information, contact ethnomusicology@mun.ca.

Interested in applying? Visit our admissions page for more information.