Musicology

MUSICOLOGY

The Musicology area of the College of Music encourages students to approach music as a culturally expressive form, engage with the musical richness of our world, and develop their own musical identities within an increasingly interconnected globe.

Our program incorporates historical musicology, ethnomusicology, and interdisciplinary studies within a rich, integrated mode of inquiry.

Our current faculty hold expertise in: American popular musics; Appalachian musics; African diasporic musics; musics of Bali; ethnographic methods; film studies; gender studies; medieval and Renaissance music; music and modernity; Nordic musics; religion and music; Russian and Eastern European musics; technology and music; sound studies and environment.

Study of Musicology at the University of Tennessee is strongly supported by the outstanding collections of the George F. DeVine Music Library.

Why study musicology?

To understand a wide variety of musics within their historical, cultural, and social contexts
To gain understanding and awareness of diverse cultural practices of music within today’s increasingly interconnected globe
To deepen and strengthen one’s own individual music interests
To gain expertise in interdisciplinary methodologies pertaining to the study of music
To participate in opportunities for collaboration, personal mentoring, and independent research
To pursue flexible curricula that can be tailored to suit individual interests
To hone writing skills, research and critical thinking abilities
To prepare for graduate study in historical musicology or ethnomusicology
To meaningfully participate in music outreach, music activism, music community building, or music non-profit work
To prepare for careers in music teaching, music academia, music publishing, or in allied disciplines such as music therapy, music librarianship, or museum studies

Undergraduate Programs

The Bachelor of Arts with Concentration in Music and Culture is an innovative, unique liberal arts degree ideal for students interested in music history and ethnomusicology. It is also suitable for those who intend to pursue related career paths in music librarianship, music journalism, music publishing, music therapy, or media industries.

The Music and Culture Minor is available to all undergraduate students at the University. It offers focused studies in musicology that can be combined with any Bachelor’s degree.

Interdisciplinary Minors

The Musicology area also offers interdisciplinary minors:

These minors are open to all students at the University and offer specialized tracks for exploring specific musical traditions in their cultural, historical, social, and global contexts. Each track incorporates possibilities to explore academic music study, performance experiences, and related cultural studies in allied disciplines.

Graduate Program

We offer a Master of Music with a Concentration in Musicology for students who wish to pursue advanced degrees in historical musicology or ethnomusicology. Our program emphasizes musics in their social, intellectual, and cultural contexts within an integrated program in historical musicology and ethnomusicology.

Graduates of this program are well qualified to pursue doctoral study in these fields, to continue into programs in music librarianship or museum studies, to pursue careers as teachers and academics in historical musicology or ethnomusicology, or to participate in meaningful public outreach, activism, or non-profit work related to music and culture.

Applicants to the graduate program in Musicology are encouraged to apply for our Graduate Teaching Assistantships in Musicology, which offer funding for study and additional opportunities to acquire teaching and research experience in the discipline. Click here to view Graduate Teaching Assistantships.

For further information, contact Professor Rachel Golden, Coordinator of Musicology, rmgolden@utk.edu.

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Assistantships

Resources