Projects

Cultures of Musical Research in the Contemporary University
Directed by Adjunct Associate Professor Sally Macarthur

This project examines the implications—economic, musical, and cultural—that music teaching and research is currently experiencing in the contemporary university but offers new insights and paths to secure a future of vibrant, quality, and meaningful music research. It challenges conventional views about what comprises the modern music program in higher education, and asks what kinds of research and scholarship it should undertake in the contemporary, decolonized and new materialist world.

Publications arising from this project will include a special-issue journal and ongoing research into the future of the music academy in Australia and beyond.

Musical Networks: Exchanges and Migrations
Directed by Adjunct Professor Paul Watt

Drawing on the most recent theorising of global history, this project examines networks and activities established between music and musicians in Australia and other countries, particularly in Asia. It will chart the flow of ideas, music-making, technology and cultural practice in and out of Australia, its dominions, and territories.

Outputs will include special-issue journals edited by distinguished scholars with expertise in global history, applied ethnomusicology and historical musicology. The research outputs will constitute the beginnings of a writing of a new history of music in Australia in new and innovative ways. It will signal a shift in thinking about Australia’s place in the musical world.

Digital Humanities and Music Research
Directed by Dr Jula Szuster

This strand will seek to digitise the humanities source material located in the Rare Books and Special Collections of the Barr Smith Library, University of Adelaide. This will provide an opportunity to connect with other scholars across other faculties of the University to work on innovative and efficient ways to present this material for research in the digital environment.

The initial stage of the program is to investigate the materials available for digitization, the scope of the program, funding opportunities, and a timetable for implementation.