Sonic Identity at the Margins

Sonic Identity at the Margins brings together 17 scholars, composers, and performers to explore sonic identity from the 19th century to the present, focusing on sonic creation, performance, and reception in real and imagined spaces. It reimagines the roles played by music and sound in constructing notions of identity and addresses challenging topics such as slavery, indigeneity, immigration, and colonial expansion.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 13 January 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Sonic Identity at the Margins is a groundbreaking interdisciplinary collection that brings together the work of 17 academics, composers, and performers to explore the multifaceted concept of sonic identity from the 19th century to the present. Recognizing the complex nature of identity formation, the authors in this volume employ a diverse range of methodological approaches, encompassing personal accounts, embodied expressions, archival research, and hermeneutic interpretation. Their exploration spans real and imagined spaces, from video games and monument sites to films and depictions of outer space, with a particular focus on sonic creation, performance, and reception. Drawing from a wide array of artistic and performance disciplines, the authors reimagine the roles played by music and sound in shaping notions of identity across a broad spectrum of musical experiences, including anti-slavery songsters, Indigenous tunes and soundscapes, noise and multimedia, as well as popular music and symphonic works.

In their examination of relationships between sound and various markers of identity, such as race, gender, ability, and nationality, the authors delve into challenging and timely topics such as the legacies of slavery, indigeneity, immigration, and colonial expansion. By responding to recent calls to decolonize music studies and challenge its dominant methodologies, the authors interrogate privileged perspectives embedded in the creation, performance, and listening to sound, as well as the approaches used to analyze these experiences.

Through their interdisciplinary approach, Sonic Identity at the Margins offers a rich and multifaceted exploration of sonic identity, shedding light on its historical, cultural, and social dimensions. It serves as a valuable resource for scholars, musicians, and artists alike, contributing to our understanding of the complex interplay between sound, identity, and the broader societal context in which they operate.

Weight: 604g
Dimension: 158 x 236 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501368783