Eric M Usner Senior Adjunct Assistant Professor of American Studies
At F&M off and on as an adjunct since 2014. Teaching for Africana Studies; American Studies; Connections Curriculum; English; Environmental Studies; Music; Women鈥檚, Gender, & Sexuality Studies.
Also held appointments at The University of Chicago, The Johns Hopkins University, West Chester University, Ursinus College, Bard College, The University of Vienna, Sarah Lawrence College, The University of California-Riverside, Austrian State Teacher鈥檚 College
Education
Ph.D. New York University
M.A. University of California, Riverside
- - University of Vienna (Fulbright Study)
Certificate University of Cambridge (T.E.F.L.A.)
B.A. Dickinson College
Courses Created for F&M
AMS 100 Introduction to American Studies
AMS 174 American Popular Music
AMS/MUS/AFS 270 Music Along the Mississippi
AMS/ENE 271 American Nature: Identity, Culture, & Sustainability
AMS/ENE 274 America Eats: Food, Nature, Sustainability
AMS 275 Introduction to Critical Food Studies
AMS/MUS 375 The Music of Working America
AMS/AFS 376 Gumbo Nation: Food and American Identities
AMS/MUS 377 Intersectionality & American Music
CNX 161 The Past, Present, & Future of Food
CNX 179 Music & the Environment
CNX 226 Things: The Social Life of Objects
ENE 117 The Environment & Human Values
ENE 278 The Political Ecology of Food and Agriculture
MUS 102 Hearing Refugees in G/local Pennsylvania (Introduction to World Music)
MUS/ANTH 220 The Anthropology of Music
MUS 229 Music in Cultural Perspective
MUS/AMS 372 America / Music / Politics
MUS 490 Independent Studies on Music & Technology; Music & Capitalism
WGSS 373 Gender, Intersectionality, & Sustainabilities
Courses Offered Elsewhere
Undergraduate
ENV Food & Society
MUS Hearing G/local Chicago (Introduction to World Music)
MUS Introduction to the Social and Cultural Study of Music
MUS History of Western European Art Music I & II
MUS History of Rock
MUS The Politics of Race in American Music
MUS The Global Jukebox: Migrations and Mediations of Music in the 20th Century
MUS Music & Identity
MUS Music, Performance, Politics
CSL/Experiential Education/Immersion: Nicaragua 鈥 Music & Social Justice
Graduate
MUS Engaging Ethno/musicology: Applied and Community-Based Praxis; The University of Chicago
MUS Theory, Scope, & Method in Ethnomusicology; Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University
MUS Ethnomusicology of Western Art Music; Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University
MUS Post -鈥淲orld鈥 Music; West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Publications
Articles in Refereed Journals
鈥淭he Condition of Mozart: Uses of Music & Culture in Vienna鈥檚 Mozart Year.鈥 Ethnomusicology Forum. 20 (3), 2011
鈥淒ancing in the Past, Living in the Present: Race and Nostalgia in Southern California Neo-Swing Dance Subculture.鈥 Dance Research Journal 33(2), 2001
Chapters in Collections
鈥淭he Condition of Mozart: Uses of Music and Culture in Vienna鈥檚 Mozart Year.鈥 The Ethnomusicology of Western Art Music. Laudan Nooshin, ed. Routledge. 2013
鈥淔rom Skeptic to Convert, from (short-term) Service to (long-term) Witness: Towards Pedagogies of Witnessing on International Service Trips鈥 International Volunteer Tourism: Critical Reflections on Good Works in Central America. Katey Borland, Abigal Adams, eds. Palgrave Press. 2013
鈥(U.S.) Ethnomusicology and the Engaged University in the New Century.鈥 Historical & Emerging Approaches to Applied Ethnomusicology. Svanibor Pettan, et. al., eds. Cambridge Scholars鈥 Press. 2010
Reviews
K枚lbl, Marko, Fritz Tr眉mpi, eds. Music and Democracy: Participatory Approaches, 2021, Wien: transcript. mdw Magazin, Vienna.
Lebrun, Barbara. 2009. Protest Music in France: Production, Identity and Audiences. Ashgate: Surry, England. Journal of the Musical Arts in Africa.10. 2013
Ivey, Bill. 2008. Arts Inc.: How Greed and Neglect Have Destroyed Our Cultural Rights. voicexchange.3(1).
Selected Editorial & Translation Work
European Voices: Multipart Singing in the Balkans and the Mediterranean. Gerlinde Haid and Ardian Ahmedaja. B枚hlau Verlag, Vienna.
脰sterreichische Musikzeitschrift, Vienna, Austria. 12/2006, 8/2006
Schene Liada 鈥 Harbe Tanz. CD Booklet. Audio Documentation of Folk Music in Austria, Vol. 6; Vol. 7. Rudolf Pietsch, ed. Institute for Folk Music and Ethnomusicology, University of Performing Arts, Vienna. 2015
Wir lernen jodeln. Hermann H盲rtel. Tradmotion Records, Austria. CD Booklet. 2010
The New Jewish School of Music. [Nemtsov, Jascha. 2004. Die Neue J眉dische Schule in der Musik. Studien und Quellen zur j眉dischen Musikkultur, Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden]. Commission for Milken Archive of Jewish Music, New York. 2008
Of the Spirit of Music: A Life in the Amadeus Quartet. [Brainin, Norbert. 2005. Vom Geist der Musik: Ein Leben im Amadeus Quartet. Hrsg. Reinhold Rieger]. Private commission. 2006
Faculty Development Workshops
鈥淭eaching in Real-Time: A Participatory Workshop.鈥 Mobilizing Music: Social Justice Series. Syracuse University. 7.4.2017
Invited Talks
鈥淧edagogies for Futures: Towards Critical Pedagogies of Un/learning, Growing Ecological Imaginations Through Music.鈥 isaScience, University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. Reichanau am Rax, Austria. 31.8-4.9.2022
鈥溾楾he Beholding Ear,鈥 or Hearing Different Stories - Towards Regenerative Music Studies.鈥 isaScience 2021. University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. Reichanau am Rax, Austria. 11-15.8.2021
鈥淪ounding Sustainability: Musical Greenwashing in the Time of Climate Crisis.鈥 MUSIC/MEDIA/HISTORY. Re-Thinking Musicology in an Age of Digital Media. Institut f眉r Musikwissenschaft und Interpretationsforschung, Universit盲t f眉r Musik und darstellende Kunst Vienna, 14-17.3.2019.
鈥淭eaching in Real-Time: Toward Ethnographic, Collaborative, Inclusive Pedagogies of World Music.鈥 Participatory Approaches to Music and Democracy. isaScience 2018. University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. Reichanau am Rax, Austria. 10-14.8.2018
鈥淧aradoxen des Schlaraffenlands: Hunger, Ern盲hrungssicherung, und Food Justice im Lokallebensmittelbewegungen der USA.鈥 Internationales Forschungzentrum Kulturwissenschaft, Sommerakademie. Austria. 22-27.8.2016
"Paradoxes of Classical Music's Cosmopolitanisms." University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 22.3.2012
鈥淨uestioning (with) Music.鈥 Gettysburg College. 29.2.2012
鈥淢usikwissenschaft and Cosmopolitanism: Roots and Routes of Western Musicologies.鈥 Negotiating the 鈥榃est鈥 Music(logic)ally. Utrecht University, The Netherlands. 11-12.4.2011
Keynote: 鈥淭he Rise & Fall of Music in the Starbucks Experience.鈥 鈥淢obilities.鈥 University of Chicago. 9.12.2009
鈥淏randing Hipness: Music, Race, & Marketing Starbucks.鈥 Institute of Ethnology, Zagreb, Croatia. 30.1.2007
鈥溾橩lassische Musik als kulturelle Praxis im Wien: (Ethnographische) Begegnung und Bedeutungen.鈥 Jour fixe, University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, Austria. 24.1.2007
Conferences
Conferences Organized
2nd Biennial Meeting of the Study Group on Applied Ethnomusicology. Co-Convener, Program Chair. Joint Meeting with Music and Minorities Study Group, International Council for Traditional Music, Hanoi, Vietnam. 19-30.7.2010
1st Biennial Meeting of the Study Group on Applied Ethnomusicology 鈥淗istorical and Emerging Approaches to Applied Ethnomusicology.鈥 Co-Convener, Program Chair, ICTM, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 9-13.7.2008
鈥淐ultural Diversity and the Urban Area: Explorations in Urban Ethnomusicology.鈥 Local Committee, Conference Interpreter. University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, Austria. 24.-26.3.2006
鈥淢usic, Performance, & Racial Imaginations.鈥 Convener. Program Chair. Co-sponsored by Departments of Music, American Studies, and Performance Studies. New York, NY. 4-5.3.2005
22nd Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology. Program Chair. Ramapo College, Mahwah, NJ. 28.-29.3.2003
21st Annual Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology. Program Chair. University of Virginia, Arlington, VA. 27-28.3.2002
Panels Organized
鈥淧raxes of Engagement: Re-imagining Applied Ethnomusicology for the 21st Century.鈥 With Brett Pyper (South Africa), Adriana Helbig (USA), Carol Muller (USA). Presented: 鈥淎cross the Midway: Engaging Ethnomusicology on the South Side of Chicago.鈥 40th World Congress of the ICTM, Durban, South Africa. 1-8.7.2009
鈥淒isplacing the 鈥榃estern鈥 in Western Art Music.鈥 w/ Suzi Wint, Yara El-Ghadban, Su Zheng. Presented: 鈥淢aintaining the Center: Western Art Music as a Viennese Cultural Practice.鈥 52nd Meeting of the Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM), Middleton, CT. 25-28.10.2008
鈥淓ngaged Ethnomusicologies: Pedagogies & Practices of Community-Based Learning and Research.鈥 Organizer/Chair. With Carol Muller (USA), Elizabeth MacKinlay (Australia), Samuel Araujo (Brazil), Regine Allgayer-Kaufman (Austria). Presented: 鈥淣orth American (Applied) Ethnomusicology and the Engaged University in the New Century.鈥 1st Meeting of the Study Group on Applied Ethnomusicology, ICTM, Ljubljana, Slovenia. 9-13.7.2008
鈥淢usic, Technology and the Politics of the Popular in the Urban Soundscape.鈥 With Mojca Piskor (Croatia), Maja Marty (Slovenia), Irena Mih贸lic (Croatia). Presented: 鈥淢anaging Mozart: Uses of Musical Culture in Vienna鈥檚 Mozart Year.鈥 39th World Congress of the ICTM, Vienna, Austria.4-11.7.2007
鈥溾橰outes to Tenure鈥: Careers and Professional Development Committee Workshop.鈥 Roundtable with Thomas Porcello, Louise Meintjes, Elizabeth Tolbert, Deborah Wong, Zoe Sherinian, Gage Averill, Steve Loza. 51st Meeting of the Society for Ethnomusicology, Columbus, OH. 24-28.10.2007
Selected Conference Papers & Presentations
鈥淐ritical Eco-Pedagogies of Musicking & Creative Praxis.鈥 Music, Research, Activism. University of Helsinki. 11-12. May 2023
鈥淭eaching in Place.鈥 Musical Activism & Agency. Pre-Conference Symposium. 65th Meeting of SEM. 21.10.20
鈥淟ocalizing Drawdown: Collaboratively Building Regenerate Lancaster.鈥 Research to Action: The Science of Drawdown. 1st International Drawdown Conference. Penn State University. 16-18.9.2019
鈥溾橞ut that鈥檚 not ethnomusicology!鈥 The Ethnomusicology of Classical Music in Vienna.鈥 IDRF Fellows鈥 Workshop, Social Science Research Council. Portland, OR. 5-10.10.2006
鈥淭owards a Pedagogy of Witnessing: Ethnomusicology, Service Learning and Social Justice." Musicology Society of Australia, Sydney, Australia. 26.9-1.10.2005
鈥溾橪ive More Musically鈥: The Seductive Sounds of Starbucks鈥 Siren Songs.鈥 Experience Music Project, 4th Conference on Popular Music, Seattle, WA. 11-14.4.2005
"Towards a Pedagogy of Witnessing: Ethnomusicology, Service Learning and Social Justice." 48th Meeting of the SEM, Tucson, AZ. 3-7.11.2004
鈥淢usic and Race in Early 20th Century Vienna: Viennese Jews and the Creation of Modern Viennese Identity.鈥 47th Meeting of the SEM, Miami, FL. 1-5.10.2003
鈥淓thnomusicology as a Political Act: The Ethnomusicology of Nicaraguan Song as Social Justice Work.鈥 23rd Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of SEM, Ramapo College, Mahwah, NJ. 28-29.3.2003
鈥淪coring America: Viennese Jews and the 鈥楥lassic Hollywood Film Score.鈥欌 Continuities & Discontinuities in the Austrian 20th Century, University of Edinburgh, Scotland. 1-5.4.2003
鈥淪coring America: Viennese Jews and the 鈥楥lassic Hollywood Film Score.鈥欌 Society for American Music Annual Meeting, Tempe, AZ. 25.2.-1.3.2003
鈥淣ostalgia for the Melting Pot: Vernacular Discourse on Race in Southern California Neo-Swing Dance Subculture.鈥 Meeting of the Society for American Music, Louisville, KY. 21-25.3.2002
鈥淒ancing in the Past, Living in the Present: Race & Nostalgia in Southern California Neo-Swing Dance Subculture.鈥 Society for Dance History Scholars, Towson, MD. 22- 25.6.2001.
鈥淚n the Virtual Field: Ethnography and Internet Communities.鈥 43rd Meeting of the SEM, Austin, TX. 20.10.1999
鈥淣ostalgia in Neo-Swing Culture.鈥 Annual Meeting of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music-United States, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN. 30.9.- 02.10.1999
Campus Presentations & Workshops
鈥淟istening (to) Crisis: Ecomusicological Perspectives on Climate.鈥 Global Teach-In On Climate Justice, Ursinus College, March 2022
Day of Dialogue: With a team of students, facilitated two community reflection sessions; designed & facilitated two workshops: 鈥淢usic and Identity鈥 & 鈥淣egotiating Privilege at HWCUs (Historically White Colleges & Universities).鈥 2016, 2018
鈥淐ritical Whiteness Studies & Musikwissenschaft.鈥 Colloquium Series, University of Chicago. 1.5.2009
鈥淚s Mozart White?: Critical Whiteness Studies and the Musicologies.鈥 Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture, University of Chicago. 23.4.2009
鈥淐lassical Music as Cultural Practice.鈥 Eth-noize! Colloquium Series, University of Chicago. 24.10.2008
Selected Public Sector Work
Recent Public Talks
鈥淭he Latinidad of American Music.鈥 Winter Center for the Performing Arts, Millersville University, Lancaster, PA. 6.2.2018
鈥淭raditional & Popular Music in Zimbabwe and southern Africa.鈥 Ware Center for the Performing Arts, Lancaster, PA. 12.11.2017
鈥淎n Introduction to Irish Music.鈥 Ware Center for the Performing Arts, Lancaster, PA. 4.3.2017.
鈥淎n Introduction to Haitian Song.鈥 Ware Center for the Performing Arts, Lancaster, PA. 15.2.2017.
Other Public Sphere Activities
Board Member, Ephrata Cloister Associates, Ephrata Cloister Historic Site, Ephrata, PA 2020 -
Adult Education/Faith Development Course Leader. Unitarian Universalist Church, Lancaster, PA. 2010-13.
- Immigration as a Moral Issue (UUA Program)
- The Gospel According to Bruce Springsteen (co-led w/ seminarian)
- Menu for the Future: Politics of Food (Northwest Earth Institute Program)
- Reconnecting with Earth (Northwest Earth Institute Program)
Board Member. Eastern Market, Lancaster, PA. 2009-2011
Racial Justice Taskforce, First Unitarian Church of Chicago. 2008-2009
Market Volunteer, 61st Street Market, Experimental Station, Chicago, IL. 2008-2009. Aided in co-ordination of food justice initiative in Chicago鈥檚 Southside.
Maxwell H. Gluck Foundation Fellow, University of California, Riverside. 1998-1999. Directed Music Department community outreach program.