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’s, 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’s 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 – 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 -“World” Music; West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Publications
Articles in Refereed Journals
“The Condition of Mozart: Uses of Music & Culture in Vienna’s Mozart Year.” Ethnomusicology Forum. 20 (3), 2011
“Dancing in the Past, Living in the Present: Race and Nostalgia in Southern California Neo-Swing Dance Subculture.” Dance Research Journal 33(2), 2001
Chapters in Collections
“The Condition of Mozart: Uses of Music and Culture in Vienna’s Mozart Year.” The Ethnomusicology of Western Art Music. Laudan Nooshin, ed. Routledge. 2013
“From Skeptic to Convert, from (short-term) Service to (long-term) Witness: Towards Pedagogies of Witnessing on International Service Trips” International Volunteer Tourism: Critical Reflections on Good Works in Central America. Katey Borland, Abigal Adams, eds. Palgrave Press. 2013
“(U.S.) Ethnomusicology and the Engaged University in the New Century.” Historical & Emerging Approaches to Applied Ethnomusicology. Svanibor Pettan, et. al., eds. Cambridge Scholars’ Press. 2010
Reviews
Kölbl, Marko, Fritz Trümpi, 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. Böhlau Verlag, Vienna.
Österreichische Musikzeitschrift, Vienna, Austria. 12/2006, 8/2006
Schene Liada – 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 Härtel. Tradmotion Records, Austria. CD Booklet. 2010
The New Jewish School of Music. [Nemtsov, Jascha. 2004. Die Neue Jüdische Schule in der Musik. Studien und Quellen zur jüdischen 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
“Teaching in Real-Time: A Participatory Workshop.” Mobilizing Music: Social Justice Series. Syracuse University. 7.4.2017
Invited Talks
“Pedagogies for Futures: Towards Critical Pedagogies of Un/learning, Growing Ecological Imaginations Through Music.” isaScience, University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. Reichanau am Rax, Austria. 31.8-4.9.2022
“‘The Beholding Ear,’ or Hearing Different Stories - Towards Regenerative Music Studies.” isaScience 2021. University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. Reichanau am Rax, Austria. 11-15.8.2021
“Sounding Sustainability: Musical Greenwashing in the Time of Climate Crisis.” MUSIC/MEDIA/HISTORY. Re-Thinking Musicology in an Age of Digital Media. Institut für Musikwissenschaft und Interpretationsforschung, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Vienna, 14-17.3.2019.
“Teaching in Real-Time: Toward Ethnographic, Collaborative, Inclusive Pedagogies of World Music.” Participatory Approaches to Music and Democracy. isaScience 2018. University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. Reichanau am Rax, Austria. 10-14.8.2018
“Paradoxen des Schlaraffenlands: Hunger, Ernährungssicherung, und Food Justice im Lokallebensmittelbewegungen der USA.“ Internationales Forschungzentrum Kulturwissenschaft, Sommerakademie. Austria. 22-27.8.2016
"Paradoxes of Classical Music's Cosmopolitanisms." University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 22.3.2012
“Questioning (with) Music.” Gettysburg College. 29.2.2012
“Musikwissenschaft and Cosmopolitanism: Roots and Routes of Western Musicologies.” Negotiating the ‘West’ Music(logic)ally. Utrecht University, The Netherlands. 11-12.4.2011
Keynote: “The Rise & Fall of Music in the Starbucks Experience.” “Mobilities.” University of Chicago. 9.12.2009
“Branding Hipness: Music, Race, & Marketing Starbucks.” Institute of Ethnology, Zagreb, Croatia. 30.1.2007
“’Klassische Musik als kulturelle Praxis im Wien: (Ethnographische) Begegnung und Bedeutungen.” 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 “Historical and Emerging Approaches to Applied Ethnomusicology.” Co-Convener, Program Chair, ICTM, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 9-13.7.2008
“Cultural Diversity and the Urban Area: Explorations in Urban Ethnomusicology.” Local Committee, Conference Interpreter. University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, Austria. 24.-26.3.2006
“Music, Performance, & Racial Imaginations.“ 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
“Praxes of Engagement: Re-imagining Applied Ethnomusicology for the 21st Century.“ With Brett Pyper (South Africa), Adriana Helbig (USA), Carol Muller (USA). Presented: “Across the Midway: Engaging Ethnomusicology on the South Side of Chicago.” 40th World Congress of the ICTM, Durban, South Africa. 1-8.7.2009
“Displacing the ‘Western’ in Western Art Music.” w/ Suzi Wint, Yara El-Ghadban, Su Zheng. Presented: “Maintaining the Center: Western Art Music as a Viennese Cultural Practice.” 52nd Meeting of the Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM), Middleton, CT. 25-28.10.2008
“Engaged Ethnomusicologies: Pedagogies & Practices of Community-Based Learning and Research.” Organizer/Chair. With Carol Muller (USA), Elizabeth MacKinlay (Australia), Samuel Araujo (Brazil), Regine Allgayer-Kaufman (Austria). Presented: “North American (Applied) Ethnomusicology and the Engaged University in the New Century.” 1st Meeting of the Study Group on Applied Ethnomusicology, ICTM, Ljubljana, Slovenia. 9-13.7.2008
“Music, Technology and the Politics of the Popular in the Urban Soundscape.“ With Mojca Piskor (Croatia), Maja Marty (Slovenia), Irena Mihólic (Croatia). Presented: “Managing Mozart: Uses of Musical Culture in Vienna’s Mozart Year.” 39th World Congress of the ICTM, Vienna, Austria.4-11.7.2007
“’Routes to Tenure’: Careers and Professional Development Committee Workshop.” 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
“Critical Eco-Pedagogies of Musicking & Creative Praxis.” Music, Research, Activism. University of Helsinki. 11-12. May 2023
“Teaching in Place.” Musical Activism & Agency. Pre-Conference Symposium. 65th Meeting of SEM. 21.10.20
“Localizing Drawdown: Collaboratively Building Regenerate Lancaster.” Research to Action: The Science of Drawdown. 1st International Drawdown Conference. Penn State University. 16-18.9.2019
“’But that’s not ethnomusicology!’ The Ethnomusicology of Classical Music in Vienna.” IDRF Fellows’ Workshop, Social Science Research Council. Portland, OR. 5-10.10.2006
“Towards a Pedagogy of Witnessing: Ethnomusicology, Service Learning and Social Justice." Musicology Society of Australia, Sydney, Australia. 26.9-1.10.2005
“’Live More Musically’: The Seductive Sounds of Starbucks’ Siren Songs.” 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
“Music and Race in Early 20th Century Vienna: Viennese Jews and the Creation of Modern Viennese Identity.” 47th Meeting of the SEM, Miami, FL. 1-5.10.2003
“Ethnomusicology as a Political Act: The Ethnomusicology of Nicaraguan Song as Social Justice Work.” 23rd Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of SEM, Ramapo College, Mahwah, NJ. 28-29.3.2003
“Scoring America: Viennese Jews and the ‘Classic Hollywood Film Score.’” Continuities & Discontinuities in the Austrian 20th Century, University of Edinburgh, Scotland. 1-5.4.2003
“Scoring America: Viennese Jews and the ‘Classic Hollywood Film Score.’” Society for American Music Annual Meeting, Tempe, AZ. 25.2.-1.3.2003
“Nostalgia for the Melting Pot: Vernacular Discourse on Race in Southern California Neo-Swing Dance Subculture.” Meeting of the Society for American Music, Louisville, KY. 21-25.3.2002
“Dancing in the Past, Living in the Present: Race & Nostalgia in Southern California Neo-Swing Dance Subculture.” Society for Dance History Scholars, Towson, MD. 22- 25.6.2001.
“In the Virtual Field: Ethnography and Internet Communities.” 43rd Meeting of the SEM, Austin, TX. 20.10.1999
“Nostalgia in Neo-Swing Culture.” 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
“Listening (to) Crisis: Ecomusicological Perspectives on Climate.” 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: “Music and Identity” & “Negotiating Privilege at HWCUs (Historically White Colleges & Universities).” 2016, 2018
“Critical Whiteness Studies & Musikwissenschaft.” Colloquium Series, University of Chicago. 1.5.2009
“Is Mozart White?: Critical Whiteness Studies and the Musicologies.” Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture, University of Chicago. 23.4.2009
“Classical Music as Cultural Practice.” Eth-noize! Colloquium Series, University of Chicago. 24.10.2008
Selected Public Sector Work
Recent Public Talks
“The Latinidad of American Music.” Winter Center for the Performing Arts, Millersville University, Lancaster, PA. 6.2.2018
“Traditional & Popular Music in Zimbabwe and southern Africa.” Ware Center for the Performing Arts, Lancaster, PA. 12.11.2017
“An Introduction to Irish Music.” Ware Center for the Performing Arts, Lancaster, PA. 4.3.2017.
“An Introduction to Haitian Song.” 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’s Southside.
Maxwell H. Gluck Foundation Fellow, University of California, Riverside. 1998-1999. Directed Music Department community outreach program.