ARCHIVE FILE
The OU Musics and Cultures Research Group, based at the Music Department at the Open University's central campus in Milton Keynes, England, was set up in autumn 1995 and wound down in 2003. The purpose of the group was to pursue research in the cultural study of music, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches drawing on musicology, social history, anthropology, ethnomusicology, cultural theory and other relevant areas. The group hosted a number of seminars and conferences (see below), and our collaborative work culminated in the publication of The Cultural Study of Music (see below) in early 2003. Although the group is no longer formally constituted, its former members continue to pursue a variety of projects in this area. For information on continuing research, including opportunities for postgraduate study at the Open University, contact Martin Clayton.
The Cultural Study of Music is a collection of essays covering many aspects of the conjunction between music and culture. The volume, which originated in discussions of the Musics and Cultures Research Group, is edited by Martin Clayton, Trevor Hebert (both of the Open University) and Richard Middleton (University of Newcastle), and contains contributions from 26 outstanding scholars from across the world. The book is intended for a wide readership, including academics and students on music, anthropology, cultural studies and other related programmes, as well as interested amateurs: it is presented in an accessible fashion, with minimal use of footnotes and brief lists of suggested reading at the end of each thematic chapter. Follow this link for publication details and a list of contents |
Past (and Future) Events
If you are interested in future conferences on literature and music, please contact Delia Da Sousa Correa or Robert Samuels.
The Research Group organised a day conference on Literature and Music in the Study of Culture at Worcester College, Oxford, on 11 May 2002. Follow the link above for details of the conference programme.
The OU Musics and Cultures Research Group hosted a day conference on Music and Literature in the 19th and 20th centuries in London on 5 May 2001. Follow the link above for details of the conference programme.
The Research Group hosted the annual conference of the British Forum for Ethnomusicology, on the theme 'Music and Meaning', at Milton Keynes on 14 November 1998. Follow the link above for details of the conference programme.
The group's first conference, Music Studies and Cultural Difference, was held in London in July 1997. Written versions of the papers are available online (two papers are also illustrated with Real Audio clips).
Details of our 1997-98 seminar series are available from our online archive.
