MA in Music - Ethnomusicology in Toronto Canada | University of Toronto

Ethnomusicology explores music as a cultural phenomenon, seeking to comprehend its global functions, purposes, significance, and connections to the human experience. Scholars in this field integrate knowledge from diverse areas including musical traditions, anthropology, folklore, performance arts, gender studies, ethnic studies, and other humanities and social sciences. At UofT Music, ethnomusicology has flourished, with experts specializing in musical traditions from East/Southeast Asia, India, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Key research focuses encompass diaspora music, transnational influences, historical perspectives, music's relationship with technology and economics, rhythmic analysis, musical evolution, women's musical expressions, and music's role in trauma and daily life. Methodological approaches and fieldwork are particularly emphasized.
UofT Music's undergraduate curriculum highlights music's cultural and societal contexts, with core History and Culture courses covering ethnomusicological perspectives on global music traditions. Advanced offerings include specialized electives—some incorporating performance—that examine specific historical periods or genres while introducing research methodologies. Students can participate in six annual World Music Ensembles, including one directed by the visiting World Music Artist-in-Residence. Those pursuing deeper study can focus on ethnomusicology through the Mus.Bac. in Music History & Theory or by combining the Music History & Culture Minor with another UofT Music undergraduate degree.