Research Associate in the Department of Music (Ethnographies of MENA Region Musics)

Job description

The Music Division at King’s Faculty London invitations functions for a 3-year place as a Postdoctoral Analysis Affiliate to work with Professor Martin Stokes on the venture Past 1932: Rethinking Musical Modernity within the Center East and North Africa [MUSCON1932] (a UKRI Frontier Analysis Grant, previously ERC). For this publish we search a candidate with background in (ethno)musicology, Center Japanese Research or associated fields. 

MUSCON1932 explores new methodologies for learning the music of the MENA (Center East and North Africa) area, drawing collectively historic, archival, ethnographic and performance-oriented analysis/curation. Its place to begin is the 1932 Cairo Congress, although the venture will look each considerably forwards and backwards. A crew of three PDRAs from various disciplinary backgrounds will work with Professor Stokes to develop a perspective on the legacy of the Congress that attracts on, and transforms, cultural historic/archival, anthropological/ethnomusicological and performance-based scholarly methodologies. The analysis outcomes of the venture are supposed to incorporate collaborative and single-author publications, performances, curations and media. They’re supposed, too, to embrace music from throughout the MENA area and its diasporas.  

The candidate for the publish can be bold, imaginative, and accustomed to working each independently and as a part of a crew. They’ll have two analysis foci on this venture. First, they are going to be engaged on an impartial analysis venture, demonstrably associated to the broad themes of MUSCON1932. Second, they are going to work collaboratively with the PI and two different PDRAs growing an interdisciplinary methodology that comes with historic, archival, ethnographic and efficiency work. The latter will, importantly, embrace working with performing musicians. They’ll be capable of work in Arabic or one other MENA area language applicable to the 1932 Congress. They’ll have ethnographic experience enabling them to deal with the cultural, political and institutional legacy of the Congress, whether or not in Egypt or elsewhere within the MENA area. They have to even be able to take part within the extra cultural historic/archival and performance-oriented objectives of the venture. Although doubtless targeted on one specific area, and in a position to dedicate time to fieldwork there, they are going to additional advance and disseminate the venture’s broader agendas via journey to libraries/archives and fieldtrips elsewhere within the MENA area; via common crew collaborations with venture musicians; via contributions to and design of workshops, seminars and conferences; via preparation of publications each independently and in collaboration with the core crew and thru public displays (with alternatives for engagement with cultural companions and performers in London). 

The MUSCON 1932 crew is predicated in Music on the Strand campus in Central London. The profitable candidate will be part of a dynamic and worldwide neighborhood, with alternatives for profession improvement and coaching. The postholder is required to stay in/close to London during their employment and be capable of undertake some journey for conferences and archival work.  

This publish can be supplied on a full-time, fastened time period contract for 3 years from 1 January 2024 or as quickly as potential thereafter.

Key duties

• Develop an impartial analysis venture that’s demonstrably associated to the venture’s major analysis themes.
• Contribute on an ongoing foundation to the venture’s collaborative knowledge-base, depending on candidate’s experience. This, particularly, contains contributing to a broader ethnographic understanding of the MENA area within the twentieth century (and past), the institutional group and politics of musical and different ‘modernities’ (nevertheless outlined), the continued lives and legacies of the MENA sonic/musical archive.
• Work carefully with PI and two different postdocs to create an interdisciplinary methodology for the research of MENA area musical modernities.
• The place obligatory, undertake coaching to develop expertise related to the shared analysis agenda
• The place required, perform analysis journeys to libraries and archives and fieldtrips within the MENA area and elsewhere.
• Contribute to the common practice-led workshops with venture musicians and to associated lecture-recitals, podcasts, blogs and equal
• Publish outcomes each individually and along with the PI and two different postdoctoral researchers
• Put together presentation supplies and attend occasions, conferences and conferences to disseminate analysis associated to the venture
• Organise workshops, seminars and conferences associated to the venture
• Lively participation in planning logistics of the 2 major venture conferences
• Attend common in-person conferences in London with the PI and two different postdoctoral researchers
• Help the PI, Analysis Assistant and two different postdoctoral researchers with features of the venture administration

The above checklist of duties will not be exhaustive, and the publish holder can be required to undertake such duties and duties as could moderately be anticipated inside the scope and grading of the publish.

Abilities, information, and expertise

Important standards

1.     PhD in related space of musicology, ethnomusicology, anthropology, or associated area.

2.     Means to pursue ethnographic work within the Arab world (or associated MENA area) in Arabic (or different MENA language) at a excessive degree.

3.     Means to work in a crew in an open, sharing method and to have interaction in impartial working

4.     Openness to interdisciplinary approaches and willingness to undertake coaching to develop expertise

5.     Creating report of high-quality publications and scholarship (achieved and potential) applicable to profession stage

6.     Expertise as a performer (in MENA area musics) or working with such performers.

7.     Glorious written and spoken command of English

Fascinating standards

1.     Information of a number of MENA area language, past main space of experience, together with (however not restricted to) Ottoman Turkish, fashionable Turkish, Hebrew, Persian, Armenian, Kurdish.

2.     Information of related colonial archives and languages (British, French or different).

3.     Expertise with social media, podcasts or equal

Please notice that this can be a PhD degree function however candidates who’ve submitted their thesis by 31 December 2023 can be thought-about. If the PhD has not been awarded by the beginning date, the appointment can be made at Grade 5, backbone level 30 with the title of Analysis Assistant. Upon affirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will turn into Analysis Affiliate and the wage will improve to Grade 6.

We welcome functions from all, and particularly encourage functions from members of teams underrepresented in educational music and from individuals marginalised on any of the grounds listed beneath the UK Equality Act 2010.

To use, please submit:

1.     CV with checklist of publications (most 4 pages)

2.     A latest writing pattern (most 8000 phrases; revealed or in manuscript, and could also be a portion of a bigger piece)

3.     A canopy letter detailing your curiosity within the venture; the way you meet the eligibility standards; and what you would possibly deliver to the venture (most 2 pages)

4.     Names and call particulars of two referees

Interviews of shortlisted candidates with a brief presentation of their work will happen in October.

For a casual dialogue to seek out out extra in regards to the function please contact Professor Martin Stokes, King’s Faculty London,   [email protected]