Music Against Empire: Contemporary and Historical Excavations of Trauma and Resistance
Convenors: Ege Yumusak (Philosophy/SOF) and Knar Abrahamyan (Music)
Sound continues to act as a form of resistance to systemic oppression in contemporary classical, improvised and even popular music. While recording technology and conditions of war have posed great limitations, we also have access to music made by historical victims—such as victims of war. Join us for a performance and conversation about music against empire. Led by Knar Abrahamyan, our panelists will engage with historical and contemporary musical sources that foreground resistance to erasure, oppression, and cultural assimilation. How can sonic practices effectuate the emergence of collective memory in the face of trauma? In what ways have song and poetry manifested notions of belonging? How can listening as a form of solidarity factor into forging resilience?
Knar Abrahamyan (Music) will lead a discussion with Jill Jarvis (Yale) and Hiba Abid (NYPL), following a musical presentation by Layale Chaker’s Sarafand Ensemble.
This event is organized by The Society of Fellows and Heyman Center for the Humanities and cosponsored by Columbia Maison Français and the Department of Music. For more info, click here.
