A rapidly growing field of scholarly inquiry centering on the interrelationships between music, culture, and nature.
The Field
Ecomusicology combines ecology and musicology, drawing methods and frameworks from literary ecocriticism to examine the relationships between music, sound, culture, and the natural world. It is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field that intersects with sound studies, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, and environmental sciences.
At AELab, ecomusicology is led by Dr. Sabine Feisst, whose research focuses on acoustic ecology, animal studies, activist music practices, and ecofeminist artists. This work engages with the fundamental question: how do we understand music and sound as part of — rather than separate from — the natural world?
Ecomusicology at AELab is not merely theoretical. It connects to the lab's community programs, field recording work, and environmental monitoring research — grounding scholarly inquiry in lived sonic experience.
Research Areas
Scholarly examination of the soundscape as environment — its composition, health, cultural meaning, and the relationships between natural, technological, and human-made sounds.
Investigating the musical and communicative dimensions of animal sound — from birdsong to whale calls — and what these reveal about intelligence, culture, and ecological relationships.
Examining how musicians and sound artists engage with environmental issues — from protest music to immersive sonic installations — and the role of art in environmental advocacy.
Research on artists whose work connects feminism, ecology, and sound — exploring relationships between gender, nature, and the sonic environment.
Interdisciplinary Scope
Ecomusicology at AELab draws on methods and perspectives from a wide range of scholarly traditions. Researchers in this program engage with:
This interdisciplinary breadth makes ecomusicology a particularly rich site for graduate study at AELab — one that connects the humanities, arts, and sciences in a genuinely integrated research program.