New York University - College of Arts and Science

The Music Department at NYU’s Faculty of Arts and Science focuses on sonic practice in relation to social, cultural and intellectual practices, and to questions of social justice (and injustices). Consistent with our location in a liberal arts context, we emphasize approaches to musical knowledge informed by a range of critical theories and contemporary practices drawn from such fields as anthropology, critical identity studies, cultural studies, history, linguistics, literary and film criticism, performance studies, science and technology studies, while encouraging each student to engage actively in the creation of musical and sonic experiences. We are committed to interdisciplinarity, both among the subfields devoted to the study and creation of music and sound represented both in and outside the department. While establishing scholarly awareness of and respect for the traditions and tools of subfields inherited from 20th-century thought and practice, the department fosters the development of creative thinkers and doers in the fields of music and sound who can take leadership roles in the ongoing redefinition of both music and sound studies in this century