Global and Popular Musics

Explore global cultures through music in our interdisciplinary Global and Popular Musics program, led by a full-time ethnomusicologist. Through diverse courses, concerts and hands-on performances, students engage with traditions from Indian raga to Tuvan throat singing, perform with the Zakuro-Daiko Japanese Drumming Ensemble and study with Indonesian masters in Bali. The World Music Studio, home to an extensive collection of global instruments—including Japanese percussion and Union College's Balinese gamelan—offers a dedicated rehearsal and practice space. A faculty-led mini-term in Bali provides immersive training, live performances and cultural excursions, deepening students' understanding of the region's musical heritage. The program bridges music and cultural anthropology, emphasizing diversity, social justice and community engagement across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America.