Patrick Rivers

Patrick Rivers is an Ethnomusicologist and Associate Professor of Music at the University of New Haven, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. He will be on sabbatical during the 2024-25 academic year. His research focuses on the processes of recorded music and their impact on aesthetics and consumption, particularly within Hip-Hop and R&B traditions. Rivers earned his Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from The Graduate Center, CUNY (2014) with a dissertation titled The Mad Science of Hip-Hop, and holds a B.A. in Music from Hunter College/Macaulay Honors College (2006).

• Teaches Black American Popular Music
• Specializes in Global Music Cultures
• Expert in Caribbean and Latin American Music

His academic work appears in prestigious publications including the Oxford Handbook of Hip Hop Music Studies, Cambridge University Press, and the 33 1/3 series. Rivers co-authored the book Uptown Saturday Night and is currently developing his monograph The Mad Science of Hip-Hop. He received the William L. Bucknall Excellence in Teaching Award for his practice-based courses like Hip-Hop Technology and Production and Groove Haven - an R&B ensemble. Rivers actively engages in community music education through CURATE/CREATE, a free program at the New Haven Free Public Library.

Rivers has presented his research at major conferences including the Society for Ethnomusicology and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lectures. His affiliations include the Society for Ethnomusicology, Society for American Music, and Music Production Research. Scientific awards include Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship and Mellon Mays Dissertation Grant.