معرفی
Dr. Althea SullyCole is an Assistant Professor in Ethnomusicology at McGill University's Schulich School of Music, joining in Fall 2024. Her research bridges performance and scholarship, focusing on West African musical traditions, particularly the kora, and organology—the study of musical instruments. She conducts fieldwork in Senegal, Mali, and Guinea, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the West African Research Association, investigating Mandé region instruments' material histories and their ecological and cultural significance.
Her academic roles include co-chair of the Society for Ethnomusicology's Organology Special Interest Group and Secretary of its African and African Diasporic Music section. Teaching emphasizes ethnographic fieldwork methods and contemporary research trends in ethnomusicology. She integrates interdisciplinary perspectives on climate change, post-colonial relations, and cultural policy into her work.
Dr. SullyCole's podcast The Earfull explores musicians' stories through sound archives, inspiring students to engage creatively with diverse musical narratives. She invites global scholars like Jayme Kurland and Dr. Samuel Boateng to foster inclusive dialogue on underrepresented musical traditions.
Her current book project examines the Metropolitan Museum of Art's West African instrument collection, analyzing how material changes (e.g., synthetic vs. spiderweb silk mirlitons) reflect ecological and cultural shifts. This research critiques colonial legacies and advocates for equitable post-colonial cultural relations.
