Brian Hogan

Brian Hogan is an Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology in the Liberal Arts and Sciences department at Berklee College of Music. As both an ethnomusicologist and professional drummer, he bridges academic scholarship with musical performance, focusing on the relationship between music, culture, and power, particularly in African and African American contexts.

Hogan holds a PhD in Ethnomusicology from UCLA, where his dissertation "Enemy Music: Blind Birifor Xylophonists of Northwest Ghana" was nominated for the CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation award. He earned highest honors in anthropology at UC Santa Cruz and completed a certificate in drum set performance from Berklee College of Music in 1998.

His research explores how music serves as a vehicle for cultural empathy and social change, with particular focus on gender, disability, class, and ethnicity in African, African American, and diasporic contexts. Hogan has conducted extensive fieldwork in West Africa on xylophone music, examining the spiritual dimensions of ableism for blind musicians and how women in low literacy communities use song to contest structured inequalities. His work also addresses historical memory, speech surrogation, musical change, and global percussive practice.

Hogan's scholarly output reveals consistent themes across ethnomusicology, disability studies, and gender studies, with particular attention to West African musical traditions. His publications demonstrate a methodological approach that combines ethnographic fieldwork with performance practice, creating a unique scholarly perspective that values both academic analysis and embodied musical knowledge.

Hogan has received notable recognition for his work:

• University Fellowship at UCLA (2006-2009)
• International Institute Research Grant from UCLA (2006)
• Highest honors in anthropology at UC Santa Cruz (2003)
• Honors for senior thesis in ethnomusicology at UC Santa Cruz (2003)
• UCLA nominee for CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation (2013-2014)

As an educator, Hogan draws upon his dual expertise in ethnomusicology and performance to create dynamic classroom experiences. His background as a professional drummer across multiple traditions (jazz, West African, Afro-Cuban, and Balkan) informs his teaching approach, which emphasizes concise performance demonstrations to connect music history with contemporary practice. He has studied with notable musicians including Kenny Burrell, Ray Brown, George Marsh, and Clayton Cameron.

Beyond academia, Hogan serves as CTO of PVComplete, Inc., a solar software company, demonstrating his commitment to applying technology to meaningful problems. His interdisciplinary approach bridges computer science, music technology, and social change initiatives.