Tom Wagner

Tom Wagner serves as a Teaching Fellow in Music Performance and Digital Arts within the Department of Music at Royal Holloway, University of London's School of Performance and Digital Arts, where he also directs curriculum and skills development. His role encompasses teaching performance, entrepreneurship, and music industry modules while leading university ensembles.

Education:

• PhD in Ethnomusicology, Royal Holloway, University of London (2013)
• MMus in Ethnomusicology, Goldsmiths, University of London (2009)
• MM in Percussion Performance, Rutgers University–New Brunswick (2005)
• BM in Percussion Performance, New England Conservatory of Music (2003)

Wagner's research critically examines music's social, cultural, and economic value in hyper-mediated consumer societies, with foundational work on music branding in global evangelical megachurches (evidenced by his 2019 Routledge monograph). His current focus analyzes artist-centric business models through the lens of digital capitalism and ethical consumerism in streaming ecosystems.

Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal three converging trajectories: transnational religious music flows (particularly megachurches and new spiritualities), virtual concert participation dynamics, and critical political economy of music platforms. These works consistently apply ethnographic methods to interrogate power structures in digital music economies.

As a performer-scholar, Wagner founded the RHUL Balkan Ensemble, Edinburgh Balkan Music Project, and Royal Holloway Percussion Ensemble, maintaining active performance ties with groups like Tatcho Drom while bridging academic and artistic practice.