Episode 110 of Sound Expertise

How can ethnomusicology help us understand the value of music in a capitalist society? When we view music as a commodity, what might it reveal about how people make meaning (and money) from art across different cultures? A conversation with Timothy Taylor, professor of ethnomusicology at UCLA’s Herb Albert School of Music.

If you’re interested in learning more about Prof Taylor’s work, check out:

• His book Music and Capitalism: A History of the Present
• His book The Sounds of Capitalism: Advertising, Music, and the Conquest of Culture
• His article “The Commodification of Music at the Dawn of the Era of ‘Mechanical Music'” in Ethnomusicology
• His article “Maintenance and Destruction of an East Side Los Angeles Indie Rock Scene,” in The Oxford Handbook of Economic Ethnomusicology
• More on his website

Sound Expertise is hosted by Will Robin (@seatedovation), and produced by D. Edward Davis (@warmsilence). Please subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and/or Spotify. Questions or comments? Email williamlrobin@ gmail

A written transcript of this episode is available here; many thanks to Andrew Dell’Antonio for volunteering to prepare transcripts for the show!

Stay tuned for Episode 111 (our season finale!), coming next Tuesday, September 29: an interview with Siv Lie about ethnicity, race, and jazz manouche in France!