Dr. Paula Harper

Biography

Paula Clare Harper is a musicologist researching music, sound, and the internet. Her current book project, 'Viral Musicking: The Rise of Noisy Platforms,' documents the early 21st-century rise of ubiquitous platforms and aims to understand the mechanisms facilitating virality—an understanding that deeply involves sonic elements and can be effectively analyzed within the framework of musicking. Harper's research examines the trajectory of unpredictable virtual landscapes and the ways in which digital actors navigate entrenched channels and pathways. Additionally, her interests lie at the intersection of music, gender, and digital fandom, with ongoing work on pop divas like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. She co-convened the 'Taylor Swift Study Day: Eras, Narrative, Digital Music Media' conference and is co-editing a volume titled 'Taylor Swift: Star, Songs, Fans.' Harper holds a PhD in Historical Musicology from Columbia University, an MA in Music History from the University of Washington, and an AB in Music and English from the University of Chicago. She has previously held positions as an Assistant Professor of Musicology at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Washington University in St. Louis.

Research Interests

Experience