Dr. Scott Linford

Biography

Scott Linford is an Assistant Professor specializing in ethnomusicology at the University of California, Davis. He has conducted extensive research in regions including West Africa, Central America, and the United States, with primary interests focusing on the participation in musical experiences, identity formation, belonging, agricultural influences, the environment, and musical repatriation. Raised in the San Francisco Bay area, he holds a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to his current position, he served on the music faculty at Berklee College of Music and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Linford has authored a dissertation titled “Interweaving Worlds: Jola Music and Relational Identity in Senegambia Beyond” and published works in notable journals such as Ethnomusicology Review and Yearbook for Traditional Music. He regularly presents at conferences including the Society for Ethnomusicology and the African Studies Association. Linford also contributes to multimedia projects while being active in local old-time bluegrass music communities as a guitarist and fiddler.

Research Interests