Professor Dr. Tony Rasmussen

Biography

Tony Rasmussen is a music scholar specializing in music sound studies of Latin America and Latinx communities. His research engages with interpersonal listening histories, exploring how individuals draw meaning from shared sonic experiences in multivalent ways, thus exposing culturally inflected currents of belonging and difference. His postdoctoral research, supported by UC MEXUS/CONACYT, approaches endemic whistle practices in Mexico City as potent indices of gender, race, and social class, representing a sociocultural perspective on global whistles. As a nonprofit development specialist and community arts educator, he is committed to creating pathways of agency and resilience for underserved communities in Mexico. He has innovated fundraising strategies for community-engaged research supporting Radio Bilingüe, the nation's largest non-commercial Spanish-language radio network. He began his musical journey as a pop songwriter and multi-instrumentalist in Los Angeles, performing in experimental and traditional ensembles. Tony received his Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of California, Riverside in 2017 and his M.F.A. in integrated composition from the University of California, Irvine in 2009. His work has been featured in prominent journals such as Latin American Perspectives and Ethnomusicology Forum.

Research Interests

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