Harris M. Berger
Associate Professor of Music and Associate Head
Department of Performance Studies
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas 77843-4240 USA
Telephone: (979) 845-3355. Fax: (979) 862-2666
Home Page: http://orpheus.tamu.edu/berger/
E-mail: harris-m-berger@neo.tamu.edu


Educational History
Awards and Grants
Editorships
Publications
    Books
    Edited Volume
    Articles and book chapters: published and forthcoming
    Articles and book chapters: reprinted
    Journals guest edited
    Book reviews and other publications
Keynote and Other Invited Lectures
Academic Positions
Courses Taught
Selected Recent Conference Papers and Presentations
Selected Academic Service
Membership in Scholarly Organizations


Berger main page
Abstracts of selected publications

Educational History
1995 Ph.D. Folklore/Ethnomusicology. Indiana University, Bloomington.
1991
M.A. Folklore/Ethnomusicology. Indiana University, Bloomington.

1988
B.A. Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.  Major: Music.

back to top

Awards and Grants
2006-2007 Crawley Family Faculty Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts, Texas A&M University.
2005-2006 Crawley Family Faculty Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts, Texas A&M University.
2004-2005 Crawley Family Faculty Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts, Texas A&M University.
2003-2004 Crawley Family Faculty Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts, Texas A&M University.
2005
International Travel Grant, College of Liberal Arts, Texas A&M University.
2003
International Travel Grant, College of Liberal Arts, Texas A&M University.
2002
Humanities Fellowship Application Grant, College of Liberal Arts, Texas A&M University.
2000
International Travel Grant, College of Liberal Arts, Texas A&M University.
1999-2000
Fellow, Glasscock Center for Humanities Research, Texas A&M University.

1998-2000
Included in the Marquis Who's Who in the World.

1997
Faculty Research Enhancement Award,
College of Liberal Arts, Texas A&M University.
1997
Faculty Mini-Grant,
College of Liberal Arts, Texas A&M University.
1988-1992
Javits Fellowship, U.S. Department of Education.
back to top

Editorships

2005/6-2010 Harris M. Berger and Giovanna P. Del Negro, editors,  Journal of American Folklore.
2005-present Harris M. Berger and Annie J. Randall, editors, Music/Culture book series, Wesleyan University Press.
2005-present Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Popular Music Studies.
back to top
Publications

Books
2004 Harris M. Berger and Giovanna P. Del Negro. Identity and everyday life: Essays in the study of folklore, music, and popular culture. Music/Culture series. Middletown, CT.: Wesleyan University Press.  xviii + 186.
1999 Metal, Rock, and Jazz: Perception and the Phenomenology of Musical Experience. Music/Culture series. Middletown, CT and Hanover, NH: Wesleyan University Press/University Press of New England. xiii + 334.
back to top

Edited volume
2003. Harris M. Berger and Michael T. Carroll, editors. Global pop, local language.  Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. xxvi + 352.
back to top

Articles and book chapters: Published and forthcoming
Forthcoming. Phenomenology and the ethnography of popular music: Ethnomusicology at the juncture of cultural studies and folklore. In Shadows in the field: New perspectives on fieldwork in ethnomusicology, edited by Gregory Barz and Timothy Cooley. 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2005
Harris M. Berger and Cornelia Fales. " 'Heaviness' in the perception of heavy metal guitar timbres: The match of perceptual and acoustic features over time." In Wired for sound: Engineering and technologies in sonic cultures, edited by Paul D. Greene and Thomas Porcello. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press.
2004 Harris M. Berger, Nicholas Bromell, Barbara Ching, Rip Lhamon, Barry Shank, James Smethurst, and Judith Smith. “Roundtable Discussion on Dylan’s Masked and Anonymous.” Edited by Rachel Rubin. Journal of Popular Music Studies. 16 (3): 242-283.

2003
"Introduction." In
Global pop, local language. Harris M. Berger and Michael T. Carroll, editors. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. ix-xxvi.
2002
Harris M. Berger and Giovanna P. Del Negro. "Bauman's Verbal Art and the Social Organization of Attention: Reflexivity and Aesthetics in Music and Display." Journal of American Folklore 115 (455): 62-91. Click here for the full text of the article.  Click here for an abstract of the article.
2002
Giovanna P. Del Negro and Harris M. Berger. "Identity Reconsidered, The World Doubled: Identity as Interpretive Framework in Folklore Research." Midwestern Folklore 28 (1): 5-32.
2001
Giovanna P. Del Negro and Harris M. Berger. "Character Divination and Kinetic Sculpture in the Central Italian Passeggiata (Ritual Promenade): Interpretive Frameworks and Expressive Practices from a Body-Centered Perspective." Journal of American Folklore 114 (Winter): 1-15. Click here for the full text of the article.  If the previous link does not work, try this one.  Click here for an abstract of the article.
1999 "Death Metal Tonality and the Act of Listening" Popular Music 18 (2):161-179.
1999
"Theory as Practice: Some Dialectics of Generality and Specificity in Folklore and Folk Music Scholarship." Journal of Folklore Research 36 (1): 31-49.
1997
"The Practice of Perception: Multi-Functionality and Time In the Musical Experiences of Heavy Metal Drummers in Akron, Ohio." Ethnomusicology 41 (3): 464-489.
back to top

Articles and book chapters: Reprinted or translated
2006. “Aspects du death metal.” Affect, objet, et vécu social de la musique.  (Death Metal Perspectives: Affect, Purpose, and the Social Life of Music. Chapter 10 of Metal, Rock, and Jazz). Translated by Gérôme Guibert with Gaétan Guibert. V©LUME! 5(2):31–51.
2000
"The Practice of Perception: Multi-Functionality and Time In the Musical Experiences of Heavy Metal Drummers in Akron, Ohio." Reprinted in Phenomenological Approaches to Popular Culture, edited by Michael Carroll (Popular Press: Bowling Green State University).

back to top

Journals guest edited
2002 Harris M. Berger and Giovanna P. Del Negro, editors. Special issue of the Journal of American Folklore entitled "Toward New Perspectives on Verbal Art as Performance: Reflections on the Twentieth Anniversary"  115 (455):4-98. Click here for the table of contents of the issue.
2000 Harris M. Berger and Michael T. Carroll, editors. Special issue of Popular Music and Society entitled "The Politics and Aesthetics of Language Choice and Dialect in Popular Music" 24 (3):1-133.
back to top

Book reviews and other publications
2005 "A message from the President." IASPM-US Newsletter Summer/Fall:1-2.
2002
Harris M. Berger and Giovanna P. Del Negro. “Introduction to the Special Issue: Toward New Perspectives on Verbal Art as Performance.” 115 (455):4. Click here for the full text of this piece.
2001 "Review of Tramps Like Us: Music and Meaning Among Springsteen Fans" Ethnomusicology. 45 (2) 357-358.
1999
"Review of Sixties Rock: Garage, Psychedelia, and Other Satisfactions." Labour/Le Travail 44 (Fall) 277-279.

1999 "Review of Making People's Music: Moe Asch and Folkways Records." Journal of Musicological Research. 18 (4): 374-377.
1998 "Review of Stage to Sound: Musicians and the Sound Revolution 1890-1950." Antenna: Newsletter of the Mercurians, In the Society for the History of Technology Volume 10.
1998 "Mission Statement," Popular Music Section of the Society for Ethnomusicology. Composed by Harris M. Berger, approved by the section on October 24, 1997. Published in The SEM Newsletter 32, no. 1 (1998). Also published in The International Association for the Study of Popular Music-U.S. Chapter Newsletter Winter (1998), and The Review of Popular Music no. 25 (Dec., 1997).

1997-1998.
"Syllabus for the course ‘Music, The Individual, and Society'" and "Notes on the Syllabus."  Journal of Popular Music Studies. (9-10): 121-124.
1997
"An Open Letter to Those of the Folkloristic Faith." American Folklore Society Newsletter 26 (2): 4-5.

back to top

Keynote and Other Invited Lectures
2004  “Horizonal Structures and Affect in the Phenomenology of Popular Music.”  Keynote lecture. EthNoise! The 3rd Annual Conference of the Ethnomusicology Workshop at the University of Chicago. (May 21-22, 2004).
2003  “Musical Lives and Everyday Practices: Exploring Overlooked Dimensions of the Political in Expressive Behavior.” Invited lecture. Words and Things and Music: Modes of Cultural Production Conference.  Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
back to top

Academic Positions
2006-present Associate Department Head, Dept. of Performance Studies, Texas A&M University.
2002-present Associate Professor, Dept. of Performance Studies, Texas A&M University.
1996-2002 Assistant Professor,
Dept. of Performance Studies, Texas A&M University.
1999 (fall)
Visiting appointment, School of Music, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

1996
Adjunct Instructor,
Dept. of Music, University of Indianapolis.
1995
Adjunct Instructor,
Humanities Department, Indiana University, Kokomo.
1994
Adjunct Instructor,
Folklore Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington.
back to top

Courses Taught
History of Rock Music
Individualized Instruction: Theoretical Traditions in Ethnomusicology
Individualized Instruction: Contemporary Trends in the Ethnography of Popular Music
Music in the US, Post Civil War
Music in World Cultures
Music, the Individual, and Society: An Introduction to the Ethnography of Music
Performance in World Cultures
back to top

Selected Recent Conference Papers and Presentations
2007 “What Phenomenology Can Do for Folklore Studies: Texts in Lived Experience.” Joint annual meeting of the American Folklore Society and the Folklore Studies Association of Canada, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
2007
“Stance: A New Theory of Affect, Style, and Meaning in Music.” International Association for the Study of Popular Music, US Branch annual meeting, Boston, Massachusetts.
2007
“What the Folklore Strain of Performance Studies Can Do for Popular Music Studies: Intellectual History and Orientations for Research.”  Remarks for a workshop entitled, “Popular Music Studies and Performance Studies: Encouraging the Dialog” International Association for the Study of Popular Music, US Branch annual meeting, Boston, Massachusetts.
2005
“A Theory of Stance: New Ideas on Meaning and Aesthetics in Music.” Society for Ethnomusicology annual meeting, Atlanta, Georgia.
2005 Roundtable participant, “Professional Development Roundtable: Getting Your Work Published.” American Folklore Society annual meeting, Atlanta, Georgia.
2005 “On Musical Lives: New Dimensions in the Politics of Music.” 13th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, Rome, Italy.
2005 “Stance and Performance: New Ideas on Meaning and Aesthetics in Expressive Culture.” Performance Studies International annual meeting, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
2004 “A Theory of Stance: New Ideas on Meaning and Aesthetics in Folklore.” American Folklore Society annual meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah.
2004
“Shaping Musical Lives: Structure and Agency in the Expressive Practice.” Association for Cultural Studies international conference.  Urbana-Champaign, Illinois.
2003 “The Shaping of Musical Lives and the Politics of Culture.” American Folklore Society annual meeting, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
2003
“Identity.” Giovanna P. Del Negro and Harris M. Berger. Inaugural Session of the 2003-2004 Glasscock Center for Humanities Research Colloquia Series, Texas A&M University.
2003 "The 'Loss of Self' in Popular Music Performance." International Association for the Study of Popular Music international meeting, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
2002
"The Problem of the Self in Folklore Performance." American Folklore Society national meeting, Rochester, New York.
2001
Discussant. Panel entitled “Music, Markets and Technology.” Society for Ethnomusicology national meeting, Detroit, Michigan.
2000
Roundtable participant. Global Perspectives on Heavy Metal. Society for Ethnomusicology national conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

2000
Giovanna P. Del Negro and Harris M. Berger, "Everyday Life: Approaches from Folklore and Cultural Studies." American Folklore Society national meetings, Columbus, Ohio.

2000
Giovanna P. Del Negro and Harris M. Berger, "Expressive Culture in Everyday Life: Traditional Visions and New Perspectives." The Third International Crossroads Conference in Cultural Studies, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England.

2000
Co-Chaired panel entitled "Performance, Ethnography and Everyday Life." The Third International Crossroads Conference in Cultural Studies, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England.

back to top

Selected Academic Service
Disciplinary Service
2007–present   
Advisory Board, Music as Performance Working Group.  MAP is working group within both the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and Performance Studies international
2007-2009
Past President, International Association for the Study of Popular Music, US Branch.  (This is a position on the Board of Directors.)
2004-2007 President, International Association for the Study of Popular Music, US Branch. (This is an elected position.)
2003-2006 Member, SEM Council, Society for Ethnomusicology. (This is an elected position.)
2005-2006 Member, Waxer Prize Committee, Popular Music Section of the Society for Ethnomusicology
1996-2004 Founder and chair, Popular Music Section of the Society for Ethnomusicology
2003 Member, Merriam Prize Committee, Society for Ethnomusicology
2002-2003 Member, Program Committee for the 2003 Society for Ethnomusicology annual conference
2000-2003 Chair, Waxer Prize Committee, Popular Music Section of the Society for Ethnomusicology
2000-2003 Chair, Lecture Committee, Popular Music Section of the Society for Ethnomusicology
2001-2002 Member, Advisory Board for “Crafting Sounds, Creating Meaning: Making Popular Music in the U.S.” The Experience Music Project, Seattle, Washington, April 2002
1999 Chair, Copyright Events Committee, Popular Music Section of the Society for Ethnomusicology

University Service, Texas A&M University
2006-present
Member-at-Large, Steering Committee Faculty and Staff Committed to an Inclusive Campus
2004-2006 Co-chair and founding member, Faculty and Staff Committed to an Inclusive Campus
2004-2005 Member, Diversity Advisory Committee
2005 Co-Chair, Diversity Plan Subcommittee, Diversity Advisory Committee
2005 Member, Ad Hoc Committee on Assault Responsiveness
2005 Member, Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Central Reporting

College Service, College of Liberal Arts
2003-2006 Member, Dean’s Diversity Advisory Committee
1996-2006 Founder and chair, Ethnography/Theory Working Group
1999-2005 Member, Advisory Committee, Glasscock Center for Humanities Research
1998-2004 Member, Liberal Arts Council, College of Liberal Arts
2004 Member, Book Prize Committee, Glasscock Center For Humanities Research
1996 Member, Instructional Lab Committee, College of Liberal Arts

Departmental Service, Department of Performance Studies
2005-present Member, Departmental Executive Committee
2005-present
Member, Departmental Curriculum Committee
2007–2008 Chair, Promotion and Tenure Committee
2007–2008 Chair, Search Committee for Assistant Professor of Performance Studies
2007–2008 Chair, Crawley Fellowship Award Committee
2005-2006 Member, Rothrock Committee. (This committee was charged with the task of developing a series of musical performances and scholarly presentations on campus.)
2004-2005 Chair, Department Head Search Committee
2003-2004 Member, Committee to Revise Departmental By-laws and Promotion and Tenure Guidelines
2003 Co-chair, Department Head Review Committee
2002-2003 Chair, Search Committee for Assistant Professor of Performance Studies
1997-2001 Member, Committee to Draft BA Proposal in Music
2000 Member, Search Committee for Associate Professor of Film Studies, Departments of English and Performance Studies
1999-2000 Member, Committee to Draft Departmental By-laws and Promotion and Tenure Guidelines, Department of Performance Studies
back to top  
Membership in Scholarly Organizations
American Association of University Professors
American Folklore Society
College Music Society
International Association for the Study of Popular Music
Society for Ethnomusicology
Popular Music Section of the Society for Ethnomusicology

 
Revised: October 24, 2007
back to top

Copyright Harris M. Berger