Theomusicology for Today

Scholars of Black Music will engage in a discussion of how the term “theomusicology,” originally coined by Jahya Jongintaba (formerly Jon Michael Spencer), serves as a meaningful framework today. Drawing from their expertise in sociology, ethnomusicology, musicology, history, and theology, panelists will offer a wide range of methodological insights as they focus on the connection between spiritual values and musical expression in Black Music. A goal of the panel is to review contemporary iterations and uses of the term theomusicology while redefining it for modern use. A range of Black music experiences spanning Reconstruction era bush meetings in Baltimore to George Floyd’s funeral will be examined in the light of theomusicology and explored by the panel. Looking at the interchange between Black Music, Spirit and culture, panelists will bring to light the valuable framework theomusicology offers when talking about Black experience, Black identity, and Black resistance.