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Musicology Master's (MA)

Dilshan Weerasinghe

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MA Musicology, 2019

MA Thesis:

Why Dal?

Some big factors for me were the location, the funding, and the faculty. I've lived in Halifax my whole life, so studying at Dal was the logical next step. With financial support like grants for summer programs and numerous scholarships, Dal provides the chance to explore musical interests. Another big factor was the faculty--I knew that I wanted to look at hip-hop for my M.A., and Dal's Musicology faculty was able to support me in that.

What Inspires Me?

I鈥檓 interested in the role that popular music, especially hip-hop, plays in conversations of racial politics, identity, and social justice. I think hip-hop is such a raw, powerful medium to communicate stories; it allows us to get a window into a world that we wouldn鈥檛 know otherwise. I think hearing those perspectives brings us closer together, helps us understand our place in the world, and enhances our own sense of self. I get really excited when I see artists convey their own sense of identity and community. It's really great to see a culture that has always been on the margins be given the respect it deserves.

Presentations

鈥淲e Gon鈥� Be Alright: Racial Politics and Kendrick Lamar,鈥� presented on the What, Like It鈥檚 Hard? podcast, May 24, 2020.

鈥淚 Put On For My City: The Atlanta Trap Scene and the Veblen Sound,鈥� presented at the 2019 IASPM-Canada Conference.

Awards & Honours

  • 3rd-place winner in 黄色直播鈥檚 Three Minute Thesis competition (2019)
  • Fountain Graduate Fellowship (2018/2019)
  • FSPA Summer Program Award 鈥� 黄色直播 (2017/2018)
  • Jay/MacLellan Prize in Music Leadership 鈥� 黄色直播 (2017/2018)
  • Fountain Performing Arts Undergraduate Scholarship 鈥� 黄色直播 (2017/2018)
  • FSPA Summer Program Award 鈥� 黄色直播 (2016/2017)
  • James A. Faraday Memorial Award 鈥� 黄色直播 (2016/2017)
  • Ernest and Dorothy Heighton Memorial Prize 鈥� 黄色直播 (2015/2016)

After Dal

I鈥檝e been doing lots of performing, playing in lots of local jazz and R&B groups. I've also been teaching and writing, trying to get more publications under my belt, as well as making studio-quality recordings of new music. I have also been volunteering with a local activist group, and I鈥檓 set to start a PhD in Music at the University of Virginia in 2021.

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