Thursday 18 March, 3 – 5pm via Zoom. For any queries please contact Ryan Schram

Abstract:

Dealing with ambiguity’ has become a pressing concern in many spheres of contemporary life, often presented as a ‘survival skill’ in an uncertain world. Working with ambiguity also plays a crucial role in the musical pedagogy of ney (the Sufi reed-flute) playing that I discuss in this talk. Rather than a constraint or deficiency to be resolved, in the context of Islamic music apprenticeship, ambiguity emerges as a desired pedagogical force not only valued but also deliberately amplified. My aim is to show how ambiguity is embraced here as a productive condition that maximizes possibilities for artistic exploration, freedom of discernment, and aesthetic pleasures.

About the Speaker:

Dr Banu Şenay is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at Macquarie University, Sydney. Her current research on Islamic art pedagogies in Istanbul engages with debates in anthropology around skilled-learning, ethics, and Islamic cultural politics. Her latest publication is Musical Ethics and Islam: The Art of Playing the Ney (University of Illinois Press, 2020).

To join the meeting click on this link: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/81963268265