Projects, Interests

My most substantial project. I started this in Summer 2023 during an independent study with Angela Pratesi (Head Librarian - BGSU Music Library and Bill Schurk Sound Archives). My research on this topic revealed a vast net of needed research on Roman/Byzantine hymns. This project, in its current form, involves translating and analyzing hundreds of Syriac and Byzantine hymns. 

This refers to the method by which I analyze and understand my sources. I am interested in acoustemologies--the way that people know sound. This is partially by necessity, as notated music did not exist in the Roman Empire. 

I am also developing a larger project on monastic soundscapes during the early Islamic period in Egypt. How was sound used to maintain a Coptic identity? What can we understand today about their soundscapes and their sensory experiences? I am currently exploring St. Antony's Monastery.