Overview
Michael J. Millenheft III is a Ph.D. student in music and sound studies at Cornell University specializing in ethnomusicology. Michael’s musical journey began in Southern California where he devoted his time to drum kit performance and studying the mbira dzavadzimu. He then pursued a BA in music at California State University, San Bernardino which culminated in an undergraduate thesis on mbira improvisation. After receiving his BA in music, Michael relocated to Qingdao, China as a music educator. During his time in China, he studied Mandarin and conducted ethnographic fieldwork on jazz and drum kit improvisation. After two and a half years, Michael returned to the United States of America where he obtained his MA in musicology (specializing in ethnomusicology) from Boston University. His forthcoming article titled “Somos Sordos: Countercultural Noise Practice in Contemporary Powerviolence” utilizes autoethnography to examine powerviolence in the unincorporated area of El Rio, California. Michael situates powerviolence at the border of noise and music to better understand perceptions of sound in borderlands and disadvantaged communities. His current research interests are sound studies, public ethnomusicology, drum kit studies, touch, emotion, and human geography.
Publications
“Somos Sordos: Countercultural Noise Practice in Contemporary Powerviolence.” Journal of Popular Music Studies. (forthcoming).