Acompañamiento as Methodology: Transforming Ethnomusicology Through Sonic Encounters

This talk explores acompañamiento—a methodology rooted in sustained presence, cultural humility, and solidarity—as a framework for engaging with Indigenous Oaxacan musical communities across borders. Through intergenerational stories of women musicians and community-centered approaches to sonic archives, the presentation offers pathways toward an ethnomusicology that honors community expertise while transforming our academic institutions. 

Dr. Xóchitl C. Chávez is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Riverside Department of Music and the first tenured Chicana in any UC system music program. With a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology and specialized training in  Latin American & Latino Studies and Museum Studies, she serves as a vital bridge between cultural institutions and communities. 

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Open to all members of the public