Stephan Hammel

This week, Stephan Hammel, a musicology professor at UC Irvine and host of The Measures Taken podcast, dives into his book advocating for a Marxist view of music history. He explores historical materialism's relevance to music studies, critiquing traditional aesthetics and advocating for a socialist approach to music production. Hammel discusses the impact of musical efficiency, the transition from polyphony to harmonic structures, and how music literacy can democratize arts policy. His insights connect music traditions to socialist practices, urging a re-evaluation of cultural production.