Musicology Master's (MA)

Dilshan Weerasinghe

35026305_10212290351882647_7077491309304348672_n

MA Musicology, 2019

MA Thesis: We Gon' Be Alright: Race, Representation and Jazz Rhetoric in Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly

Why Dal?

Some big factors for me were the location, the funding, and the faculty. I've lived in Halifax my whole life, so studying at Dal was the logical next step. With financial support like grants for summer programs and numerous scholarships, Dal provides the chance to explore musical interests. Another big factor was the faculty--I knew that I wanted to look at hip-hop for my M.A., and Dal's Musicology faculty was able to support me in that.

What Inspires Me?

I’m interested in the role that popular music, especially hip-hop, plays in conversations of racial politics, identity, and social justice. I think hip-hop is such a raw, powerful medium to communicate stories; it allows us to get a window into a world that we wouldn’t know otherwise. I think hearing those perspectives brings us closer together, helps us understand our place in the world, and enhances our own sense of self. I get really excited when I see artists convey their own sense of identity and community. It's really great to see a culture that has always been on the margins be given the respect it deserves.

Presentations

“We Gon’ Be Alright: Racial Politics and Kendrick Lamar,” presented on the What, Like It’s Hard? podcast, May 24, 2020.

“I Put On For My City: The Atlanta Trap Scene and the Veblen Sound,” presented at the 2019 IASPM-Canada Conference.

Awards & Honours

  • 3rd-place winner in Dalhousie University’s Three Minute Thesis competition (2019)
  • Fountain Graduate Fellowship (2018/2019)
  • FSPA Summer Program Award – Dalhousie University (2017/2018)
  • Jay/MacLellan Prize in Music Leadership – Dalhousie University (2017/2018)
  • Fountain Performing Arts Undergraduate Scholarship – Dalhousie University (2017/2018)
  • FSPA Summer Program Award – Dalhousie University (2016/2017)
  • James A. Faraday Memorial Award – Dalhousie University (2016/2017)
  • Ernest and Dorothy Heighton Memorial Prize – Dalhousie University (2015/2016)

After Dal

I’ve been doing lots of performing, playing in lots of local jazz and R&B groups. I've also been teaching and writing, trying to get more publications under my belt, as well as making studio-quality recordings of new music. I have also been volunteering with a local activist group, and I’m set to start a PhD in Music at the University of Virginia in 2021.