Sarah Chaker

© Claudia Schacher

Sarah Chaker

Ass.Prof.in Dr.in

 

E: chaker-s@mdw.ac.at
T: +43 1 71155-3616


Office hours: please make an appointment
                                                                  

 

Sarah Chaker studied musicology and German language at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg. Her dissertation is an extensive empirical study in which she examined the ways in which black and death metal devotees deal with their music The dissertation was published in 2014. She is currently an assistant professor at the Department of Music Sociology (IMS) at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. In 2023, she was awarded the Ars Docendi - State Prize for Excellent Teaching (category research-based and art-led teaching).

 

Work and Research Areas

 

  • Music in the public sphere (especially street music/busking)
  • Music mediation/music education/"Musikvermittlung"
  • Change in musical life, popular music (specialization: metal)
  • History and theory of music sociology as an academic discipline
  • Methods in the empirical social sciences (and their use in musicology)
  • Gendered aspects of music production and reception
  • Music and (juvenile) socialization
  • Music and populism

 

Selected current activities

Appen, Ralf von/Chaker, Sarah/Huber, Michael/Prieske, Sean (eds.)(2024): „Parallelgesellschaften“ in populärer Musik? Abgrenzungen – Annäherungen – Perspektiven. GFPM – Beiträge zur Popularmusikforschung 48 meets ~Vibes – The IASPM D-A-CH Series Vol. 3. Bielefeld: transcript [OPEN ACCESS] and http://vibes-theseries.org/.

  • Chaker, Sarah/Huber, Michael/Prieske, Sean/Appen, Ralf von (2024): „'Parallelgesellschaften' in populärer Musik? Ausgangsposition – Begriffsgeschichten – pop-kulturelle Bezüge“. In: Appen, Ralf von/Chaker, Sarah/Huber, Michael/Prieske, Sean (eds.): „Parallelgesellschaften“ in populärer Musik? Abgrenzungen – Annäherungen – Perspektiven. GFPM – Beiträge zur Popularmusikforschung 48 meets ~Vibes – The IASPM D-A-CH Series Vol. 3. Bielefeld: transcript, p. 7-31 and http://vibes-theseries.org/.

  • Chaker, Sarah/Huber, Michael with Amira Ben Saoud, Esra Özmen and Anne Wiederhold-Daryanavard (forthcoming): „Vom Neben- und Miteinander in (pop)musikalischen Lebenswelten: Aktuelle Berichte aus der journalistischen, künstlerischen und veranstaltenden Praxis“. In: Appen, Ralf von/Chaker, Sarah/Huber, Michael/Prieske, Sean (Hg.): „Parallelgesellschaften“ in populärer Musik? Abgrenzungen – Annäherungen – Perspektiven. GFPM – Beiträge zur Popularmusikforschung 48 meets ~Vibes – The IASPM D-A-CH Series Vol. 3. Bielefeld: transcript, p. 343-359 and http://vibes-theseries.org/.

Annuß, Evelyn/Appen, Ralf, von/Chaker, Sarah/Felber, Silke/Glauser, Andrea/Kaufmann, Therese/Lettow, Susanne (eds.)(2024): Populismus kritisieren. Kunst – Politik – Geschlecht. Wien/Bielefeld: mdwPress [OPEN ACCESS].

Chaker, Sarah (2023): "Busking in the neoliberal city: A critical inventory of a selection of street art ordinances in Austria", in: International Journal of Community Music, Volume 16, Issue Buskers: Community, Culture, Commodity, UK: Intellect, p. 155-175.

Chaker, Sarah (2023): „Wie Musikvermittlung spielend das Konzertwesen transformiert – eine praxistheoretisch informierte Bestandsaufnahme“, in Petri-Preis, Axel/Voit, Johannes: Handbuch Musikvermittlung. Studium, Lehre, Berufspraxis. Bielefeld: transcript.

"Prescribed Class. How Post-Neoliberal Policies and Urban Planning Promote Competitive Behavior and Social Inequality among Street Musicians". Talk at the conference "Exploration of Class, Distinction, and Habitus in Popular Culture of Eurasia", organised by the Centre for the Study of Popular Culture at Charles University Prague and the German Historical Institute in Warsaw, Prague, 27 October 2023.

„Straßenmusik in Zeiten des Post-Neoliberalismus. Eine vergleichende Analyse behördlicher Regulierungspraxis in kreativen Städten". Talk (invited) at the conference „Musik in der spätmodernen Gesellschaft. Krisen - Chancen - Transformationen" at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar, 22 September 2023.

Chaker, Sarah/Viehböck, Raphaela (accepted, expected 2024): „'Miteinander gearbeitet haben wir, seit wir einander kannten.' Die wissenschaftliche Partner*innenschaft von Herta und Kurt Blaukopf.“ In: Fornoff-Petrowski, Christine/Bagge, Maren/Ricke, Anna/Rode-Breymann, Susanne (eds.): (Wahl-)Verwandtschaften. Gemeinschaftliches kulturelles Handeln. Reihe Musik – Kultur – Gender. Böhlau Verlag.

Together with Axel Petri-Preis (IMP): Organisation of the international conference Turning Social. Zum sozial-transformativen Potential von Musikvermittlung / Turning Social. On The Social-Transformative Potential of Music Mediation at the mdw - University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, 15-16 June 2023. (Conference report by Monika Rak and Werner Rohrer in the mdw Online magazine, in German).

Together with Michael Huber: Organisation of the 5th IASPM-D-A-CH- and 32nd GFPM-Conference on the topic Parallelgesellschaften/Parallel Societies at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, 20-22 October 2022.

Together with Michael Huber as series editors: Kahle, Ina (2022): Populärkultur und sozial-ökologische Transformation. Potenziale einer reflexiven Nachhaltigkeitskultur auf Musikfestivals. Reihe Musik und Gesellschaft, Band 39. Wiesbaden: Springer. Book launch with Ina Kahle, organised in cooperation with Lectures for Future/grüne_mdw, 26 April 2023.

Together with Raphaela Viehböck: “'Hertalein, ich muss dich da was fragen!' Aktuelle Archiv- und Interviewbefunde zur Wissenschaftskooperation des Ehepaares Herta und Kurt Blaukopf“. Lecture during the conference „(Wahl)Verwandtschaften. Gemeinschaftliches kulturelles Handeln“ des Forschungszentrums Musik und Gender Hannover, Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover, 9 July 2022.

Together with Axel Petri-Preis: Book Presentation of the Anthology "Tuning Up! The Innovative Potential of Musikvermittlung", Wotruba-Salon at the Wiener Konzerthaus, 24 June 2022.

Together with Raphaela Viehböck: "Herta und Kurt Blaukopf: Leben und Arbeiten in Symbiose". Lecture on the occasion of the Herta and Kurt Blaukopf Award ceremony at the mdw, 8 June 2022.

Chaker, Sarah/Petri-Preis, Axel (eds.)(2022): Tuning Up! The Innovative Potential of Musikvermittlung. Series Forum Musikvermittlung - Research and Practice, Volume 1. Bielefeld: transcript (OPEN ACCESS).

  • Chaker, Sarah/Petri-Preis, Axel (2022): “Musikvermittlung and Its Innovative Potential. Terminological, Historical and Sociological Remarks”. In: Chaker, Sarah/Petri-Preis, Axel (eds.): Tuning Up! The Innovative Potential of Musikvermittlung. Bielefeld: transcript, 11–37.
  • Chaker, Sarah (2022): “Musikvermittlung as Everyday Practice: The Cello Quartett Die Kolophonistinnen”. In: Chaker, Sarah/Petri-Preis, Axel (eds.): Tuning Up! The Innovative Potential of Musikvermittlung. Bielefeld: transcript, 121–130.
  • Chaker, Sarah (2022): “Hear – Taste – See: Uisge Beatha – Waters of Life. Towards the Innovative Potential of Synaesthetic Experiences for Musikvermittlung“. In: Chaker, Sarah/Petri-Preis, Axel (eds.): Tuning Up! The Innovative Potential of Musikvermittlung. Bielefeld: transcript, 169–178. 

Chaker, Sarah (2021): „Straßenmusik im öffentlichen Raum und ihre behördliche Regulierung in Österreich. Plädoyer für eine polyphone Klanglandschaft.“ In: Kulturpolitische Mitteilungen, Heft Nr. 175, IV/2021: Kulturwandel zur Nachhaltigkeit, S. 30-32.

Research project co-lead (together with Rosa Reitsamer [until 12/2023], Golan Gur [since 2024]): "Music Sociology as Collection Action: Die wissenschaftliche Partner*innenschaft von Herta und Kurt Blaukopf", since 2020.

Panelist at the 5th international PMÖ conference „Rethinking Classical Music Practice – Audience and Community Engagement in Classical Concert Life“ [online], organised by Axel Petri-Preis and Constanze Wimmer, 25-27 November 2021 at the mdw.

Together with Ralf von Appen: "Popular Music, Populism in Europe, and the Politics of Critique". Lectures and panel discussion with Emilia Barna, Ágnes Patakfalvi-Czirjak, André Doehring, Kai Ginkel and Mario Dunkel as part of the event series "Criticising Populism" at the mdw, 28 October 2021. 

Together with Michael Huber as Series Editors: Andy Battentier (2021): “A Sociology of Sound Technicians. Making the Show Go on.” Book Series Musik und Gesellschaft, Vol. 38. Wiesbaden: Springer.

"'The Taming of the Shrew': The Impact of Authorities' Regulation and Design of Public Space based on the Example of Street Music in Austria today". Lecture (on invitation) during the international conference "Spaces of Musical Cultures: From Bedrooms to Cities" at the mdw (online), 19-20 March 2021.

Chaker, Sarah (2021): "Im Höllen-Labyrinth des Metal. Überlegungen zu Praktiken und Funktionen beständiger Jenseitsadressierung in einer dunklen Musikkultur". In: Dimbath, Oliver/Friedrich, Lena M./Gebhardt, Winfried (Hg.): Die Hölle der Spätmoderne. Soziologische Studien zum Bedeutungswandel ewiger Verdammnis. Reihe Kulturen der Gesellschaft. Bielefeld: transcript, S. 319-341.

Part of the organisation team of the lecture series "Criticising Populism" at the mdw.

Together with Axel Petri-Preis: “Classical Musicians As Educators. Activities, Challenges, Motivations”. Lecture during the international conference “Creative Identities in Transition: Higher Music Education & Employability in the 21st Century“ at the mdw, 28 February 2020.

Together with Axel Petri-Preis: Organisation of the lecture series Tuning Up! Innovative Potentiale der Musikvermittlung, wintersemester 2019/2020 at the mdw.

 

Committee service

National Representative Austria at the International Association for the Study of Popular Music – Germanspeaking Branch (IASPM-D-A-CH), 2018-2022.

Member of the curricular committee "Music Education - Voice and Instruments" at the mdw - since 2019.

Member of the curricular committee "Music in Society" at the mdw - since 2022.

Alternate member of the curricular committee "Music Education" at the mdw (2019-2022).

Alternate member of the mdw Senate - since 2016.

Alternate member of the Staff Association for Research and Artistic Personnel at the mdw - since 2020.

Member of the Platform Gender_mdw - since 2017.