Carlos Roberto Ramírez

Bio

Carlos Roberto Ramírez (he/él) is a musicologist and critical theorist whose scholarship explores the intersections of sound, power, and subjectivity,  drawing upon interdisciplinary methodologies to examine how music and sound shape social hierarchies and cultural identities. His work focuses on two primary areas: the construction of sonic identities in Early Modern Spain and the Spanish Atlantic, and contemporary representations of gender, class, and race in Puerto Rican musics.

His current book project, Sound and Power in Puerto Rico, offers a cultural history of sound’s role in colonization, meaning-making, and identity formation on the archipelago, through historical case studies that span five centuries. His approach integrates theories of power and coloniality into the study of sound, theorizing how subaltern voices employ what he terms “sonic technologies of passage” to navigate and resist systems of oppression.

He has presented his research at a number of conferences and institutions, including Columbia University, Princeton University, the American Musicological Society (AMS), the the Symposium of the International Festival of Spanish Keyboard Music (FIMTE), and the Royal Musical Association (RMA).

Carlos’s research has been supported by Cornell University’s Graduate School Dean’s Fellowship, Cornell University’s Provost Fellowship, Ithaca College Scholars Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, the Westfield Center for Historical Keyboard Studies, and the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) Campus Research Board. Before joining the faculty at the University of Illinois, Carlos taught at Ithaca College’s School of Music.

Carlos also holds faculty appointments at the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies (CLACS), the Program in Medieval Studies, and the  Unit for Criticism and Interpretative Theory.

Areas of Expetise:
Sound Studies
Power and Coloniality
Latine music/sound
Sonic Materialities
Race, Gender, and Identity in Music
Historical and Reconstructive Soundscapes
Historically Informed Practice
Historical Keyboards

Teaching Philosophy

As a professor, I am passionate about guiding students to think critically about both historical and contemporary topics. I believe that scholarship flourishes when cross-disciplinary perspectives are embraced. In my classroom, I strive to create an inclusive learning environment where ideas are exchanged openly, free from fear of judgment, and where diversity in all its forms is both encouraged and celebrated. By exposing students to a wide range of viewpoints in a supportive and dynamic setting, I hope to inspire them to become thoughtful, engaged citizens who appreciate and advocate for equity.

Ultimately, my goal is to empower students with the critical skills and confidence necessary to become agents of change, prepared to make meaningful contributions wherever their academic and professional journeys take them.