Alaba Ilesnami

Alaba Ilesnami

Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

Fall 2021 – present

PhD in Musicology

McKnight Doctoral Fellowship

 

Educational/Professional Background

Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Alaba is a doctoral student in musicology at the Florida State University, where he also directs the Pan-African ensemble, Afro-Nyota. His music studies formally started at the prestigious Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) School of Music, Lagos, where he was awarded a full scholarship by the MTN Foundation in 2010 and graduated as the “Best Overall Student” in 2012. He holds advanced certificates in music theory and percussion and piano playing from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and Trinity College of Music, London. Also, he also holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Texas at Tyler and a master’s degree in musicology from the Florida State University. Additionally, he is a certified EC-12 music educator in the state of Texas.

Research and Teaching Interests, or Professional Field

Alaba’s research broadly focuses on African and African diaspora music, exploring the rich intercultural influences among the Black Atlantic cultures as they intersect with the themes of identity and cultural politics, intersectionality, and globalization. He aims to foster a new and culturally embedded approach to the musicological study of African music in Africa, the Americas, and throughout the world.