Arts Division
Graduate Candidate
Graduate
History of Consciousness Department
Digital Arts Research Center
Music Center
Joseph Finkel is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in musicology at UC Santa Cruz. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in music from Youngstown State University in Ohio and his Master of Arts in musicology from Arizona State University. His research interests primarily focus on late-twentieth-century experimental music and its intersection with politics.
Jo has presented papers on notable figures such as John Luther Adams, Ben Johnston, and La Monte Young. Additionally, he has contributed to the scholarly discourse through published works on the music and ideas of Alvin Curran and John Cage.
Recently, Jo's research interest includes ambient music, particularly exploring the works of Brian Eno and influential figures in Southern California minimalism, such as Harold Budd.
Outside of his academic pursuits, Jo enjoys playing music, showcasing his skills on the saxophone and piano. He also finds solace in exploring the remarkable natural surroundings of Santa Cruz. Occasionally, Jo ventures into experimental cooking, where he muses whether his culinary endeavors, including the occasional burnt dish, can be considered experimental.
20th/21st Centuries Music
Music and Politics
Minimimalism
Experimental Music
2024 Research Grant from the Mellon Foundation (through the Isaac Julien Studio)
2023 Research grant from The Humanities Institute, UC Santa Cruz
2023 Travel grant from the Society for American Music for The Society for American Music Annual Meeting,
Minneapolis, MN
2023 Research grant from The Arts Division, UC Santa Cruz
2022 Best Graduate Student paper for the Northern California Chapter of the American Musicological Society, Berkely CA
2022 Research grant from The Arts Division, UC Santa Cruz
2021–22 Center for Archival and Teaching Fellow, UC Santa Cruz
2020 Best of the Arts Division in the 16th Annual UC Santa Cruz Graduate Research Symposium, “Music + Mycology = Local Musicology: John Cage and the UC Santa Special Collections,” Santa Cruz, CA
2019–20 Chancellor Fellowship, University of California, Santa Cruz
