Dr Andrew Alter
Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, School of Arts
Qualifications
BA (Wesleyan University) MMus (Adelaide University) PhD (Monash University)
Contact
| Email: | aalter@une.edu.au |
| Room: | CB newling Building F19 |
| Phone: | 02 6773 6457 (or +61 2 6773 6457 overseas) |
Convenor of Discipline
Areas of Teaching
Dr. Alter performs on piano, cello and Indonesian gamelan. He also teaches musicianship and conducting. He has conducted a variety of choral ensembles that have performed diverse repertoire ranging from Renaissance to World Music. He approaches his teaching from a cross-disciplinary perspective in which harmonic studies, aural training, conducting, sol-fa and keyboard harmony are integrated using a wide variety of teaching strategies and repertoire. Dr. Alter has participated with the UNE Gamelan Ensemble (Swara Naga) in numerous concerts throughout Australia and Singapore, and was a member of the ensemble for both of the group’s recently released CDs. Dr. Alter also maintains a keen interest in present-day fusion ensembles throughout Australia and will soon be embarking on a research project with colleagues in which emerging cross-cultural performance genres in Australia will be examined and documented.
As coordinator of performance studies, Dr. Alter has been responsible for building an approach to music performance in which students develop a broad perspective towards different genres and styles. His current interests focus particularly on cross-cultural approaches to improvisation and historically informed performance practice.
Research interests
Dr. Alter has published articles on aspects of the North Indian Classical tradition as well as on aspects of musical practice in Garhwal. His research has examined processes of oral transmission in the classical North Indian music tradition as well as the relationship between ritual and performance in regional traditions in North India. In 2001 he received a grant from the American Institute of Indian Studies to undertake research on Mahabharata performance in Garhwal, North India. He continues to examine the role of music in ritual and performance contexts, particularly as related to the drum practice and epic traditions in North India. His book Dancing with Devtas: Drums, Power and Possession in the Music of Garhwal, North India was published by Ashgate in 2008. He has contributed articles to numerous scholarly journals including South Asia, Asian Music, Musicology Australia, the European Bulletin of Himalayan Research and the Yearbook for Traditional Music. He has also contributed articles to the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music and Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism.
Supervision Areas
Primary areas: Ethnomusicology, Music of South Asia, Contemporary Fusion Performance
Secondary areas: Improvisation, Modal and Polyphonic studies, Harmonic practice and analysis, Indonesian Music