Siv B. Lie (“seev bee lee”; she/her) is interested in relationships between cultural production, race and politics. Her research in ethnomusicology and linguistic anthropology examines how Romani (also known as “Gypsy”) groups use music and language to advance their own sociopolitical and economic interests. Her award-winning recent book, "Django Generations: Hearing Ethnorace, Citizenship, and Jazz Manouche in France" (University of Chicago Press, 2021), shows how music and language shape ethnoracial and national belonging among French Manouche populations. Through ethnographic, performance-based and archival research methods, her work takes an interdisciplinary approach to exploring the politics of expressive practices and the commodification of culture. She has published in Ethnomusicology, The Journal of the American Musicological Society, The Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, Popular Music and Society, French Cultural Studies, Ethnic and Racial Studies, European History Quarterly, and Jazz and Culture. Lie is co-founder and principal coordinator of the Initiative for Romani Music at New York University, an organization that brings together scholars, artists and community members to raise awareness about Romani musics and cultures. She is also a curator of the music section of RomArchive, the first digital archive of Romani arts and cultures led in large part by Roma. She earned her Ph.D. from the Department of Music at New York University and is also a violinist, violist and vocalist in a variety of genres.

Her current research explores the politics of silence in genocide commemoration. French Manouches were targets of genocidal policies under the Nazi and Vichy regimes that seized France during World War II, yet their histories — as well as the long-term socioeconomic repercussions of this persecution — remain underrepresented in educational programs and governmental institutions. This project focuses on commemorative efforts among descendants of Manouche victims and survivors in France, especially those who undertake these efforts through musical practices. In 2023-24, she will pursue ethnographic and archival research in France as a fellow at the University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study.

More information about Lie, including a list of publications, is available on www.sivblie.com. You can also find her on Twitter (@sivblie).

Lie’s teaching aligns closely with her research interests. She is committed to helping students develop critical viewpoints on the intersections between music, identity, language and politics. She also trains students to pursue ethically-grounded ethnographic research.

In addition to her primary appointment in the School of Music at UMD, Lie is affiliate associate professor in the Department of Anthropology; affiliate faculty in the School of Theater, Dance, and Performances Studies; affiliate faculty in the Consortium on Race, Gender, and Ethnicity; and affiliate faculty at the Center for Global Migration Studies.