Office Hours: Justin Patch on political advertising and social media

Image courtesy of John Abbott. Professor Justin Patch speaks for our new column, Office Hours. In my first interview for Office Hours, the new column for The Miscellany News that spotlights professors across Vassar departments, I was fortunate enough to sit down with Associate Professor and Chair of Music Justin Patch. Patch is an ethnomusicologist who has studied topics such as music in American politics, East Asian art music and the African diaspora, and sound studies. Additionally, before completing his Ph.D in ethnomusicology, Patch was a professional classical guitarist and has played at a variety of venues and festivals, including South By Southwest. Sitting in his office in Skinner Hall with his adorable dog, Darby, last Wednesday, Nov. 4, we had a fascinating conversation about music in ads, the effects of social media on politics and the commodification of identity through branding. The interview started with, as can be expected, the results from the recent Nov. 3 elections.

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