Rainer Polak

I am an associate professor in interdisciplinary rhythm research at the RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion and at the Department of Musicology at the University of Oslo. I lead a project funded by the Research Council of Norway, DjembeDance (2023–2027). Prior to that, I held researcher positions at RITMO (2022–2024), MPI for Empirical Aesthetics (2017-2022), and HfMT Köln (2011-2016). My study background is in social anthropology and African studies (MA 1996 and PhD 2002, University of Bayreuth).

My research focuses on case studies of drumming and dance practices from West Africa, but also develops comparative perspectives on cross-cultural variation in human rhythm perception and production. It aims at integrating approaches from the humanities and the social, computational, and cognitive sciences. This breadth requires support and close collaboration with colleagues, including music theorist and music cognition researcher Justin London, computational scientist and cognitive scientist Nori Jacoby, (ethno)musicologist Lara Pearson, and cognitive neuroscientist Sylvie Nozaradan, among others.

Parallel to my career as a researcher, and especially during gaps in my academic career, I also worked as a freelancer and taught djembe drumming. Throughout my career, I have worked and continue to work closely and sustainably with Malian artists. First and foremost, I learned from them due to their enormous artistic generosity for which I am deeply grateful. At the same time, I have endeavored and continue to endeavor to provide platforms for their artistic work in the Global North, e.g., in the form of CD productions and the repeated organization of concert and workshop tours.

This is my private website. You may also visit my profile page at the University of Oslo.

Contact:  rainer[dot]polak[at]imv[dot]uio[dot]no