Department of Art and Music

Dr P Sepuru

College of Human Sciences
School of Arts
Department: Art and Music
Senior Lecturer
Tel: 0124841338
E-mail: sepurp@unisa.ac.za

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Music in Musicology (UP)
  • Master of Music in Musicology (UP)
  • Bachelor of Music (UP)

Currently teaching

  • MHS1512: Introduction to African Music
  • MHS3712: Theory of African Music
  • MHS3715: Popular Music
  • MUS4803: Research Methodologies in Music
  • PRMF01Q: Foundations of Music History

Fields of academic interests

  • Musicology
  • Research Interests:
  • Jazz History
  • South African Jazz
  • Jazz Pianism
  • Musical Identity

Field of Specialisation

Musicology

Books

‘Analysis paralysis’ and finding my own voice in

The PhD experience in African higher education, 2023, Lexington Books

Edited by Ruth Murambadoro, John Mashayamombe & uMbuso weNkosi

Journal articles

Insiders on the margin: In conversation with Susan Barry (in press)

Accepted for publication in the South African Journal of Musicology (SAMUS), 2024.

Paper presentations

August 2023 & Global Jazz Women Network & University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

  • Paper presented on Music education in tertiary level and community arts centres

July 2023 Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education (PASMAE) - University of the Cape Coast, Ghana

  • Paper presented on “Tales from the South”: Exploring musical identities and South Africanness in jazz pianism

September The 9th International Conference on Arts and Humanities (ICOAH)

2022 The International Institute of Knowledge Management, Sri Lanka

  • Scientific committee member and Evaluation panel member

July 2019 Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education (PASMAE) - Seychelles

  • Paper presented on Exploring elements of musical style in South African jazz pianists

September South African Society for Research in Music (SASRIM)

2019 University of Stellenbosch & middot

  • Paper presented on Exploring elements of musical style in South African jazz pianists

March 2018 South African Association for Jazz Education (SAJE) - University of Cape Town, South Africa

  • Attendee

August 2016  South African Society for Research in Music (SASRIM) - University of the Free State, South Africa

  • Paper presented on The acquisition of jazz improvisation skills: Collective case studies with six South African musicians

March 2016 South African Association for Jazz Education (SAJE) - University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

  • Paper presented on The acquisition of jazz improvisation skills: Collective case studies with six South African musicians
  • Paper presented on Music education in tertiary level and community arts centres

August 2023 Global Jazz Women Network - University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

  • Paper presented on Music education in tertiary level and community arts centres

July 2023 Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education (PASMAE) - University of the Cape Coast, Ghana

  • Paper presented on “Tales from the South”: Exploring musical identities and South Africanness in jazz pianism

September The 9th International Conference on Arts and Humanities (ICOAH)

2022 The International Institute of Knowledge Management, Sri Lanka

July 2019 Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education (PASMAE) - Seychelles

  • Paper presented on Exploring elements of musical style in South African jazz pianists

September South African Society for Research in Music (SASRIM) - 2019 University of Stellenbosch

  • Paper presented on Exploring elements of musical style in South African jazz pianists

March 2018 South African Association for Jazz Education (SAJE) - University of Cape Town, South Africa

  • Attendee

August 2016 South African Society for Research in Music (SASRIM) - University of the Free State, South Africa

  • Paper presented on The acquisition of jazz improvisation skills: Collective case studies with six South African musicians

March 2016 South African Association for Jazz Education (SAJE) - University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

  • Paper presented on The acquisition of jazz improvisation skills: Collective case studies with six South African musicians

Professional positions, fellowships & awards

Winter 2022 - University of Michigan African Presidential Scholarship Fellow, Michigan, USA

Selected as part of 2022 cohort of the University of Michigan African Presidential Scholarship (UMAPS) programme, organised by the African Studies Center (ASC) at the University of Michigan. This fellowship involved a series of writing workshops, and a presentation of my research to the wider campus community at one of the UMAPS research colloquia. I was be paired with two faculty member (Prof. Naomi Andre and Ms Marion Hayden) who served as faculty collaborators and mentors during this period.

Pan-African Society for Musical Arts Education (PASMAE)

  • Vice-President (Southern region)

The South African Association for Jazz Education (SAJE)

  • Board Member

South African Society for Research in Music (SASRIM)

  • Member

South African Society of Music Teachers (SASMT)

  • Member

Golden Key International Honour Society

  • Member