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Photo of Carlos Chirinos PhD by Ivan Gonzalez

Carlos Chirinos-Espin

Assistant Professor, Director of NYU Music and Social Change Lab

Music and Performing Arts Professions

Dr. Carlos Chirinos is an Assistant Professor in the Music Business Program at NYU Steinhardt. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Universidad Central de Venezuela, a Master’s degree in Ethnomusicology, and a Ph.D in Development Studies from SOAS, University of London in the United Kingdom. Professor Chirinos specializes in the intersection of the music industry, social change, and public health.

His research and practice have resulted in the creation of a USAID/CDC-funded public health campaign to prevent Ebola in West Africa. Furthermore, his research on Songs for Social Change contributed to the establishment of the first-ever Grammy Award for Best Song for Social Change by the Recording Academy in 2023. Professor Chirinos has published on the use of popular songs in health education and serves as the development editor for Grammy Award-winning artist Rubén Blades’ memoirs.

Professor Chirinos is also a curator of Latin Music at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. His academic and practice work has been reported in the New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, BBC, and El País. Since 2015, he has been a Clinical Associate Professor in the Music Business Program at NYU Steinhardt, and associated faculty in the NYU School of Global Public Health.

Programs

Music Business

Study with industry leaders and learn the necessary skills to thrive in a fast-paced industry.

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Courses

Graduate Artists & Repertoire Seminar in Music Business

Examination of the processes of AandR (Artists and Repertoire), production, and manufacturing. Criteria for music evaluation and genre categories are analyzed. The role of the studio for the producer and the artists.
Course #
MPAMB-GE 2201
Credits
3
Department
Music and Performing Arts Professions

Music Innovation and Social Change

An in-depth analysis of how music artists, songs, and concerts create contemporary media narratives about health, equality, and social change through public service announcements and advocacy campaigns in the public and non-profit sectors. We investigate the impact of the work of music celebrities’ promotion of social change to the general public, and use interdisciplinary approaches in music, informal education, and entertainment to evaluate innovation and social enterprise in the music industry.
Course #
MPAMB-GE 2208
Credits
3
Department
Music and Performing Arts Professions

The Global Music Industry: Popular Music- Culture and Society

This course explores the music industry to examine how popular music influences global social, cultural and technological trends. Through multimedia presentations, readings, debates and interactions with artists and tastemakers, students explore the relevance of popular music as an expressive culture and the role of New York and London as gateways to music genres from around the world. The course provides a historical overview of contemporary popular music and a critical evaluation of the music industry as catalyzer for self-expression, tradition and media stardom.
Course #
MPAMB-UE 1224
Credits
4
Department
Music and Performing Arts Professions