This project was a case study and ethnography on the Ecstatic Music Festival, a
series of concerts that began in 2011 that features collaborations between
innovative “indie-classical” ensembles and non-traditional bands set in an
“uptown,” traditional concert hall in New York City.

The Ecstatic Music Festival markets this music and the artists as “ecstatic,”
turning the focus away from the music’s complexity or musical materials and onto feelings the music and artists can create for listeners. This research will help us understand how and why this music creates meaning and value for listeners in the 21st century.