Dr. Deirdre Morgan is a leading scholar of the jew’s harp, an ancient, mouth-resonated musical instrument found in many cultures around the world. An active member of the global jew’s harp revival, Morgan has researched and played the instrument since 2005, speaking, performing, and conducting research in over a dozen countries. She holds a PhD in Music from SOAS, University of London, and an MA in Ethnomusicology and BA in Interdisciplinary Studies, both from the University of British Columbia.
Deirdre is co-author, along with Dr. Owen Coggins, of the forthcoming book Jew’s Harps and Metal Music: Folk Traditions in Global Modernity. Her writing has been published in Ethnomusicology Forum and in the recent volume Shaping Sound & Society: The Cultural Study of Musical Instruments.
Deirdre holds a Provincial Instructor Diploma and has been a faculty member in the Music Department at Vancouver Community College since 2015. She teaches courses in ethnomusicology, popular music history, and digital marketing for musicians.
Deirdre has a passion for supporting fellow creative people and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her roles as an educator and mentor. She honed her marketing and event production skills with top Vancouver music organizations including the Chan Centre, Pacific Baroque Orchestra, and music intima, and twice served as the Executive Director of the North American Jew’s Harp Festival. As a community leader, she has served on several boards, including Gamelan Gita Asmara, the International Jew’s Harp Society, and the British Forum for Ethnomusicology, and worked as a core mentor with EmergenceBC Music Mentorship for Women.
As a musician, Deirdre enjoys performing a wide variety of jew’s harp styles from around the world as well as folk/pop/rock vocals, combining a love of improvisation with a respect for traditional forms. Deirdre is a versatile collaborator and is always interested in discussing future projects. You can hear some of her work here, here, and here. A trained clown, she brings theatrical flair and a sense of humour and curiosity to everything she does. Occasionally, you can catch her appearing in mermaid form.
