NYPL Researcher Spotlight: Miranda B. Tagliari Sousa

This profile is part of a series of interviews chronicling the experiences of researchers who use The New York Public Library's collections for the development of their work. 

Miranda Sousa is a Musicology PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research interests are Brazilian popular and concert music from the turn of the twentieth century, from an intersectional and decolonial standpoint. Miranda is a bassist and plays regularly with the Pitt Symphony, where she is also the assistant conductor. She worked as an orchestral musician, teacher, and researcher in Brazil for over a decade before coming to the US to pursue a PhD. The research she conducted at NYPL was sponsored by a grant from the Center for Latin American Studies at Pitt (CLAS).

When did you first get the idea for your research project? 

I have been interested in Brazilian music from the turn of the twentieth century for a few years now, because this period is when the most characteristic Brazilian musical genres were created/appeared, i.e., I consider it to be a foundational time for Brazilian music. The research I’m doing now, specifically on concert music, was inspired by readings in decolonial theory I did during the last two or three years: I’m looking at Brazilian concert music, its audiences and repertories under a decolonial lens, to examine the ways in which music was used as a social (and racial) marker of difference.

What brought you to the Library? 

The Library resources, such as digital collections that I could only examine on-site, books that will provide theoretical and historical/historiographical background to my research, and other resources that are not available at the Pitt Library. 

What research tools could you not live without?

Especially with the pandemic, having skills to do online research (and knowing the tools to use for it) has become essential to any researcher, in any field of study. In my path as a researcher, I cannot live without my computer and internet access, Worldcat, PittCat (the University of PIttsburgh library system catalog), the online resources of the National Library (in Brazil), and more recently, the NYPL digital collections/onsite collections catalog. 

What’s the most unexpected item you encountered in your research?

I found the answer to a question I have been hearing for over twenty years! I am a double bassist, and since the beginning of my career I have been hearing Brazilian bassists debating about whether or not Giovanni Bottesini, the nineteenth century double bass virtuoso, has ever been to Brazil. I intend to publish an article on my findings soon. The unexpected part of this discovery was that I was not looking for it, but found out about it while reading nineteenth century "gossip" periodicals online. 

What’s the most interesting thing you learned from a book recently?

I learned the reason why some musical repertories and genres, such as Italian opera, were considered politically charged and representative of certain social strata in colonial Brazil. More specifically, why this repertory was recognized as representative of the Brazilian monarchy. This is just one of the interesting things I’ve learned from books lately, but there are so many! Books can teach us so much, everyone should cultivate the habit of reading.

Describe a moment when your research took an unexpected turn.

Pitt offers several graduate certificates that students can add to their graduate program. Since I wanted to research Brazilian music, I decided to add the Certificate in Latin American Studies. My research took an unexpected turn after watching classes in other departments (the certificate’s profile is highly interdisciplinary): at first, I wanted my research to have a historiographical approach, but after taking classes in Latin American literature I decided for a more intersectional focus, examining repertories and their connections with class, gender and race in turn of the twentieth century Brazil. Putting it in a simple way, while at first I intended to do a "history" of concert music during this period, now I want to examine the ways in which audiences perceived repertories and spaces of music-making as representatives of social and political difference, problematizing coloniality, national identity, and notions of sameness-otherness.

How do you maintain your research momentum?

There were moments during this last year (with the pandemic and all the social isolation that came with it) that were really discouraging, and not very stimulating for research. I tried to keep myself organized with a calendar that I followed as much as possible, and that attitude kept me working, because it was something I had scheduled previously (and if it’s scheduled, it has to happen at the right time). It’s also very important to have hobbies or other interests, so I can wind down and relax doing something not research-related. I try to work out at least five times per week; it helps me to maintain focus and relax when I’m anxious. Last, but not least, I’m part of a reading group with some friends from my grad program, and reading/discussing theory collectively and periodically (every other week) keeps me engaged in my research.

After a day of working/researching, what do you do to unwind?

I love to be close to the water, so whenever I can I go to the Monongahela riverfront (in Pittsburgh) and walk there for half to one hour. I also exercise, go to the movies (there’s a neighborhood theater three blocks from my apartment), and read. I also love live music, and can’t wait for the return of live concerts and recitals. I have been watching live streams, but there’s nothing like being at a theater to watch or to play with other fellow humans (I play at the university orchestra, Pitt Symphony). When I’m too tired for any of these activities, I just sleep!

What tabs do you currently have open on your computer?

The Pitt Libguide, a paper on opera in colonial Colombia, the magazine of the IHGB (Instituto Historico e Geografico Brasileiro), the research catalog of NYPL, my Pitt email, a book by Benedict Anderson, the digitized periodicals catalog of the Biblioteca Nacional (Brazil’s National Library), YouTube (with the Voadeira album, by Brazilian singer Monica Salmaso). I have social media accounts, but I don’t keep these tabs open (they make me waste time). 

Is there anything you'd like to tell someone looking to get started?

The only thing you need to get started on research is to be curious about your topic of interest. Everything starts with "I want to know more about it." You may not have a clear idea about the focus of your research, but you will never know if you don’t ask questions, so just get started. As you do your research, you will get more informed about your topic, and you will formulate more and better questions (you may even change your focus/approach—and that’s fine). Just get started, the rest will follow. Also, there are so many resources available to you now! Talk to a librarian, to a professor, look up library catalogues, discuss your research with your colleagues. That will give you perspective and will encourage you to keep on pursuing your academic/scientific/curiosity aims.

Have I left anything out that you’d like to tell other researchers?

Librarians can offer great suggestions, help, and support to your research. They know how to find resources, catalogues, collections, and they can recommend sources and search tools that will widen your perceptions about your research topic. Talk to them, and listen to their suggestions, especially if you are visiting a new library. You and your research will benefit from it.