Master's in Maritime Music and Folklore
This master's offers an in-depth exploration of the musical and narrative traditions born of the sea and coastal communities. You will study coastal ethnomusicology, sea shanties and work songs, the music of fishing communities, transoceanic musical exchange, the myths and symbols of maritime song, marine soundscapes and bioacoustics, arranging and production, cultural management and festivals, performance and dance, and the documentation and archiving of maritime musical heritage.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Master's in Maritime Music and Folklore?
This master's offers an in-depth exploration of the musical and narrative traditions born of the sea and coastal communities. You will learn to research, transcribe and analyze maritime oral traditions, understand the history and functions of sea shanties, follow the routes of the habanera, calypso, fado and port flamenco, record marine soundscapes with hydrophones, arrange and produce traditional repertoire, and design festivals, educational programs and heritage safeguarding projects, preparing you for work as a musician, researcher, educator or cultural manager specializing in maritime music.
What sets this master's apart: it combines ethnomusicology, performance and production in a single program devoted to the music of the sea; it takes a global view, from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean to the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean; it connects tradition with sound art through marine acoustics, field recording and electroacoustic composition; it includes cultural management, intangible heritage and festival production; and it ends with a flexible Final Project that can be an ethnomusicological study, a recording production or a cultural management project with a public presentation.
Program highlights
- Coastal ethnomusicology: fieldwork methods, transcription and analysis of maritime oral traditions.
- Sea shanties and work songs: capstan, halyard and short-drag shanties, rowing songs and fishing songs.
- Transoceanic music: the habanera, calypso, fado, port flamenco and the music of the Indian Ocean.
- Marine soundscapes: hydrophones, field recording, bioacoustics and electroacoustic composition.
- Production and management: arranging, studio recording, festivals and intangible heritage.
- Final Project: an ethnomusicological study, a recording production or a cultural management project.
Syllabus of the Master's in Maritime Music and Folklore
11 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Coastal Ethnomusicology and Foundations of the Music of the Sea
- 1.1. Introduction to marine ethnomusicology: fieldwork methods and the anthropology of coastal sound
- 1.2. The sea as a sound space: acoustic landscapes and acoustic ecology
- 1.3. Coastal organology: nautical instruments, shell trumpets, wooden percussion and string instruments
- 1.4. Meter and rhythm of the waves: cyclical patterns, syncopation and flexible tempo in seafaring folklore
- 1.5. Musical geography of the oceans: the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Pacific and the Caribbean
- 1.6. Early vocal expressions: lookout calls, deck calls and fog signals
- 1.7. Ritual, spirituality and sea mythology expressed through song and dance
- 1.8. Coastal identity and nostalgia in traditional lyrics
- 1.9. Sound archives and historical ethnographic sources of maritime music
- 1.10. Transcription and musical analysis of coastal oral traditions
Nautical Work Songs: Sea Shanties and Sailing Songs
- 2.1. Origins and development of sea shanties in the 18th- and 19th-century merchant and coastal trade
- 2.2. Functional types of shanties: capstan and windlass, halyard and short-drag
- 2.3. The shantyman: improvisation, deck leadership and coordinated effort
- 2.4. The lyrical repertoire of sail: voyages, ports, longing and endurance
- 2.5. Work songs of traditional fisheries: hauling nets, salting and fish auctions
- 2.6. Coastal polyphony and teamwork: rowing songs in traditional boats
- 2.7. Cultural hybridization at sea: African, European and Indigenous contributions
- 2.8. The decline of sail and the heritage status of shanties
- 2.9. The contemporary revival of sea shanties in digital media and social networks
- 2.10. Interpretation and vocal technique for performing deck work songs
Musical Traditions of Fishing and Seafaring Communities
- 3.1. Seafaring ballads: oral transmission of tragedies, shipwrecks and heroes of the sea
- 3.2. Devotional music: maritime processions and songs to patron saints
- 3.3. Coastal folk dance: fishermen's dances, inland habaneras and ribbon dances
- 3.4. Songs of longing and waiting: women of the coast and songs of sea widows
- 3.5. Songs of dockworkers, mariners and maritime guilds in historic ports
- 3.6. Island folklore: cultural isolation, sound blending and micro-repertoires
- 3.7. Music of the canning and salting industries: women's work and rhythmic repertoires
- 3.8. Popular sea festivals: seafaring carnivals, boat burnings and beach solstice rituals
- 3.9. Seafood and cuisine in traditional songs and tavern verses
- 3.10. Contemporary fieldwork in fishing villages: recording the living memory of older fishermen
Trade Routes, Migration and Transoceanic Musical Blending
- 4.1. The habanera: birth in Cuba, Atlantic expansion and roots in Iberian fishing villages
- 4.2. Round-trip exchange between the Americas, Africa and Europe through ports
- 4.3. Calypso and Caribbean fishermen's music: resistance, satire and rhythms of the sea
- 4.4. Music of the Indian Ocean: sega of the Mascarene Islands and the dhow routes
- 4.5. Influence of British and Irish sailors' music in the Americas and the Antipodes
- 4.6. Flamenco and port songs: caracoles, mirabrás and the marine imprint on the cante of Cádiz
- 4.7. Portuguese fado and its deep relationship with seafaring and saudade
- 4.8. Free ports and cosmopolitan sound: urban genres in port taverns
- 4.9. Music of transatlantic emigration: farewell songs on the docks
- 4.10. Transculturation of instruments: the guitar, the accordion and the concertina in seafaring folklore
Symbolism, Myth and Literary Narrative in the Maritime Songbook
- 5.1. Sirens, tritons and sea monsters in popular lyrics and traditional song
- 5.2. Omens, superstitions and sound taboos at sea: silence, whistling and forbidden songs
- 5.3. Death at sea: burial at sea, the souls of the drowned and ghost bells
- 5.4. The Flying Dutchman and its translation into popular ballads
- 5.5. Personified natural forces: wind, gale, storm and moon in folk poetry
- 5.6. The port as a space of freedom, vice and redemption in tavern songs
- 5.7. Semiotic analysis of seafaring lyrics: navigation metaphors applied to life
- 5.8. Pirates, privateers and smugglers in the popular musical imagination
- 5.9. Oral transmission of maritime legends through blind singers' verses and broadsides
- 5.10. Adapting maritime literature classics to singer-songwriter and modern folk repertoire
Marine Acoustics, Soundscapes and Bioacoustics
- 6.1. Principles of underwater acoustics: sound propagation and speed in seawater
- 6.2. Marine field recording: hydrophones, contact microphones and high-resolution recorders
- 6.3. Coastal soundscape ecology: waves, wind, seabirds and human activity
- 6.4. Marine bioacoustics: whale songs, fish vocalizations and their links with coastal folklore
- 6.5. Soundscapes of ports and shipyards: ship horns, cranes and engines
- 6.6. Sound mapping of fishing villages and coastal heritage areas
- 6.7. Electroacoustic and ambient composition with processed marine sounds
- 6.8. Underwater noise pollution and awareness through sound art
- 6.9. Immersive sound installations and ocean-inspired acoustic museography
- 6.10. Open-access archives of sea sounds and nautical sound effects libraries
Arranging, Composition and Music Production of Maritime Folklore
- 7.1. Harmonizing and arranging traditional seafaring melodies for choirs and ensembles
- 7.2. Blending maritime folklore with folk rock, jazz, electronic music and world music
- 7.3. Studio recording techniques for traditional coastal acoustic instruments
- 7.4. Producing large choral vocals to recreate work songs and shanties
- 7.5. Instrumentation and orchestration for naval and marine soundtracks
- 7.6. Microphone selection and capture techniques for large folk ensembles
- 7.7. Mixing and mastering folk productions: space, natural reverb and acoustic warmth
- 7.8. Writing new sea-inspired songs: meter, rhyme and characteristic harmonic turns
- 7.9. Notation software and digital audio workstations (DAWs) in traditional music
- 7.10. Creating a sound identity for festivals, documentaries and marine cultural projects
Heritage, Festivals and Cultural Management of Sea Folklore
- 8.1. Maritime folklore as intangible cultural heritage under UNESCO
- 8.2. Public policies to safeguard the musical heritage of fishing communities
- 8.3. Designing, producing and managing international sea music and tavern song festivals
- 8.4. Maritime museums and the integration of music and oral tradition into exhibitions
- 8.5. International touring circuits for traditional music groups and shanty choirs
- 8.6. Funding models, grants and sponsorship for marine heritage recovery projects
- 8.7. Cultural ecotourism and routes based on the musical tradition of fishing villages
- 8.8. Teaching maritime music in schools, conservatories and community workshops
- 8.9. Founding associations, sailors' choirs and habanera or sea song competitions
- 8.10. Communication, social media and outreach to young audiences
Performance, Body Expression and Traditional Coastal Dance
- 9.1. The physicality of work at sea in traditional dance: strength, balance and cadence
- 9.2. Movement analysis in coastal folk dances: net weaving and rowing gestures
- 9.3. Vocal technique and projection for outdoor a cappella singing in coastal and port spaces
- 9.4. Characterization and historical costume of fishermen and sailors on stage
- 9.5. Staging seafaring choirs: dramatization, positioning and dynamics
- 9.6. Directing seafaring folk choirs and traditional singing groups
- 9.7. Rhythmic accompaniment instruments: tambourines, shells, bottles and small drums
- 9.8. Poetic improvisation by the sea: sung verse duels at coastal festivals
- 9.9. Physical preparation and vocal health for high-intensity folk singers
- 9.10. Building multidisciplinary shows combining music, dance, literature and seascape
Research, Documentation and Archiving of Maritime Musical Heritage
- 10.1. Fieldwork methodology
- 10.2. Sound recording and documentation
- 10.3. Music transcription
- 10.4. Archives and sound libraries
- 10.5. Cataloging sources
- 10.6. Rights and licensing of recordings
- 10.7. Digitization and preservation
- 10.8. Traditional music databases
- 10.9. Publication and dissemination
- 10.10. Music documentation project
Final Project
- 11.1. Choosing the project type: ethnomusicological study, recording production or cultural management project
- 11.2. Methodological rationale, literature review and state of the art
- 11.3. Designing fieldwork, archival collection or the artistic and recording concept
- 11.4. Carrying out ethnographic work, studio sessions or event planning
- 11.5. Music transcription, data analysis or audio post-production and mixing
- 11.6. Writing the project report to academic or cultural sector standards
- 11.7. Dissemination dossier, distribution plan or heritage safeguarding strategy
- 11.8. Preparing the practical showcase: recital, sound documentary or exhibition
- 11.9. Critical review and assessment of cultural, social and educational impact
- 11.10. Public presentation, live performance or oral defense before an expert panel
Duration and format of the Master's in Maritime Music and Folklore
It is 1,500 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Master's in Maritime Music and Folklore
Career opportunities after the Master's in Maritime Music and Folklore
Questions about the Master's in Maritime Music and Folklore
The study, performance and promotion of music and folklore connected with the sea and coastal communities.
No. It covers sea-related folk music in general, including traditional seafaring songs, fishing community music, transoceanic genres and contemporary creation inspired by the sea.
A good level on an instrument or voice in a related style is recommended, and reading music is helpful. Researchers and cultural managers without performance experience can also enroll after the admission interview.
Yes. The program covers field recording with hydrophones, studio recording of acoustic instruments, choral production, mixing, mastering and the use of DAWs and notation software.
Yes. One module covers intangible cultural heritage, safeguarding policies, festival production, museums, funding models and audience development.
You choose between an ethnomusicological study, a recording production and a cultural management project, and you present it publicly as a recital, sound documentary, exhibition or oral defense.
The master's is taught entirely online, with a virtual campus available 24/7, recorded live sessions and tutorials. It comprises 1500 hours of study across 11 modules of about 136 hours each, and you progress at your own pace within the schedule you are given on enrollment.
More programs in Culture and heritage
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at musicians and folklorists who want to explore the maritime roots of traditional music, educators and music therapists, researchers and anthropologists studying the influence of the sea on music and folklore, cultural managers and festival organizers, and music and sea enthusiasts seeking specialized training. A degree in music, musicology, ethnomusicology, art history, anthropology or a related field, or proven experience in traditional maritime music or folklore, is recommended, together with a good level on an instrument or voice in a related style; reading music is helpful.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a camera and microphone, a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and, ideally, audio and video editing software.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.