Music, discourses and power: reflections on the hierarchy of knowledge

This article presents a reflection on the discourses that support musical genres and that naturalize the hierarchy of knowledge. The text, in the form of a critical essay, focuses on the polarization between "classical" music and "popular" music, motivated by the work of authors such as Michel Foucault (1971) and Stuart Hall (2003). We will start by problematizing the premises that define Musicology as an independent academic discipline and the limitations that they can place on music research. Next, we will approach Music for Cinema as a concrete example of the discursive ambiguities that have placed "classical" music at the center of academic research. Finally, Cultural Studies will be highlighted as a response to the resistance of traditional Musicology, advocating an academic repositioning with regard to music research.