About

Rebecca Uberoi studied music at City University, London and music education at Trinity College Dublin, before completing a masters and doctorate in ethnomusicology at University College Dublin. Awarded in 2017, her doctorate was funded by a Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship from the Irish Research Council. 

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Following completion of the PhD, Rebecca worked at London School of Theology for almost seven years as Lecturer in Ethnomusicology and Worship Studies. For most of that time, she also headed up the music department and led a suite of BA programmes in theology, music, and worship. 

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Rebecca's dual interests in the music of West Africa and Indonesia began during her undergraduate studies at City, where she played in a West African drumming ensemble, central Javanese gamelan, and Sundanese gamelan degung. This led to a year out in West Java studying traditional Sundanese music on the Government of Indonesia Darmasiswa Scholarship programme. She continues to play with Sekar Enggal, the resident gamelan degung ensemble at City St George's, University of London. 

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Rebecca's research interests lie broadly in the anthropology/ ethnomusicology of Christianity. Prior to her year on the Darmasiswa, she spent two months conducting fieldwork in churches in Java and Bali, exploring the use of indigenous music in Christian worship. More recent work has focussed on music and worship practices in African Pentecostalism, specifically in the context of migrant churches in the Republic of Ireland. 

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As a third-generation Pentecostal herself, Rebecca has been actively involved as a church musician and worship leader for much of her life. In addition to her experience in higher education lecturing, she has also worked for many years as a flute, piano, and early years music teacher.