Anne Kaun (born 1983) is Associate Professor at Södertörn University, where she teaches and investigates on social movements and digital media activism, media theory related to temporality and space as well as historical approaches to media technologies. Anne is currently vice-chair of the Communication and Democracy section of ECREA, after having served as the vice-chair of the Young Scholars Network for two years.
What are your hobbies outside academia?
Music more generally is one of my hobbies outside of academia. I used to play in a band called the Lavettes that friends and I formed during my PhD studies in Stockholm. The band is still playing but I have paused my engagement at the moment. Already before joining a band, I was traveling for music events mainly to Germany and the UK, and music-related subcultures were important networks throughout my mobile life moving between Germany, the UK, USA and Sweden. I never considered music more than a hobby although I have also helped to arrange music events in the past.
Anne Kaun playing organs with Lavettes
Besides music, I was practising yoga a lot for a couple of years, but got a little bit bored with it. Lately, thai boxing has become a new passion – it probably makes more sense in the changing academic landscape anyway…
How did you start to be involved in music?
I used to play the accordion as a child. I stopped playing when I turned 13 and the accordion was the most embarrassing instrument to play I could imagine. Ever since, I really regret not picking up playing again. Instead of playing actively, I enjoyed going out dancing. During an Erasmus exchange in Oslo, I developed an interest in Northern Soul – US-American soul from the 1960s and 1970s that is rare and rather unknown compared to the big hits from labels like Motown (The Supremes, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye etc.). After returning to Germany, I started to regularly attend so called allnighters and weekenders and the network of friends related to Northern Soul provided the most important friendships outside of academia ever since. Also in Stockholm most of my non-academic friends I met through music. This is also how I picked up playing an instrument again. A friend remembered my ramblings about how I missed playing actively and asked me to join her Northern Soul inspired band as the organ player. Which I did, despite lacking the actual skills. It was fun, but also challenging to be on stage and recording a demo without years of practice behind me.
Do you define this as hobby or as a second job?
Definitely not as a second job. It is a hobby although I invested quite some time in practising and taking lessons to actually be able to contribute to the collective effort of being a band. For me it would be sad to consider music and the friendships connected with it as a job. I enjoy the freedom and playfulness of it being a hobby.
Would you share with us a bit of your performances?
Here’s a youtube clip for some sonic impression…
Do you find similarities between playing music and your academic work?
Well, yes there are certain conventions and codes you have to learn and practise both in music and in academia. In both worlds, there is also something like a frontstage, where you perform and a backstage which is work-intense and messy. Most importantly, at least for me, is the aspect that both academia and playing music share the ambiguous relationship between collectivity and loneliness. You always learn from others and you play with others, while there are long stretches of practising and engaging with music on your own. That is something I have also experienced in academic work.
Does playing music conflict with your academic work (missing deadlines, having to choose between events)?
No, not really. I never really had to choose. Except for when I moved to the US for a postdoc and my band asked a friend to take my spot in the meantime. Ever since, it has been difficult to find my role back in the band.
How does it, if at all, help in your academic job?
Probably, since I am engaging with something outside of academic work that so easily encroaches upon all aspects of my life, but I don’t want to be too instrumental about practising music. It is something that is important for me, and sometimes it provides a topic to talk about during conference small talk.
Would you recommend your hobby to other academics?
I would probably recommend academics (and anyone for that matter) to have some kind of hobby that suits them. Just to make sure that we are reminded that there is a world beyond articles, grants, conferences and students.
Ana Jorge
