Ezgi Benli-Garcia

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Ethnomusicology; Turkey; Central Eurasia, Middle East; Anthropology of Religion; Sacred Music; Sound Studies; Ethno-religious identity; Ethnography and Fieldwork Methods; Autoethnography; Digital archiving; Sound Technologies, Music Production

I am an ethnomusicologist whose research explores how music, storytelling, and collective listening shape community, spirituality, and cultural expression. My work examines how marginalized communities use music, storytelling, and collective listening to sustain identity, create spaces of belonging, and navigate histories of displacement and discrimination.

My doctoral research, Listening to Alevis: Community, Religiosity, and Spirituality in Muhabbet Gatherings, explored how Alevis in Turkey create intimate, participatory spaces where music, conversation, and shared stories foster alternative forms of religiosity, mutual care, and healing. As a bağlama (Turkish lute) artist and fifth-generation musician, I integrate over twenty years of performance experience with ethnographic and archival methods to document and interpret the intersections of sound, voice, and identity.

I earned my Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology and M.A. in Central Eurasian Studies from Indiana University, and a double B.A. in Music Performance and Music Technologies from Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State Conservatory. At George Mason University’s Institute for Immigration Research, I serve as the Shrivastava Family Postdoctoral Research Fellow, focusing on immigration and the intersections of arts, culture, and storytelling.

Alongside my academic work, I teach music and coordinate artistic programs for non-profit organizations and community-based creative projects.

Selected Publications

(In press) 2025. Benli-Garcia, Ezgi. “Grief-free Recipes: The (Dis)Inclusion of Alevis from Turkey’s Aşure Tradition.” Journal of Folklore Research, no.62 (1).

2022. Benli-Garcia, Ezgi. “Dena El Saffar on her listening practices.”Muslim Voices. February 25, 2022. https://blogs.iu.edu/muslimvoices/2022/02/25

2021. Benli-Garcia, Ezgi. “When Cranes Sing: Listening to Alevi Voices.” Rising Voices in Ethnomusicology, no. 17.2 “The Voice Issue.” https://www.semsn.com/172-benligarcia

Book Review: Review of “Aesthetic and Performative Dimensions of Alevi Cultural Heritage,” edited by Martin Greve, Ulaş Özdemir, and Raoul Motika, Journal of Folklore Research Review, 2021.

Grants and Fellowships

Office of the Vice President Pre-Dissertation, IU, Research Award (2022)

Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, IU, Summer (Fieldwork) Research Award (2023)

College Arts and Humanities Institute, IU, Graduate Research Award (2022)

Graduate and Professional Student Government, IU, Graduate Research Award, (2020)

Islamic Studies Program, IU, Graduate Student Conference Travel Award, (2024)

American Folklore Society, Conference Travel Award, (2023)

Courses Taught

Associate Instructor, Indiana University, Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, Bloomington, IN

Global Pop Music (FOLK 151)
World Music and Culture (FOLK 111)
Contemporary Turkey (CEUS-R 387)