tharupathi
munasinghe
Author | Sound Anthropologist | Media Scholar | Composer
I am a sound ethnographer, composer, and media scholar based in Melbourne. My research examines how sound operates as a cultural, social, and political medium across ritual practices, media environments, and digital platforms.
I specialise in Sri Lankan sound cultures, migration, and auditory memory, with a particular focus on low-country drumming and diasporic soundscapes.
My forthcoming monograph Digital Media, Soundscapes, and Civic Engagement in a Globalised World (Routledge, 2026) develops the concept of listening as a form of civic participation, contributing to interdisciplinary debates in sound studies, ethnomusicology, and media anthropology.
“Exploring sound as a cultural, social, and political force across ritual, media, and digital life.”
"In a world increasingly articulated through the multiple experiences of diaspora and belonging, this wonderfully written and researched book redefines the conceptual and epistemological framework necessary to understand the complex nature of belonging and civic participation of so many in the present digital age."
Michael Bull
Professor of Sound Studies, University of Sussex
Author of Sound Moves and editor of The Routledge Companion to Sound Studies
November 2026
composing
Tharupathi Munasinghe is a composer and sound designer with over two decades of experience across film, television, documentary, and theatre in Sri Lanka and Australia. His work spans more than 50 productions and combines acoustic and digital approaches informed by Sri Lankan musical traditions, contemporary sound design, and narrative-driven composition.
Selected works — full credits available on request.
