About
Dr. Aram Sinnreich is a media professor, author, and musician. Originally from Brooklyn NYC, he currently lives with his wife and musical partner Dunia Best in the Washington, DC area.
Sinnreich is a professor at American University's School of Communication, where he currently serves as Chair of Communication Studies. His work there focuses on the intersection of technology, law, and culture, with an emphasis on subjects such as music, data surveillance, and copyright.
As an author, Sinnreich writes both nonfiction and fiction books, often on themes related to his research, including music and technology. As a novelist, he collaborates with his sister, Rachel Hope Cleves, using the shared pseudonym R.A. Sinn. He has also written articles for outlets including The New York Times, Wired, Billboard, and The Daily Beast.
As a musician, Sinnreich plays bass, percussion, and guitar. As a composer in styles such as jazz, reggae, and soul, he has been a finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition (2014) and the Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Award (2020). His song "It's Never Easy, Si," performed with his group Dunia & Aram, reached #2 on the World Independent Music radio charts in 2023.
writing
I write both fiction and nonfiction, and have published articles in outlets including The New York Times, Wired Magazine, and The Daily Beast. In addition to these publications, my forthcoming books include:
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Science fiction romance A Second Chance For Yesterday (Rebellion Books, 2023, published with Rachel Hope Cleves under the pseudonym R. A. Sinn)
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Popular nonfiction book The Secret Life of Data (MIT Press, 2024), published with Jesse Gilbert)
music
I write and perform music in a wide variety of styles, from jazz to reggae to punk to R&B. I'm proud to have served as bassist and/or composer for artists and groups including Ari Up, Vivien Goldman, The Specialized Project, Low Lily, Hans Nieswandt, Agent 99, King Django, Simon Chardiet and the Rooftoppers, The Tributary Project, Touch Acoustra, and Cheick Hamala Diabate. My own musical projects include:
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Dunia & Aram — indie soul and acoustic ska duo, which released our debut album BEDFELLOWS on GMO the Label in 2022.
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Dubistry — lovers rock meets breakbeats meets soul
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Brave New Girl — progressive neo-soul jazz collective from NYC
