Musicking or sounding? How are performers musicking and/or sounding? How does our musical educational background influence our performances? In this paper, I attempt to answer the above questions, with which I was concerned while writing my thesis, titled "Drag Soundscaping: Sonic Performativity in the Art of Drag." 

In my research, I employ the method of autoethnography, drawing on my capacities as a musician and drag performer. The concept of musicking, introduced by Small, proposes understanding music as a kind of action, as a form of social practice (Kanellopoulos, 2011). The development of the term sounding over the term musicking, as used by Feld  (Feld et al., 2020) instigated me to focus on sound. My research trajectory from music to sound is an attempt to distinguish music from non-music sounds in drag performance (Panopoulos, 2005). I interpret musicking as the way in which we sing in drag performance, while sounding as the broader sonic praxis, studying its specific characteristics. But these two come together. 

In this paper,  I will talk about drag sounding and drag musicking, interrelating the musical (vocal) performances of drag performers with their musical-educational background. The research of Manovski and Hearns & Kremer (Manovski, 2014 ; Jackson Hearns & Kremer, 2018), which discusses issues of gender and voice in educational processes, gives me space to explore further these issues in conjunction with drag performance. Except for these, I understand that music education has likely been limiting my vocal expression, a process that carries over into my artistic practice. Overall, by listening to the LGBTQIA+ community and maintaining continuous interaction with the drag performance scene, I will address questions concerning gendered marginalization and the meaning of performative experience.

• Inclusion, marginalization, bullying and exclusion
• Meaningful musical experiences
• Music and communities

Maria Plagera (their chosen name is Pielle) is a graduate of the Department of Music Studies of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, majoring in music education. Their artistic activity is focused on drag performance, a performative form of art that questions gender norms. In his drag performances he experiments with sound, utilizing vocal performances to research music and sound in the queer community.  Her thesis, titled "Drag Soundscaping: Sonic Performativity in the Art of Drag" creates a spark for further research.