Arsenio Nicolas currently teaches MA and PhD courses in Asian music, ethnomusicology, music history and archaeology at the College of Music, Mahasarakham University. His current project is on the Music Archaeology and Musical Exchanges between Southeast Asia, India and China based on his PhD dissertation (Cornell 2007). He has presented papers on this topic in Manila, Penang, Bangkok, Singapore, Kyoto, Osaka, New Delhi, Beijing, Renmin, Guizhou, Denpasar, Surakarta, Wuhan, Busan, and Guangzhuo. His publications include – Drone and Melody, Non-Gongan and Non-Gending Structures (2023), Musical Instruments on the 16th century bas reliefs of North Gallery-East Wing, Angkor Wat (2021); Flat Gongs in the Archaeological Records, 2nd century BCE to 16th century CE (2021); Musical Nomenclature for the Sanskrit term kangsa in Southeast Asia (2021); Musical Exchanges between China and Southeast Asia (2019); Musical Terms in Malay Classical Literature, 14th–17th Century (2017); Early Musical Exchange between India and Southeast Asia (2011); and Gongs, Bells and Cymbals: The Archaeological Record in Maritime Asia 9th-17th century (2009). He has conducted music research in the Philippines (1973-1979, 1983-84, 2008-2009), Java (1979-1983), Bali (1985-86), West Malaysia (1989-1991), Japan (1991-92, 2010), USA (1999-2007), Cambodia (2009, 2011) and Thailand (1987, 2010-present).
