Introduction to Ethnomusicology
Assignments
An introduction to the study of music in its cultural context, music in culture, and music as culture. The emphasis this year will be on music ethnography and the primary individual student assignment will be an examination of a musical context of the student's choosing.
Students will identify a performance context (a church, a bar, an orchestra, etc.) and develop an ethnography describing its history, personalities, social structures, and any other aspects that will help us to understand this particular music culture. Your ethnography will rely upon interviews with the primary participants and your own observations as well as any other relevant sources you can obtain. Students may work in teams with conditions: some projects (such as the initial presentation of you Project Statement with its the accompanying abstract and the Field Reports) will be joint presentations with exactly the same grade for both students. However, you will submit your Field Diary and Final Report individually.
Assignment 1: Project Statement. Students will choose their research subject and present a description of their research goals both orally and in written form to the class on 30 January. The description should reflect the kinds of things you expect to discover about your subject and the way you plan to frame this information. Your grade derives from the clarity of your thinking and writing. (See my guide to paper grading and my alpha-numeric grade scale.) [10%]
Assignment 2: Field Reports. Students will submit five (5) approximately biweekly reports on the status of their work detailing the individuals they have interviewed, the sources they have consulted, how they have spent their time and money. (Any expenses—phone bills, cassette tapes, bus/train fares, etc.—must be detailed.) Reports are due February 13 and 27, March 13, April 1 and 17. The grading on these reports derives from (a) your attention to detail, (b) the progress you are making, and (c) the clarity of your writing. I will average the grades for this portion of your total grade. [30%]
Assignment 3: Field Diary. Each student will maintain a private journal describing (a) their field experiences and (b) their strategies for continued work. The writing style can be informal, but your musings must be readable. This is where you compile your observations. This is where you ruminate on what you know, and what you think you know. This is where you gripe about what is not working and exalt in your successes. Grading derives from the quantity of your work and the quality of your thought. Your diaries may be hand-written or electronic. Submitted at the end of the semester with your Final Report, although I will ask you to bring your diary in for discussion on March 6th and April 10th. [20%]
Assignment 4. Final Report. You will report to the seminar (April 24th and 29th) on your research, submitting your written ethnographic description separately by Thursday, May 8th. [Senior papers will be due by Monday, May 5th.] Presentations will last 20 minutes and will include both a summation of your semester's work and your analysis of what you discovered. The written version will draw on your previous Field Reports and your Field Diary and may include interview transcriptions and any other pertinent materials. Submit copies, not originals. [30%]
Class Participation. The class will read and discuss a number of articles/book chapters on ethnomusicology and field work. Your preparation of these materials and your participation in class discussions are important for your own development and those of your classmates. [10%]
Return to Home Page
Gordon Thompson, 20 January, 2003
Department of Music     Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, New York