Ethnomusicology Today

In this episode, we discuss the 2023 SEM Conference with local arrangement committee co-chairs, Dr. Anna Hoefnagels (Carleton University) and Dr. Judith Klassen (Canada Museum of Natural History), along with committee member Charlotte Stewart-Juby (Carleton University).

In this episode, we discuss environmentalism and Haitian music culture with Rebecca Dirksen. By investigating how colonialism and deforestation are related, Rebecca investigates how colonialism and dictatorship affect not only the landscape, but also the musical soul of Haiti. This conversation was recorded in the spring of 2021, prior to the assassination of Jovenel Moise in July 2021.

On October 27, the Society for Ethnomusicology will open its 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting with a pre-conference symposium Celebrating Historically Black Colleges and Universities' (HBCUs) Musical Legacy: An Exploration of Relationships Between HBCUs and the Society for Ethnomusicology. In this episode we talk with pre-conference co-chairs, Loneka Battiste and Fredara Hadley, about musical life at HBCUs, the work of members of the Gertrude Robinson Network, and supporting sustained conversations among HBCUs and the Society for Ethnomusicology.

In this episode, Eduardo Herrera and Michael O’Brien discuss their research into collective music making in Argentina. Grounded in a discussion of Argentina’s 2018 “Hit of the Summer,” this episodes examines the possibilities for political action and issues of toxic masculinity within participatory musicking practices of Argentinian soccer chants and neighborhood-based Murga ensembles.

In this episode we talk with Emaeyak Sylvanus about his article, “Prefiguring as an Indigenous Narrative Tool in Nigerian Cinema: An Ethnomusicological Reading,” which was published in the Summer 2019 issue of the journal Ethnomusicology. A pioneering researcher on Nollywood film music, Emaeyak explores localized musical concepts that dominate Nigerian film narratives. Grounded in his understanding of a narrative technique he terms “prefiguring,” Emaeyak discusses the 2014 film “Ekaette Goes to School” as a case study for exploring how indigenous meanings are negotiated within the global cinema landscape from which the contemporary Nigerian film industry has emerged.

Emaeyak Sylvanus is a senior lecturer in the Department of Music at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. A pioneering scholar on Nollywood film music, his research has appeared in journals across multiple disciplines, including music, cinema, and communication studies. His recent article, “The Relevance of Music to African Commuting Practices: The Nigerian Experience,” is available in the April 2020 issue of the journal, Contemporary Music Review.

In this episode we talk with Javier León and Ed Wolf about the upcoming SEM 2019 pre-conference symposium: “Heritage and the Politics of Inclusion in Latin American Brass Bands.” This November, the Society for Ethnomusicology will hold its 64th Annual Meeting in Bloomington, Indiana. On November 6, the day before the start of the annual conference, the society will present two pre-conference symposia: one focused on Film as Ethnography and the other on Latin American Brass Bands.

In this episode we talk with Javier León and Ed Wolf about the upcoming SEM 2019 pre-conference symposium: “Heritage and the Politics of Inclusion in Latin American Brass Bands.” This November, the Society for Ethnomusicology will hold its 64th Annual Meeting in Bloomington, Indiana. On November 6, the day before the start of the annual conference, the society will present two pre-conference symposia: one focused on Film as Ethnography and the other on Latin American Brass Bands.

In this episode, we discuss with Bonnie McConnell how community-oriented and participatory-based musical performances impact global health initiatives. By investigating the relationships between kanyelang musicians, government officials, health workers, and local communities, Bonnie discusses the value of musical performance and participation in local health education and effective global health strategies.

In this episode, we discuss with Bonnie McConnell how community-oriented and participatory-based musical performances impact global health initiatives. By investigating the relationships between kanyelang musicians, government officials, health workers, and local communities, Bonnie discusses the value of musical performance and participation in local health education and effective global health strategies.

In this episode, we discuss performative ecology with Brian Dietrich, whose article, “’Summoning Breadfruit’ and ‘Opening Seas:' Toward a Performative Ecology in Oceania” was published in the Winter 2018 issue of the journal, Ethnomusicology. Diettrich explores the concept of performative ecology in his discussion of ótoomey (summoning breadfruit) and ocean wayfinding and voyaging songs in the islands of Chuuk. Through his study of both historical and present-day musical performances in Chuuk, Diettrich explains how knowledge about social, spiritual, and environmental connectivity is bound up in musical performances. Brian Diettrich is a Senior Lecturer in Ethnomusicology at Victoria University of Wellington.