How has ethnomusicology been influenced by anthropology? How can ethnomusicology influence the study of anthropology? What are the implications of new methodological and theoretical directions in the various fields that encompass the study of music and culture?

In MUET 650 we will attempt to assemble a broad knowledge of the contemporary theories and practices of anthropology which have been particularly central to the development of the discipline of ethnomusicology and the anthropological study of music. We will also look at paradigm shifts within the discipline of anthropology which had substantive effects on studies involving music. Moving beyond this disciplinary narrative, we will analyze cutting-edge cross-disciplinary research into what is sometimes known as “anthropology of the senses,” “sensuous scholarship,” or more generally, studies of synesthesia and sensory configurations.

During the course we will consult texts from three different literatures: primary anthropological texts, critical review essays, and ethnomusicological texts inspired by the primary texts and critical essays. This leads to the first of the course objectives, which is to be able to analyze anthropological models, methodologies, or theories in relation to a rich variety of works. By developing this skill, we can assess where critiques and derivative works have misconstrued prior anthropological works or misunderstood the applicability of anthropological models and theories, enabling us to better assess how those models and theories might be useful for future research. The second objective is to assess the specificities of ethnomusicological studies, both the uniqueness of music as an object of critical inquiry, and the novel kinds of field “sites” or ethnographic techniques which ethnomusicologists encounter. With this, we will consider the contributions that ethnomusicology can make to anthropology. The third objective is to synthesize the course material through the creation of an original research project.

MUET 660 and 661 provide practical training for fieldworkers conducting ethnographic research, particularly for projects with some sort of musical component. The first semester (MUET 660) introduces students to the ideas of research “sites,” “methods,” and “methodologies” as they have have been conceptualized in sociology, anthropology, and ethnomusicology. Then, students learn about techniques for taking ethnographic field notes and conducting interviews. The course covers audio, video, and photographic capture, and techniques for managing and organizing digital data. The last third of MUET660 turns to concepts such as research ethics, the appraisal of the results of ethnographic projects, and the act of writing up research.

MUET661 is, largely, a guided independent study in advanced field research techniques, including documentary film shooting and editing, stereo and multitrack audio recording and editing, digital still image photographic capture and processing, DVD authoring, and webpage design and programming. Students enrolled and actively participating in the class will have training in and access to the Ethnomusicology Division's technology lab, which is geared towards the creation of professional documentary video and sound recordings. Weekly classes will teach basic audio, video, and photo techniques through directed projects that maximize the amount of hands-on time.