The course introduces students to "Ethnomusicology" and aims to give an overall understanding of the discipline through a survey of its history, theory, and methodology. Additionally, we shall examine the theoretical discussions and technical aspects of research activities commonly associated with the discipline including musical transcription and analysis, and fieldwork/research. We shall interrogate a specific topic every week with relevant readings assigned.  There will be two main projects: transcription and analysis, and field research discussed in detail below. The course will benefit from my personal experiences in field research, as well as my audio-visual materials from the field. Lectures will be supplemented with, when possible, guest speakers/artists, and demonstrations.

Required Readings
There are no required textbooks for this course, although numerous readings from different sources will be placed on reserve in the Music Library. Many of the readings will be reviewed by designated students and presented orally in class. Other readings will be assigned as background material for general discussion.

Course Requirements
You are required to participate in all class discussions and activities-this means completing any reading and/or writing assignments on time. You are responsible for attending lectures regularly.

Transcription and Analysis Project
We shall interrogate different techniques, methodologies, and ideologies related to music transcription. Based on the premise that transcription is, in itself, an act of musical analysis, you will transcribe a piece of music (on reserve in the Music Library) and orally present your project in class. A written paper is due on October 1st,  in other to obtain your mid-term grade.

Fieldwork Project
You will design and execute a mini-fieldwork project based on the three main components of field research namely: 1) Preparation (proposal/research design) 2) Fieldwork (Participant-Observation i.e. studying and documenting expressive culture on site) and 3) Ethnography (interpreting data from the field). The second component will necessitate the use of audio-visual equipment. There will be a handout to guide you with the proposal writing. You will carry out these three phases of fieldwork throughout the semester after choosing a performing group on campus or in the community. Your final project (a written paper with footnotes, bibliography, etc; and a separate oral presentation) will be based on your sustained contact with and documentation of the performing group. Your paper should be based on thoughtful, interpretive study addressing some of the issues raised in class. You are free to choose any performing group you wish for your project, although, I reserve the right to reject any proposal I feel is inappropriate. The project may either examine a particular music (event/performance/tradition/genre) or be theoretically or conceptually oriented, addressing some of the issues discussed in class. You may consult with me any time during the semester. Note in the course schedule below that you are required to submit a proposal on 10/1, for approval before beginning your project.