Ethnomusicologists by Ethnomusicologists
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Volume 48, Number 2 Spring 2014 Ethnomusicologists by Ethnomusicologists Features Ethnomusicologists x At the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Society for Ethnomusicology, Mark Slobin was Ethnomusicologists awarded a Lifetime Membership, the Society’s highest honor. A former president of SEM, Mark is undoubtedly one of the Society’s great citizens; an indefatigable scholar of broad Mark Slobin interviewed by reach, theoretical acumen, and great generosity (ask any of his students or advisees). Gage Averill [pp. 1, 4] I was fortunate to work with Mark at Wesleyan for 7 years in the 1990s, and I have al- Ethnomusicology ways viewed him as a model intellectual. But I can also relay the terror that his insightful Globally queries and comments could instill in colloquium presenters at Wesleyan. For instance, President Beverly Diamond in my job talk there in 1990, I had just run through a copious set of examples of how [pp. 3, 5] music was used to buttress powerful interests but also to criticize and castigate leaders, when Mark raised his hand and asked, “So are you just saying that music can be a tool SEM for good and evil?” If I recall, my first answer was something along the lines of “Uh…” Kay Shelemay presented a wonderful encomium for Mark at the 2013 Annual Meeting, Announcements and this is printed in the last issue of the SEM Newsletter. Have a look if you haven’t Sound Matters [6] seen it yet. Our Newsletter editor, Gordon Thompson, inquired if I would be willing to in- From the Field [6] terview Mark as a follow-up to the award. And so, with that as my excuse, I approached SEM Deadllines [7] Mark, and what follows is our short-and-snappy exchange. Chapter and Section “I’m naturally drawn to issues of interaction and agency” News [8] A short interview with Mark Slobin, by Gage Averill • Gender and Sexualities Taskforce GA: In your early work and studies, what was the best advice that you ever got from a • Popular Music Section more senior ethnomusicologist? MS: Bill Malm taught me to sweat the details and then let the data speak to you. David News McAllester offered the lesson of listening very hard to the Member News: Alorwoyie; people whose musical life you’re sharing. Cooley; Friedson, Trainor, GA: I understand you’re now working on a musical eth- & Cross; Gray, Hnaraki, nography of Detroit. Looking back, how has being from Manabe, Saeji, Thompson Detroit affected your view of music and how has it helped [9] to form you as an ethnomusicologist, if at all? Other Announcements MS: Growing up in several micromusics within a major in- ACMR Pian Prize, Center dustrial metropolis offered a lesson in overlapping worlds. for World Music, AIIS, East- Musical training in a first-rate multicultural public school man World Music Institute, system taught the importance of enlightened egalitarian- ARSC Awards, Asia Pacific ism. Dance Festival [9, 12] GA: What is the most embarrassing fieldwork incident that you ever experienced? In Memoriam: Carolina Robertson [10-11] MS: Sorry, nothing comes to mind. GA: You’ve worked on a very wide range of musical topics—is there a connective tis- sue? Can you characterize or pinpoint a theme or themes that link your work over time? Our Back Pages If not, what has changed for you? Conference Calendar MS: From Afghanistan on, I’ve always been attracted to the interaction of small musical [14-16] systems with larger social formations and with each other. I’m naturally drawn to issues Ethnomusicology of interaction and agency, an inclination that bridges the spatial and temporal distance of Internet Resources [17] my varied research sites. GA: Speaking of Afghanistan, you were among a small group of western-trained eth- nomusicologists to work in Afghanistan before the Soviet invasion and occupation. I can imagine that the tragedies and wars of the past 35 years have shaped your views of global politics, but have they also shaped your views on the relationship of music to politics? [Continued on page 4] The Society for Ethnomusicology, SEM Newsletter Gordon Ross Thompson, Editor, SEM Newsletter SEM Membership Department of Music, Skidmore College he object of the Society for Ethnomusicology is the Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 USA advancement of research and study in the field of (Tel.) 518-580-5322, (fax) 518-580-5340 T ethnomusicology, for which purpose all interested per- [email protected] sons, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual he SEM Newsletter is a vehicle for the exchange of orientation, or physical ability are encouraged to become Tideas, news, and information among the Society’s members. Its aims include serving the membership and members. Readers’ contributions are welcome and should society at large through the dissemination of knowledge be sent to the editor. See the guidelines for contributions concerning the music of the world’s peoples. The Society, on this page. incorporated in the United States, has an international membership. The Society for Ethnomusicology publishes the SEM Newsletter four times annually in January, March, June, Members receive free copies of the journal and the and September, and distributes issues free to members of newsletter and have the right to vote and participate in the the Society. activities of the Society. _______________ Back issues, 1981-present [vols. 14-18 (1981-1984), 3 times a year; vols. 19-32 (1985-1998), 4 times a year] are Student (full-time only) (one year) ................................$40 available and may be ordered at $2 each. Add $2.50/order Individual/Emeritus (one year) for postage. • income $25,000 or less ............................................$60 Address changes, orders for back issues of the SEM • income $25,000-$40,000 .........................................$75 Newsletter, and all other non-editorial inquires should be • income $40,000-$60,000 ......................................... $85 sent to the Business Office, Society for Ethnomusicol- • income $60,000-$80,000 ......................................... $95 ogy, Indiana University, Morrison Hall 005, 1165 East 3rd • income $80,000 and above .................................. $105 Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405-3700; (tel) 812-855-6672; (fax) 812-855-6673; (email) [email protected]. Spouse/Partner Individual (one year) ...........................$35 Life membership .......................................................$1400 Society for Ethnomusicology Spouse/Partner Life ................................................. $1600 Board of Directors Sponsored (one year, including postage) ..................... $49 Overseas postage (one year) .......................................$14 Beverley Diamond (President) School of Music, Memorial University For institutional memberships, please visit the University St Johns, Newfoundland A1C 3S5, Canada. of Illinois Press website at Harris M. Berger (Past President) http://www.press.uillinois.edu/journals/ethno.html Department of Performance Studies Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 77843-4240 Guidelines for Contributors Zoe Sherinian (Secretary) Send articles and shorter entries for consideration to the School of Music, University of Oklahoma editor by email. Norman, Oklahoma 73019 Copy deadlines: Gregory Barz (Treasurer) Winter Issue (15 Dec.) Summer Issue (15 May) Blair School of Music, Vanderbilt University Spring Issue (15 Feb.) Fall Issue (15 Aug.) Nashville, Tennessee 37212-3499. Margaret Sarkissian (First Vice President) Advertising Rates Department of Music, Smith College The Newsletter accepts digital files (e.g., jpg) for advertis- Northampton, Massachusetts 01063 ing. Anne K. Rasmussen (Second Vice President) Full page: $200 1/3 page: $60 Music Department, College of William and Mary 2/3 page: $145 1/6 page: $40 Williamsburg, Virginia 23187-8795. 1/2 page: $110 Tina K. Ramnarine (Member-at-Large, Prizes) Department of Music, Royal Holloway Ethnomusicology: Back Issues University of London, Egham Hill, EGHAM TW20 0EX Ethnomusicology, the Society’s journal, is currently United Kingdom. published three times a year. Back issues are available Andrew Weintraub (Member-at-Large, Groups) through the SEM Business Office, Indiana University East Department of Music, University of Pittsburgh 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-3700; (tel.) 812-855- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260 6672; (fax) 812-855-6673; (email) [email protected]. ISSN 0036-1291 2 Ethnomusicology Globally: Part 1 by Beverley Diamond, SEM President his is the first of a short series of columns on SEM in On the institutional level, SEM’s membership is cur- Trelation to the global growth of the discipline and the rently 73% U.S. and 27% “international.” Of course some new opportunities that affords our North American-centred international members may be American citizens and/or organization. Here I will focus on communication, the American-trained. Still others lead lives that are interlocal, challenges of translation, and the need to listen anew to residing and working in different countries on a regular ethnomusicology from beyond the North American acade- basis. Our relationships to place and the impact of place- my. In a subsequent column I will comment on some joint based knowledge and experience are diverse and deep. initiatives that are currently in the planning stages. The ways in which this has an impact on the Society for When I’ve had conversations with ethnomusicologists Ethnomusicology and other disciplinary organizations are who participate in SEM as well as in ethnomusicologi- changing in part as a result of these