1973, h~ made numerous recording trips to Africa, producing several documentary Boulton Fellows at the Archives series before his retirement in 1985. by Gloria J. Gibson Leo Sarkisian, fellow VOA employee, accompanied Nichols on his trip to Bloomington. Sarkisian, also a writer and producer for the Voice of America, recently This fall the Archives of Traditional Music is received a special American Society of intimately involved with various activities Composers, Authors and Publishers associated with the Laura Boulton Collection. (ASCAP)-Deems Taylor citation for his show, Working daily in the vault, Frank Gunderson, "Music Time in Africa." Recruited into whose article appears in this issue, government service in 1964 by renowned continues to sort and process the Laura journalist, Edward R. Murrow, Sarkisian has Boulton papers. The Archives, with the' been referred to as "one of the VOA's most assistance of the Teaching and Learning spirited cultural ambassadors." He has also Technology Lab, has developed a prototype deposited some of his own field tapes at the of an interactive CD ROM entitled, "The Archives of Traditional Music. Both Nichols Straus Expedition: Instruments of West and Sarkisian voiced their praise of the ATM Africa," The multimedia teaching aid is as a substantial, historical collection and based on Boulton's 1934 expedition. The CD noted the reputation of the African Studies ROM prototype was authored by Daniel Program as factors in their decisions to Reed, the 1995-96 Boulton Junior Fellow. In deposit materials here. They also talked addition, Laura Boulton Board member, about the influence of the late Alan P. Margarita Mazo and Board President Shirley Merriam (I.U. Professor of Anthropology/ Porter, visited the Archives on separate ) in their professional occasions. Certainly Laura Boulton would careers. In a letter from Nichols following his be very pleased that her life work continues visit to LU. he remarked, "The first half-hour to inspire critical research and boundless tape of my VOA 'Holiday Festival of African creativity . Arts' contains a piece by ... Merriam in which By far the most intense research this he talks about African music and presents fall is being conducted by the Laura Boulton several examples from his collection. I was Junior and Senior Fellows. The senior fellow deeply moved to revisit that program." is Dr. Simeon Asiama. He is presently Voice of America policy originally serving as Senior Research Fellow and the prohibited any dissemination of overseas Head of Music Section at the Institute of materials within the United States, but that African Studies, University of . He is policy has now been modified to permit such also in charge of the Institute's Archive of dissemination after twelve years. Nichols is Sound Recordings. The title of his pre.sent pleased that his work, which was praised by study is, "African Instrumental Symbolism: A African writers, media people and others, is Comparative Study." Professor Asiama now available to ' the citizens of the United arrived in late August and will remain at the States. ''The material is now given to America archives until early January to complete his to the extent that your archives are utilized," work. said Nichols. "I am happy to find a home for In a recent interview, Dr. Asiama [the collection] and if it will be useful to explained that he has always been somebody, I am more than happy." interested in the study of music, both . European and African. His pursuit of musical knowledge is both personal and

10 academic. As a child he joined the church Asiama is anxious to return home armed with choir, and even today selVes as choir master. renewed scholarly enthusiasm and intense He is also one of the first four students academic knowledge to impart to his trained by the eminent ethnomusicologist J. students. Laura Boulton would undoubtedly Kwabena Nketia. Professor Asiama received feel especially proud to know her work will his doctorate from Wesleyan University. His be transplanted to benefit future scholars of dissertation, entitled "The Music of Akan Ghana. Hunters," investigates how music is used to The Boulton Junior Fellow is Luiz protect hunters against evil in both the Fernando Vallirn Lopes. Luiz is from Rio de physical and spiritual worlds. Janeiro. He is presently in the doctoral Professor Asiama's research builds program in musicology at Indiana University. on his vast knowledge of African music He holds a master's degree in piano performance and tradition. His present performance from University of Michigan and study focuses on symbolism as it manifests a masters in musicology from Indiana itself in African music, speech and religion. University. Unlike many students, Luiz didn't For example, the drum can be a symbol of begin intense piano study until he was the chiefs power. Moreover, as a symbolic fifteen. Moreover, he began his college object, there may be certain restrictions career not studying music, but engineering. placed on instruments. Sometimes Because it was going to be difficult to find a stipulations are related to gender, and other job as an engineer, Luiz decided to study times they may even restrict when an piano at the Institute of Villa-Lobos. He instrument is played. In his research thus far prides himself in having a well-rounded Dr. Asiama praises Laura Boulton for musical education which included the study collecting and describing the musical of classical as well as folk and popular instruments. His research will expand her music of Brazil. work. While Boulton noted some restrictions The title of Luiz's project is, "Laura and limited information on symbolism, Boulton's Expeditions to the Portuguese­ Asiamas research will augment her findings. Speaking Countries of the World: An Account Professor Asiama's research also takes him with Transcriptions and a Study of Cross­ to the Mather's Museum where the Boulton Cultural Musical Borrowings." His ambitious Instrument Collection is housed and to the study examines Boulton's collections in the African Collection Portuguese speaking countries of the world. in the main library. Specifically, his goal is to transcribe the Because his work music melodies contained in the recordings is comparative, he collected by Laura Boulton in , hopes to trace the , Portugal, and Brazil in order to paths of cultural study cross-cultural musical borrowings, commonalities especially in the case of Brazil. With the related to transcriptions he will trace cultural symbolism and connections and possible African influences. musical Interestingly, Laura Boulton does not discuss instruments of her visits to Brazil in The Music Hunter. Africa. Some scholars shy away from transcription. With Luiz, however, has always been intensely Junior and :::>enior limited resources involved with transcription. As an Fellows, Luiz Lopes and at the University of undergraduate he worked on a project Dr. Simeon Asiama Ghana, Professor transcribing Brazilian popular music in order

11 to create a songbook as a pedagogical aid knowledge of inter- and intra- cultural for the keyboard harmony class. He has connections and meanings of African and also been involved in transcription projects Brazilian music. Laura Boulton's legacy during his study at Indiana University. continues to have limitless boundaries and Both Boulton Junior and Senior borders. She spent more than sixty years Fellows feel quite honored to have been collecting and recording musical sound, but selected. it will take The archivists Archives and scholars staff whole many more heartedly decades to welcomes analyze and them. publish The i r findings research from her will help monumental further our efforts.

From left to right: Jeff Cupchik, Jonathan Cargill(Office Manager), Mary Russell Bucknum(Assqciate Director), Marilyn Graf(Archivist), Suzanne Mudge(l.ibrarian), Alex Perullo, Gloria Gibson(Director), Frank Gunderson, Simeon Asiama, Luiz Lopes, llze Akersberg, Joan Zoretti,

Archives of Traditional Music Nonprofit Org. Morrison Hall 117 Bulk Rate Indiana University US Postage Paid Bloomington, IN 47405-2501 Permit No. 2 Bloomington, IN

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