Voices of the Field

Ethnomusicologists face complex and challenging professional landscapes for which graduate studies in the field do not fully prepare them. The essays in Voices of the Field: Pathways in Public Ethnomusicology, edited by León F. García Corona and Kathleen Wiens, provide a reflection on the challenges, opportunities, and often overlooked importance of public ethnomusicology. These essays capture years of experience of fourteen scholars who have simultaneously navigated the worlds within and outside of academia, sharing valuable lessons often missing in ethnomusicological training. Power and organizational structures, marketing, content management and production are among the themes explored as an extension and re-evaluation of what constitutes the field of/in ethnomusicology. Many of the authors in this volume share how to successfully acquire funding for a project, while others illustrate how to navigate non-academic workplaces, and yet others share perspectives on reconciling business-like mindsets with humanistic goals. Grounded in case studies in multiple institutional and geographical locations, authors advocate for the importance and relevance of ethnomusicology in our society at large.

León F. García Corona (PhD Ethnomusicology, UCLA) is Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology at Northern Arizona University and a former content producer and education specialist for the Smithsonian Institution. Kathleen Wiens (PhD Ethnomusicology, UCLA) is a museum and heritage professional. She has worked on museum and heritage projects across North America and Europe, including at the Musical Instrument Museum (Phoenix) and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (Winnipeg).

Acknowledgments Dedication Preface Introduction - León F. García Corona & Kathleen Wiens Ethnomusicology Is What You Make It - Daniel Sheehy Part I Different Work for Different Spaces Ch 1 The Meeting Room as Fieldwork Site: Towards an Ethnography of Power - Huib Schippers Ch 2 Running Things: Moving Parts and People - Cullen Buckminster Strawn Ch 3 Control, Contribute, Collaborate: Ethnomusicologists as Team Players - Kathleen Wiens Ch4 Freelancing and Consulting: Strategic Preparations for a Long-term Professional Commitment in Public Sector Ethnomusicology - Nancy Groce Part II Production and Methodology for Public-Facing Content Ch5 Knowing How to Tell a Story - Jeffrey A. Summit Ch 6 Communication and Marketing: Building and Reaching Your Community - Marysol Quevedo Ch 7 Sustainable Ethnomusicology: Technology, Marketing, and Revenue - León F. García Corona Ch 8 Teaching World Music: Intersections of Music, Education and Diversity - Patricia Shehan Campbell Ch 9 Curating the Virtual Museum: Ethnomusicology and the “Curationist” Moment - Jeff Janeczko Part III Forging New Paths for Ethnomusicologists Ch10 Activate Ethnomusicology Everywhere - Kathryn Metz Ch11 Rethinking the Engagement of Ethnomusicologists with Performance and Applied Music Curricula - Robin Moore Ch 12 Navigating a Path Towards a Public-Facing Career in Ethnomusicology - Meryl Krieger Envisioning Change: Concluding Thoughts - Anthony Seeger