Ethnomusicology Summary

Ethnomusicology: a short introduction is about describing the growing discipline of how ethnomusicology researchers are going about studying different music from around the world, looking for perceptions in both humanity and music. Ethnomusicologists believe that all people are musical, not just people that label themselves as “musicians” and that there is music in all beings. This thinking causes a lot of debate in which ethnomusicologists argue that we must first study all forms of music such as its Geographic’s and history in order to answer any questions. Not only are traditional forms of music acknowledged but also more contemporary musical forms.

This small book opens up and engages the reader by having a short section labelled “Acknowledgements”.

This section is primarily about thanking the people that have helped Timothy Rice in writing and producing this book. A variety of people such as students from a number of different universities helped with the contribution by reading this book and the draft. This includes, giving their opinions and correcting any mistakes that may have been made and making sure that this book is made appealing to a wide range of readers by asking their parents to read the book.
Chapter one titled “Defining Ethnomusicology” opens with informing the reader about the authors own view on ethnomusicology “Ethnomusicology is the study of why, and how, human beings are musical” (page 1).

This definition is very much appreciated by other researchers of the filed, and it clearly states in the first chapter that you must first study music, Rice then proceeds to explain how his definition is fitting for that. The very early pages of this book summarises Rice’s personal opinion of what ethnomusicology is and how in particular, John Blackings own definition of ethnomusicology in “How musical is man?” is partially indebted to John Blackings own definition in the summary of “The study of the music of all the world’s people’s as a path to understand human

beings”.
Further on throughout the first chapter, Rice looks at and breaks down the definition of ethnomusicology into its three Greek roots “Ethnos, Mousike an logos”. (Page 3-10) Each section contextually defines the standing disciplinary where Rice particularly sticks to local musical practises. Rice later explains the growth of the discipline particularly in the area of dance in the United States of America and how it affects the intellectual meaning and definition of the field.
Chapter two titled “A bit of history” focuses on the discipline of ethnomusicology moving through from Asian and European writings to more contemporary publications. Further on throughout the chapter Rice discusses pioneers of ethnomusicology and what they have contributed to the field, for example, comparative musicologist Guido Adler and the splitting of systematic and historical musicology and how ethnomusicology is no longer a sub-field. Later on in the chapter, comparative ethnomusicologists are then ignored when Rice explains how ethnomusicology is the fusion of musicology and anthropology. Rice also explains the development of ethnomusicology from an environmental view-point, for example, the feminist viewpoints in the 1960’s, and the increasing rise of civil rights. Rice thoroughly and continuously explores and develops each individual idea throughout.
Chapter three titled “Conducting research” is devoted to looking at fieldwork and different challenges.

In particular, Rice mentions different ethnomusicologists and gives detailed examples from these researchers. Examples are offered from his own research but also from other researchers such as looking at methods such as interviewing, learning through performance, transcription and property rights in international and intercultural contexts. Throughout this chapter, Rice does not teach us how to undertake these tasks; instead we are given information and evidence from his own personal research and what he has contributed to the field. As readers we are encouraged to take our fieldwork and to turn it into scholarly writings.

Chapter four titled “The nature of music” is a chapter where Rice primarily talks about the social and psychological side to ethnomusicology in which Rice has researched himself and from other ethnomusicologists. Research titles such as contacting supernatural forces, the passing of calendrical time and musical contribution to musical cohesion are all mentioned. Rice re-explains later on in this chapter how the social and psychological aspects of music partner together. The end of this chapter is devoted towards music as an art

form.
Chapter five is titled “Music as culture”. Throughout this chapter Rice explores and discovers more common and modern musical concepts, the way of teaching and learning music and the debatable role that music has on gender and identity and the effect of music on this. All of these concepts are linked to previous writings in which Rice describes a set way in which musical performance acts as values for different social groups.
Chapter six labelled as “Individual musicians” is a brief chapter that tells the reader to stay closely connected to other individuals that are ethnomusicologists as there is “wonderful musicians existing in all societies”(page 79). Rice continues to explain that it is important to travel and learn from these individual people about their culture and music. Rice also explains about people becoming agents for certain cultures and how they sustain musical traditions and apply themselves as artistic innovators.
“Writing music history” is the title of chapter seven. Chapters seven and eight are closely linked together. Throughout these chapters Rice looks at more recent and modern issues/themes within the field. A variety of themes are well detailed and thought out, for example, one of the themes discussed is “The history of the blues in the Vietnam war era” (page 93). The two chapters combined offer a strong account on why researchers in the field have changed and tend to write modern issues instead of staying rooted to more local, traditional issues. Chapter eight concludes with examples of modern issues in music and health, music and conflict and music and climate change.