Looking for recommendations

[Jah Paz]

Hey All!

(I'm new at this so be gentle with me... :) first post...)

I'm close to finish the last year of my BA in Anthropology in BGU, Israel.

I feel, know and want my MA to be in Anthropology of Music, or anything that combines music and anthropology, since it's not really big in Israel, i would like to hear your recommendations about professors or teachers, anywhere around the world that i can contact in order to study my MA in their departments.

And anther thing- if u by any chance heard about some kind of mission/ student groups/ research groups or anything around the world of anthropologist who goes to research and looking for anther pear of hands and eyes... i'd love to join.

(I'm really new in this things, so i'd love any kind of help).

Jah Bless to the world

[Þórður Kristinsson]

Hi Hilla Paz

Where does your interest in music/anthropology lie?
I'd recommend Anthropology of music by Alan P. Merriam from 1964 and Musicking by Cristopher Small from 1998 as starter points. Then all further reading has to be based on what you plan to study. I'll have to recommend one of my favorite books that's called Empire of dirt by Wendy Fonarow from 2006.

Again where to study depends largely on your particular interest in music/anthropology.

Hope this helps.

Good luck,
Þórður

[Jah Paz]

Hey Porour (can't type your name perfectly, sorry).

First, thank u for ur respone. it really is nice of u.
Second, my main interset and my goal one day is to study the black-hebrew' or black jewish comunities in the world trough their music, i feel that music has a way to explain but also to show many symbols and life practice but also the deep side of life in any culuture and i'd love to base my study as an anthropologist one day, on that.
i'd love to do any kind of feild work in black-jewish/hebrew comunites, and that won't be to hard to find, but i want to do my MA in a place that can help me find my ways in that world too, and not just something that my profesor leads me to (cause he likes food... and that's his thing...)


Þórður Kristinsson said:

Hi Hilla Paz

Where does your interest in music/anthropology lie?
I'd recommend Anthropology of music by Alan P. Merriam from 1964 and Musicking by Cristopher Small from 1998 as starter points. Then all further reading has to be based on what you plan to study. I'll have to recommend one of my favorite books that's called Empire of dirt by Wendy Fonarow from 2006.

Again where to study depends largely on your particular interest in music/anthropology.

Hope this helps.

Good luck,
Þórður

[Þórður Kristinsson]

Hi again Hilla Paz

Your plans sound very interresting. Then I'll still recommend Alan P. Merriams book but the other two are more in the realm of contemporary western music (popular/jazz/indie and so on) but might lead you onwards to something else.
There are some wonderful professors out there and those I know that have studied etnomusicology at Cork University in Ireland have been very pleased. My experience is that you can follow pretty much any path you like in your university studies and examine just about anything that strikes your fancy although if your professors are on a completely different line you have to rely way more on yourself.

[Wendy F]

You'll find the work of Josh Kun at USC very helpful.

He gave a talk on the subject earlier this year
www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/SCA/events/SCA2245350.html" target="_blank">https://secure.www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/SCA/events/SCA2245350.html

And he's helped curate an exhibit at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles

[Tomie Hahn]

Your first post was so long ago, so I don't know if my response is helpful (sorry, I was not a OAC member at the time of your post).  I recommend the work of Kay Shelemay, who has done extensive research in Ethiopia, Israel, & the US in a wide variety of Jewish communities.  Her work specifically on the Falasha people, Ethiopian Jews, is fascinating.  Ethnomusicology may be a good area for you to study. Good luck!