Ethnomusicology Program

The Five College community is home to a diverse, vibrant group of students, scholars, and performers working in ethnomusicology, the anthropology of music, and related disciplines. Through the Five College consortium, students may take courses for credit at any campus. In addition, students with a special interest in ethnomusicology may pursue the Five College Certificate in Ethnomusicology, a program that allows students to develop a unique, multi-disciplinary curriculum focused on their individual research interests. Please note that as of Fall 2013, undergraduate students from all five campuses, including the university, are eligible to participate in the certificate program.

Opportunities abound! Join one of several performance ensembles, take courses focused on a wide variety of topics, attend concerts and other events, and learn about our faculty.

All of the following faculty serve as Five College Ethnomusicology Certificate advisors. 

Mission

The Five College Certificate Program in Ethnomusicology allows students interested in studying music from a multi-disciplinary perspective to build bridges across departmental boundaries in a rigorous and structured manner, and to receive credit for their accomplishments, even while completing a major in another field. In reflecting interdisciplinary trends in Ethnomusicology, students are encouraged to combine the certificate with degrees in various overlapping fields, such as African American and African Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, Asian Studies, Asian American Studies, Cultural Studies, European Studies, Gender Studies, language studies, Latin American Studies, Religion, Sociology, as well as other courses of study in Music (Composition, Performance, Jazz Studies/Improvisation, and Musicology).

The Certificate Program in Ethnomusicology provides a framework for navigating course offerings and engaging with ethnomusicologists throughout the Five Colleges. While "music" is the centerpiece of the certificate program, the wide range of topics that appear under the rubric of "ethnomusicology" extend far beyond "music in a cultural context" to include history, political science, economics, evolution, science and technology, physiology, media studies, and popular culture studies, among others.Students working within the Certificate Program might focus on music as it relates to a number of areas of inquiry, such as:

• relationships between music and other artistic and expressive forms (i.e. dance, theater, film);
• relationships between singing and other forms of vocal practice;
• relationships between the study of language and music;
• human cognitive capacity for musical and other sonic expression;
• listening as a culturally specific practice;
• the social history of music and popular culture;
• understanding national, class, gender, ethnic, sexual, and other forms of identity;
• the relationship between music and social and political power;
• globalization and transnationalism in music;
• the uses of music and sound in contemporary media production;
• roles of sonic technology and surveillance in contemporary Western society;
• the use of music and sound in relation to social and state control, the law, and space;
• intellectual property and copyright as it pertains to musical composition, performance, and ownership.

Requirements

To earn a Five College Certificate in Ethnomusicology, students must successfully complete a total of seven (7) courses distributed as indicated in the following four (4) categories. No more than five courses can be from any one department/discipline, and introductory courses in basic musicianship do not count towards the requirements; introductory courses in related disciplines may only be counted in certain circumstances determined by the research goals of the individual student. Students must earn a grade of C or better for courses counted towards the Certificate.

1. Methodology: at least two courses
2. Performance: at least one course
3. Area Studies or Topics courses: at least two courses
4. Electives: negotiated in consultation with the student's ethnomusicology advisor, including courses from related disciplines including: anthropology, sociology, history, or media studies; area studies fields such as African Studies, American Studies, Asian Studies, or Middle East Studies; or others related to a particular student's ethnomusicological interests.

Since ethnomusicological research and related musical performance may require understanding of and competence in a foreign language, students are encouraged, but not required, to acquire proficiency in a language relevant to their focus. Students are also encouraged to include experiential learning, a study abroad or domestic exchange experience, in-depth study of a single musical tradition, or comparative studies of several musical traditions.

Step 1: Applying

Students interested in the Five College Certificate in Ethnomusicology should contact a member of the Five College Ethnomusicology Committee on their campus as soon as possible to begin planning course work. In consultation with this certificate advisor, students must complete an application form for the certificate. While this form should be submitted as early as possible so that a student can become part of the certificate community (and gain priority access to certain capped courses), it must be submitted before the end of the add/drop period in the first semester of their senior year of  study.  On the recommendation of the campus advisor, applications are reviewed and approved by the Five College Ethnomusicology Committee.

A copy of the completed application form should be emailed to your campus certificate advisor.

Step 2: Completion

Students are also required to submit a certificate approval form and an unofficial transcript before the end of the add/drop period of their final semester.  A more formal document, the approval form lists courses taken and in progress that complete the requirements for the certificate. The campus advisor will present this form to the Five College Ethnomusicology Committee for approval. After approval, the campus advisor and Five Colleges request a transcript from the student’s Registrar indicating the successful completion of in progress courses.

A copy of the completed approval form and an unofficial transcript should be emailed to your campus certificate advisor in advance of the deadline.

Many courses in addition to those listed below may be eligible towards the Five College Ethnomusicology Certificate. Students are encouraged to consult their campus Ethnomusicology advisor to identify courses that are appropriate for their interests.

Individual lessons and non-ensemble performance: Credit-bearing individual lessons and non-ensemble performance opportunities (i.e. special topics courses or thesis work) in an array of musical traditions and genres are available throughout the Five Colleges. Please consult the course catalog of your home institution and with a member of the Five College Ethnomusicology faculty to find the instructor best suited to your interests.

Five College Ethnomusicology Certificate students: Depending on your area of interest, courses can often fall within more than one of the four course categories required for the certificate. While a single course cannot be counted twice, you should work in close consultation with your campus Ethnomusicology advisor to determine the appropriate allocation of courses within the certificate requirements.

Note that if you don't see classes from all campuses currently listed, they will appear as the campuses release their course schedules for the semester. The five campuses release their schedules on different dates. Visit this page for specific dates.

Performance Courses

Numerous opportunities exist for Five College students to participate in ensembles and learn instruments and styles from various global music traditions. The list below includes several of the ongoing ensembles related to ethnomusicology in the Five Colleges. Contact the instructor for full details. In addition to those listed below, there are numerous choral groups, orchestras, jazz ensembles, and other ensembles performing within the Five Colleges.

Appalachian Old Time & Bluegrass Ensembles
Hampshire College 
Contact: Prof. Rebecca Miller

Chinese Music Ensemble
Smith College
Contact: Joy Lu

Irish/Celtic Ensemble, The Wailing Banshees
Smith College 
Contact: Ellen Redman

Javanese Gamelan
Smith College
Contact: Phil Acimovic

West African Drumming
Mount Holyoke College 
Contact: Faith Conant

Elective Courses

Program Chair:

Jason Robinson, Professor of Music, Amherst College

Five College Staff Liaison:

April Shandor, Academic Programs Coordinator