2/18/16

Theories and Methods for Music Research



Western Norway is uniquely beautiful, but health can really be a challenge in the cold Nordic winters! After a series of unexpected delays, I am determined to get caught up with my schedule of writing and editing very soon.

Meanwhile, there has been another encouraging book review . . .

In NOTES: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association, Justin Hunter describes Theory and Method in Historical Ethnomusicology as ‘a valuable resource for any music scholar interested in the past and its relationship with the present. . . . a jaunty and robust contribution to how music studies could be enhanced by a sensitivity to historical pasts. McCollum and Hebert’s lengthy discussions of the cognitive dissonance of cultural memory are particularly poignant for researchers working to connect oral histories with written sources.’



Jonathan McCollum and I also co-authored the definition for ‘Historical Ethnomusicology’ in a forthcoming encyclopedia on Sage press, and we have recently seen our very short article entitled ‘In Defence of Historical Ethnomusicology’ accepted by the journal Music and Letters, in which we manage to correct some misleading claims that were unfortunately published there by a doctoral student. We look forward to seeing further reactions to our book in the recognition that some of what we suggested is likely to stimulate a rethinking of assumptions regarding the musical past as well as both theories and methods in music research.