Ethnomusicology/World Music

Ethnomusicology

Does culture make music, or does music create culture?  How do musical structures relate to social structures?  How does music relate to politics and political activism?  What can the study of music tell us about gender, religion, class, and personal identity?  Gain the tools you need to explore these questions and more in ethnomusicology courses at Lewis and Clark.

Ethnomusicology Course Offerings (taught by Kaley Mason):

MUS 106: Workshops in World Music

MUS 235: Music of the Middle East & North Africa

MUS 236: Music of Asia

MUS 237: Music of Latin America

MUS 142: Music and Social Justice

MUS 307: Advanced Seminar in Music (alternates between ethnomusicological and musicological topics)

Ensembles and Private Lessons

One of the best ways to understand a music culture is to learn to play, sing, or dance. In addition to housing an antique Indonesian gamelan and many other instruments from around the world, Lewis & Clark offers instruction in five Asian, African, and Latin American ensembles as well as private lessons. These unique learning opportunities include the Javanese gamelan, Zimbabwean, Ghanaian, and Indian ensembles, as well as individual instruction in North Indian voice, sitar, tabla, Ghanaian percussion, charango, Venezuelan cuatro, Japanese shamisen, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and folk and flamenco guitar. Every semester the students have the opportunity to perform on campus as soloists or in the ensembles of their choice, thus sharing their experiences with the rest of the campus community. There are also music department-affiliated overseas programs that emphasize immersive experiences in the study of music and dance in London, Thailand, and India.  

Course offerings:

MUP 121: Gamelan Ensemble (Mindy Johnston)

MUP 127: Ghanaian Music Ensemble (Alex Addy)

MUP 128: Zimbabwean Music Ensemble (Nathan Beck)

MUP 129: Indian Music Ensemble (Michael Stirling)

MUP 130: Latin American Music Ensemble (Freddy Vilches)

MUP 146: Banjo Private Lessons (Leela Grace)

MUP 153: Hindustani Voice Private Lessons (Michael Stirling)

MUP 155: Sitar Private Lessons (Nisha Joshi)

MUP 157: Tabla Private Lessons (Nisha Joshi)

MUP 158: Charango Private Lessons (Freddy Vilches)

MUP 159: Cuatro Private Lessons (Freddy Vilches)

MUP 160: Shamisen Private Lessons (Yumi Torimaru)

MUP 161: Fiddle Private Lessons (Luke Price)

MUP 166: Folk Guitar Private Lessons (Julia Banzi)

MUP 169: Flamenco Guitar Private Lessons (Julia Banzi)

MUP 195: Mandolin Private Lessons (Olivia Duffy)

MUP 197: Ghanaian Percussion Private Lessons (Alex Addy)

Gamelan Ensemble led by Mindy Johnston
Credit: Nadav Ben David

Ghanaian Music Ensemble led by Alex Addy
Credit: Nadav Ben David

Ghanaian Music Ensemble dancing
Credit: Nadav Ben David

Zimbabwean Music Ensemble led by Nathan Beck
Credit: Nadav Ben David

Flamenco Workshop
Credit: Nadav Ben David

Indian Music Ensemble led by Michael Stirling
Credit: Nadav Ben David