tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200147945040702557.post8983321122616821308..comments2023-08-20T10:48:55.697-04:00Comments on Sustainable Music: Experiential Ethnomusicology (Phenomenology and Ethnomusicology, 1)Jeff Todd Titonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384565652765905576noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200147945040702557.post-38164498272725147202018-12-03T14:56:51.742-05:002018-12-03T14:56:51.742-05:00This blog post and the one that follow were really...This blog post and the one that follow were really fascinating, Jeff. People come to the phenomenological tradition from a wide range of directions, and it was really interesting to see your entrance into this material. Ellen, I would be happy to give you some additional sources to supplement the one's that Jeff suggested. Feel free to email me at my Memorial University email address. I won't list it here for fear of spam and bots, but you can easily find it from my home page at Memorial; just google my name and Memorial University of Newfoundland.Harris Bergerhttps://www.mun.ca/music/people/faculty/hberger.phpnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200147945040702557.post-90760080989150273472018-09-03T22:39:13.385-04:002018-09-03T22:39:13.385-04:00Ellen, Your project may not have been very extensi...Ellen, Your project may not have been very extensive, but you asked good questions and I think your interpretation makes a lot of sense. Musical experiences do seem to be grounded in, or associated with, particular memories; and when the music is heard or played again, the memory re-appears in consciousness. This is a phenomenological observation. No wonder you're interested in this subject.<br /><br />The literature on phenomenology is vast and much of it is difficult because its concepts and terminology are new to most people. Some say it's like learning a foreign language, but persistence will pay off. Because you're interested in its application to ethnomusicology, a good place to start might be with Harris Berger's article on that subject, in Oxford Handbooks Online, which should be accessible through your academic library if you search on Harris Berger, ethnomusicology, and phenomenology. For an introduction to phenomenology as a branch of philosophy, I would recommend the on line entry in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy; search for phenomenology once you arrive on the encyclopedia page. Another introduction to phenomenology that many beginners have found helpful is Don Ihde's book, which is titled Experimental Phenomenology. You may, also, wish to be in touch with Harris Berger himself; he teaches ethnomusicology at Memorial University of Newfoundland, in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. <br /><br />Jeff Todd Titonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10384565652765905576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200147945040702557.post-7316119166926934532018-07-08T20:01:05.442-04:002018-07-08T20:01:05.442-04:00Professor Titon,
I thoroughly enjoyed reading thi...Professor Titon,<br /><br />I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post! The idea of exploring musical experiences is what led me to ethnomusicology in the first place. <br /><br />Last summer I conducted a short series of interviews with some senior residents of my college town to ask about their favorite music. It was clear that there were certain pieces of music that were more beloved than others, but it was difficult to talk with my interviewees about why that music was special to them and how it made them feel. Most answers were general statements about the music making them feel happy or good. Just like you said, it wasn't anything they really thought about. What I found to be curious were the many ways in which they experienced their favorite music. Although interviewees had a difficult time with the idea of favorites and rather distinguished the music that is dear to them as the music that "spoke" to them. Some of the music that spoke to them were associated with memories, singing in church or enjoying music with loved ones. They also recalled, unprompted by my questions, times where music came to them in times of stress or need. Though my research was not extensive enough to draw any certain conclusions, the music that the interviewees were most fond of pointed to musical experiences that they had throughout their life rather than the intrinsic value of the music itself. It’s certainly not ground-breaking research, but I am fascinated by the way musical experiences shape ourselves as individuals and as societies. <br /><br />I am looking forward to reading your next post! Would you be willing to recommend any literature on phenomenology? I'm curious to know more!<br /><br />Ellen<br />Ellen Messnernoreply@blogger.com