SoundLore: Folklore & Ethnomusicology

In this episode we sit down with Levi Gettleman and Elise Suarez, two of our undergraduate seniors. Our department would not be what it is without our undergraduate program and Levi and Elise are two stellar examples. Levi is double majoring in Folklore & Ethnomusicology and Jewish Studies focusing on Jewish folklore, rituals, foodways, and identity and their intersections with American regional cultures and identity. Elise is triple-majoring (!) in English, History, and Folklore & Ethnomusicology and is interested in researching oral and written narratives, particularly urban legends. Hear about their manifold activities, how Folklore and Ethnomusicology fit into their undergraduate experience, and more in this highlight episode. Enjoy!

This episode is a replay of the 2022 Richard M. Dorson Memorial Lecture given this year by Dr. Terry Gunnell - “The Meaning of the Mamuthones”. This lecture discusses the effects of commercialization on the “Mamuthones” masking tradition based the mountains of Sardinia. Named for Richard M. Dorson, this series honors the Indiana University professor credited with establishing folklore studies as an academic discipline in the United States. Professor Dorson directed the IU Folklore Institute for many years, beginning in 1956. There is a visual component to this lecture, which can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SM-5R8iWE4.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Folklore PhD Candidate Mathilde Lind checking in from her field site in Estonia. We cover the normal trials and tribulations of fieldwork in addition to the abnormal tribulation of COVID-19. The discussion not only addresses how Mathilde has adapted her research amidst COVID-19 conditions but also the journey a project takes from proposal to fieldwork. Mathilde’s unique set of skills and knowledge when it comes to handicrafts will be of particular interest to students considering a practice-based approach to research. If you want to see examples of the work and items discussed in the podcast you can find them at @hoodedcrowcrafts on Instagram.

This episode is a replay of Dr. Bertie Kibreah's colloquium lecture from January 2022: "This talk musically situates the boyati community of Bangladesh, a network of Sufi interlocutors who engage in a shrine-based debate performance. The genre’s open-ended pastiche of styles conflates secular and sacred, encourages inter-religious conjecture, and flaunts the endless possibilities that citation affords."

In this episode we present a fantastic conversation between visiting assistant professor Dr. Bertie Kibreah and PhD student Suyash Neupane. They cover everything from scholarship to musicianship, spirituality to musicality. Particular attention is given to the positionality of scholars working from within their personal communities. Coming up, we'll be replaying a recent colloquium talk that Dr. Kibreah gave at the beginning of the spring semester - so consider this an in depth introduction! Enjoy!

In this episode, we present a roundtable discussion with PhD Candidates Ross Brillhart, Micky Jo Myers, and Caroline Miller where they share their experiences adapting their dissertation research designs amidst the Global Pandemic. This discussion is both a reflection on how they've each individually confronted challenges and a conversation about how those lessons learned can inform our approach to field research more broadly.

In this replay episode, Gloria M Colom Braña uses a combination of visual and written media to explore how Puerto Ricans were dealing with an overwhelming amount of current events and disasters in the years before Hurricane Maria affected the island. Disclaimer: There is a critical visual component to Gloria's presentation. You can view her illustrations in her chapter ‘“¿Batata? ¡Batata!”: Examining Puerto Rican Visual Folk Expression in Times of Adversity” from the book Theorizing Folklore from the Margins: Critical and Ethical Approaches or in the Creative Commons database.

In this episode of SoundLore we present a conversation with Dr. Daniel Reed on the eve of his retirement from Indiana University and our department. Guest hosting this episode is, me, Jeremy Reed, SoundLore producer, and occasionally a joked-about long lost Reed family member. Over the course of this intimate conversation we discussed shifts in ethnomusicology, Bloomington, and Dr. Reed's own personal health throughout his career. While this chapter with the IU Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology is ending, you’ll hear about exciting ideas and new directions for Dr. Reed shortly on the horizon. Thank you, Dr. Reed, for your dedication to us and to our discipline. Music: CORONAWAVE by Pagliacci and Some Other Klowns (Suyash Kumar Neupane, Ben Danner, Kurt Baer)

This week's podcast is a replay of Dr. David Todd Lawrence's colloquium talk, “The Soul to See; The Courage to Fail: Ethnography, Relationships, and Social Change," from November 5, 2021. In his talk Dr. Lawrence offers searing insight on the nature of both collaborative research and writing and the necessity of advocacy and the inevitability of failing while doing so. Even if you were present for the talk, we think that this episode should be mandatory listening for students and scholars alike -- Enjoy! "Building on a discussion of work with research collaborators from Pinhook, Missouri, this presentation will engage the significant challenges of collaborative fieldwork and make the argument that approaches such as Hoodoo Ethnography can direct us in the impossible yet necessary project of advocacy even as we learn to accept the inevitable failures that accompany it. Ultimately, it will make a case that human relationships within and across cultural boundaries, byproducts of deep listening and collaboration, are the foundation of social change even as they almost always are fraught with difficulty and failure."

In this episode you will hear a conversation between two professors emeriti - Drs. John McDowell and William Hansen - celebrating the recent retirement of Dr. McDowell. Together they reflect on Dr. McDowell’s personal and professional trajectory in folklore from his early days as a music major (go figure!) at Swarthmore up through his 46 year career in the IU Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology. Whether you are a colleague, friend, or student, we’re sure that there will be insights for you to appreciate in this episode. Ever busy, Dr. McDowell’s work is still ongoing through his involvement with the Diverse Environmentalisms Research Team (DERT). If you’re interested in hearing more about that research, check out our recent episode on the edited volume of Performing Environmentalisms.