SoundLore: Folklore & Ethnomusicology

Dr. Tim Lloyd introduces his recent publication “What Folklorists Do: Professional Possibilities in Folklore Studies,” an edited volume with contributions from over six dozen folklorists discussing what it is that they do in their lives and careers. Dr. Lloyd discusses hot the core ideas within the field of folkloristics and how the book shows the range of work that are informed by these core concepts. He shares where the inspiration to create “What Folklorists Do” came from and how it enhances this inspiration with a current look on the state and prospects of the field. Although “What Folklorists Do” is organized into four categories: “Researching and Teaching,” “Leading and Managing,” “Communicating and Curating,” and “Advocating and Partnering,” Dr. Lloyd encourages readers and folklorists to consider the natural overlap and partnership of these within Folklore Studies. Music: CORONAWAVE by Pagliacci and Some Other Klowns (Suyash Kumar Neupane, Ben Danner, Kurt Baer)

SoundLore welcomes back Dr. John McDowell and Dr. Sue Tuohy of the Diverse Environmentalisms Research Team and introduces member Dr. Katherine Borland to discuss their recent edited DERT publication Performing Environmentalisms: Expressive Culture and Ecological Change. In this episode, with host Dr. David McDonald, they present folklore and ethnomusicology as modalities to advance conversations and research into environmental issues. They discuss the process of the book’s publication and its features on the environmental and ecological issues the planet faces through the lens of artistic expressions. The editors share why performance is centered in this work about environmental action and cultural expression even through their diverse ethnographic experiences and collaborators. Music: CORONAWAVE by Pagliacci and Some Other Klowns (Suyash Kumar Neupane, Ben Danner, Kurt Baer)

On this week’s episode of SoundLore, current folklore PhD candidate Caroline Miller chats with department alumna Drs. Kristina Downs and Meredith McGriff and current folklore PhD candidate Jesse Fivecoate to discuss their recently published edited volume, Advancing Folkloristics (IU Press). You’ll hear them talk about the process of publishing, collaborative writing, project management during COVID-19, and most importantly, what this volume charts out for the future of folklore as discipline. Current students take note - there are ideas and lessons here about acting on the changes that you wish to see in your discipline(s). Enjoy! Music: CORONAWAVE by Pagliacci and Some Other Klowns (Suyash Kumar Neupane, Ben Danner, Kurt Baer)

Inspired by IU Alumna Dr. Fredara Mareva Hadley's (The Julliard School) feature in The Black Church documentary (PBS, 2021), ethnomusicology PhD Candidate Kennedi Johnson and current graduate student Joseph Johnson speak with her in this first episode of SoundLore's second season. Topics range from the role of the Black Church in Dr. Hadley's life and research to a broader discussion about music pedagogies in the different spaces they've experienced, what 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' mean in these spaces, the usefulness of ethnomusicological training in working with communities, and the place of public work in academia. Music: CORONAWAVE by Pagliacci and Some Other Klowns (Suyash Kumar Neupane, Ben Danner, Kurt Baer)

The founders of the Diverse Environmentalisms Research Team (DERT), Dr. John McDowell, Dr. Sue Tuohy, and Dr. Rebecca Dirksen, discuss the origins of the group, remembering the collaboration that led to its creation. They describe the experience of realizing how many of their colleagues in folklore, ethnomusicology, and anthropology had work that aligned research on expressive culture in relation to environmental concerns. They speak about the importance of 'diverse environmentalisms' within their fields, and how they looked to contribute to both the fields and environmental research through their work. Dr. Dirksen also speaks to the future of the group, intending to widen the goals to include environmental justice as a key feature of DERT's research. Music: CORONAWAVE by Pagliacci and Some Other Klowns (Suyash Kumar Neupane, Ben Danner, Kurt Baer)

Dr. Beverly Stoeltje speaks about her path through graduate study in the 1970s and how her dissertation assisted her later research with Queen Mothers in Ghana. Sharing stories about her graduate studies at the University of Texas, Dr. Stoeltje provides her perspectives on women's position in academic society. She talks about the roles and obstacles that women in university positions face, whether students or faculty, and the importance of mentors for women in their early careers, concluding with optimism for the future.

In asking, "Where did these three artists go?" Amy shows how a single question can turn into a field of research that has brought her to research gender and social activism in German hip hop. She recognizes the impact of social media and the pandemic on her fieldwork experience, and how she leveraged social media to build her contacts and interviews. Amy also shares examples of how music and performances have become valuable in the face of restrictions on public outings and gatherings. Music: CORONAWAVE by Pagliacci and Some Other Klowns (Suyash Kumar Neupane, Ben Danner, Kurt Baer)

IU PhD Candidate Jeremy Reed shares his fieldwork experience researching how music festivals in Jordan act as a metaphor for trajectories in contemporary Jordanian history. His path to this research began in 2013 and continues through 2021, despite a changing research focus that began with an interest in alternative Arab music. Jeremy mixes stories from his fieldwork with insights into fieldwork methods, emphasizing real-time sensory data as supplement to audio/video recordings and notes. Recognizing the solitary nature of writing a dissertation, Jeremy reflects on the importance of maintaining community and confidence throughout the process. Music: CORONAWAVE by Pagliacci and Some Other Klowns (Suyash Kumar Neupane, Ben Danner, Kurt Baer)

Dr. David McDonald speaks with the Executive Directors of the American Folklore Society and Society for Ethnomusicology, Dr. Jessica Turner and Dr. Stephen Stuempfle. Dr. Turner and Dr. Stuempfle provide a behind-the-scenes look at academic organizations' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. They recall the impact that COVID-19 has had on academic conferences, how they adapted, the unexpected benefits of virtual conferences, and how these technologic and virtual adaptations might impact the future of academic conferences.

Dr. Julianne Graper speaks about her multispecies research and how she came to study the bats with musical scene of Austin, Texas. We discuss how she recorded bats for her field research, and how bat sounds and images are used in sound studies and tourism, as well as the impact of this research and bat festivals on bat colonies. Dr. Graper shares her belief that what we observe in the field should shape the theory we use to understand and discuss it, and shares some of her own stories from field research. The Colloquium/DERT lecture with Dr. Graper that precedes this conversation can be found on the IU Folklore and Ethnomusicology Youtube. Music: CORONAWAVE by Pagliacci and Some Other Klowns (Suyash Kumar Neupane, Ben Danner, Kurt Baer)