Ethnomusicology

It all began as an assignment for Ethnomusicology 205.  The two archivists (Aaron and Maureen) suggested archival collections to research that might specifically interest each student in the class.  For Marc Bolin, we could think of no better choice than the

Don Ellis (1934-1978) was a jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader.  Ellis won a Grammy in 1972 for Best Instrumental Arrangement for the Theme From The French Connection.  He is probably best known for his extensive musical experimentation.  Ellis’ rhythmic innovations came as a direct result of his studies in non-Western music

The UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive is thrilled to announce that the first 54 recordings from our collections are now available at California Light and Sound Collection on the Internet Archive. 

June is African American Music Appreciation Month.  As the Presidential Proclamation explains in part: 

D.K. Wilgus and Wayland D. Hand established Folklore studies at UCLA, and together founded the Folklore and Mythology Program in 1965.  Wilgus was the Program’s first chair and served in that position for 17 years.  During his tenure at UCLA, Wilgus built an archive of folksong and folk music of over 8,000 commercial recordings and 3,000 field recordings. These recordings are now part of the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive.

The Music of Japan ensemble began in 1956 as a gagaku group led by then-graduate student Robert Garfias. 

The UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive is pleased to announce that 50 recordings from our collections have been accepted into the California Audiovisual Preservation Project (CAVPP). 

“Music of the World: Ethnomusicology at UCLA” is a recruitment video directed by Professor Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy (the Dept. of  Ethnomusicology’s founding chair), and produced and edited by Brian Hodel.

Photo of Dr. Angela Lühning by Ricardo Pamfilio de Sousa.

To quote UNESCO:  Audiovisual documents, such as films, radio and television programmes, audio and video recordings, contain the primary records of the 20th and 21st centuries.