Fieldwork, methods and ideas. Your Project  Basic methods of fieldwork  Past projects

Fieldwork Methods  The eye-witness report. Concerned with the collection of primary source material.  Documentary material from living informants – relying and analysing oral history.  Quote from Meyers, p.23, `observation of people in situ; finding them where they are, staying with them in a role in which, while acceptable to them, will allow both intimate observation of certain parts of behavior, and reporting it in ways useful to social science but not harmful to those observed’  The `field’ is the world itself.

Common Features  Informants, - people who talk to us about their lives and music.  Performances/events – both musical and cultural – may be staged for researcher or part of on going pattern of behavior. Can include interviews and music or video recordings.  Recording of material – notes, recordings of music, taped interviews, still photos, video. Material acquired in the field (instruments, music, literature, things).

Selecting a Topic  Personal interest is important. Find something that you like or that interests you.  Feasibility – scholarly, political, physical, cause no harm – must be do-able in the time and space allotted.  Proposal – idea of setting out aims that may change but that you have a goal in mind.

Participant Observer  Main strategy - `marginal native’ – enhances validity  Gives trust to informants – you are part of scene and blending in.  Reduces reactivity – people altering their behavior because they sense they are being observed.  Intimacy of shared experience.

Bi-musicality Idea of Mantle Hood in particular. Not being detached but part of it. Learning to sing, play, dance, etc, or just be a good listener – being part of a musical exchange. Music lessons with a guru. But may emphasize participation at expense of observation. Home practice.

It is impossible to be purely objective –  You need to deal with this as part of methodology.  Relying on key informants – must decide if their views are typical or personal.  Thanking and if necessary paying informants – not always with money. Copies of your work?

Interviews  Prepare questionnaire. But try not to structure interview too rigidly – it should help the informant not restrict. Know the language and be  Seek to be informal but artful in directing.  Record conversations. Test equipment as part of the interview. Study and improve technique. If silence is the result repeat and go over in your words what informant has just said to help them pick up thread.

Other Material to Collect  Diary – always a good idea – especially if things do not go to plan. Can be more personal.  Log – running account of plans prepared in advance.  Numbering – for all recordings and videos.

Your Project Brief  To undertake a fieldwork project presented as a 20 minute conference report and handed in in written form (c.2,000 words). A field work study that will allow the student to explore at first hand any sort of live musical activity available to them. The types of music studied can be of any genre both western and non-western and including all types of popular music. The student needs to find a sustained musical activity in the present which involves both performers and listeners,which above all is physically accessible to the student, so that performers and participants/listeners can be interviewed and live musical activity studied. The student needs to view the musical activity from the point of view of the participant observer, using methods to study that have their basis in anthropology, and which take into account not only the music but the patterns of human behavior of all those involved.

Assessment Criteria - 40% total mark  The identification of a suitable subject and the clear articulation of aims and objectives for a fieldwork study in a project plan.  The ability to sustain a study over several weeks and to observe and record material for the project report.  The methodology employed and general execution of the written material.  The ability to analyse and draw conclusions from the material gathered.  The communication of the study and its results as a seminar paper.

Comments  Emphasis on ideas and quality of field work.  Awareness of concepts of participant observer and folk view useful.  You are trying to find out about all the facets of the performance event/s, both deep and surface (aims and functions), and from all points of view (performers, listeners).  Do use books and other more standard research tools to enhance your understanding of the primary source material you are collecting.

In Presentation  Good structure – and good use of time.  Verbal presentation – understandability, use of language, making sense.  Use of materials – e.g. taped extracts, recordings, video footage, OHPs, Power Point, handouts, transcriptions, still photographs.  It is very much for you to share your project with the group and give the essence of your experiences.

In Written Material  Good structure and organisation of material – it is not an essay so essay style does not necessarily apply – you can use style conventions (footnotes, citations) but do not have to. You can and should give a contents listing and use subheadings.  How aims/objectives are set out against what you have actually achieved. (the two may not match).  Bibliography is advised as you should give space to contextualisation and reference to books, internet or other secondary material.  You can include as much of your collected material – recordings, photos, etc as you wish but if not directly part of the report should be part of an appendix.  It is a good idea to include some attempt at transcription of music. This should be discussed and analysed in your own way. Do not ignore the music itself.