tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2808406058173173703.post4779120700780234556..comments2007-06-21T20:44:41.392-04:00DocGnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2808406058173173703.post-48642750175709429602007-06-21T20:44:00.000-04:002007-06-21T20:44:00.000-04:00Hello again, Jeremy. It's really encouraging to see that you're still hanging in here and still finding it worthwhile.<BR/><BR/>As far as your grasp of the subject matter is concerned, I must say I'm beginning to wonder whether very many at all of the professionals in Ethnomusicology, or any other field, have a sufficient grasp of the subject matter to evaluate what I'm attempting here. I do know of some fellow old timers, such as Bruno Nettl and Robert Garfias, who made it their business to gain a wide ranging overview of the many and varied styles of world music. But the field has changed drastically, to the point that most if not all the younger people (and by that I mean younger than ME :-) ) have, despite all the classes they've given on "world music," a sufficient grasp of the issues I'm raising to develop a meaningfully critical -- or supportive -- view of this terrain.<BR/><BR/>I must say that I was unusually fortunate, back in my 20s, to have the opportunity of working with Alan Lomax on the Cantometrics project, probably the most ambitious -- and heavily funded -- musicology project of its kind. For roughly four years I was actually being paid to listen to, and analyze, all sorts of music, much of it truly wonderful, from all over the world, thereby gaining what might now be considered a unique perspective on what's out there and what it might mean.<BR/><BR/>It's possible, and I hesitate to say it because it sounds so awfully arrogant, that no one else knows as much as I do about world music -- not because I'm any great scholar, but because of the circumstances I was thrown into so many years ago and the unparalelled opportunity I had.<BR/><BR/>This places me in a very strange and awkward position, however, because if I'm the only one in a position to test my ideas against the evidence, then how will I ever be able to convince others I have something meaningful to offer? I guess what I'm hoping is that there will be enough in what I say to ring some bells in the heads of certain specialists who might be able to see that, at least as far as their own special area is concerned, my work and my ideas do make some sense and might be of some use. I'm also hoping that my work might inspire younger people like yourself, who are starting out in this field, to get involved in comparative studies and start getting a feel for some of this "evidence." I can assure you, the study of world music is one of the most inspiring and beautiful types of research one could ever hope to do.Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17359004200002936544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2808406058173173703.post-59900463145889095922007-06-18T09:57:00.000-04:002007-06-18T09:57:00.000-04:00Hi Victor!<BR/><BR/>I just wanted to say that the upgrades to the site look great (wow!), and your writing continues to address interesting and worthwhile questions and lines of thinking. <BR/><BR/><BR/>Hopefully, I'll get a grasp on the subject matter to actually contribute something useful! <BR/><BR/>-JeremyJeremy F.noreply@blogger.com