By Amanda Carswell

Flipping on the radio, listeners sometimes hear a mixed jumble of music from across the globe, from Latin to reggae to pop. The genres blur together, crossing borders and borrowing techniques. Beginning in the fall of 2005, the new minor of ethnomusicology will help students explore this musical melting pot from an international perspective.

“It’s the study of music and culture,” said Akunna Eneh, a senior English major who is minoring in ethnomusicology. “As ethnomusicologists, you show how music and culture are linked, show how the music explains a culture.”

Eneh is currently in the ethnomusicology directed study, and will be the first student to graduate with the minor.

“Ethnomusicological study also concerns musical change brought about by the impact of modernization, urbanization and westernization,” said Susan Asai, associate professor of music. “The study of music within the global framework informs students of the trends and patterns of musical change.”

Asai and Associate Professor of music Leonard Brown currently teach the subject, and helped develop the minor and add it to the department curriculum.

Asai said she collaborated with Brown and Assistant Professor of music Emmett Price to propose the minor. The proposal had to be approved by curriculum committees for the music department, the College of Arts and Sciences and the university-wide curriculum committee.

Eneh also played a role in creating the minor, writing a letter to Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences James Stellar, encouraging him to consider the program.

“Part of the impetus for instituting this minor was one student’s interest in ethnomusicology and her desire to complete a minor in this field before she graduated,” Asai said.

To fulfill the minor, students must complete six courses offered in the music department. The courses, which combine listening and research, include Introduction to Ethnomusicology, Introduction to World Music and Music of Asia.

“It’s interesting to talk to people about their music and hear what they have to say about it,” Eneh said. “It’s not just listening, but talking to people about their music.”

Some of the required classes are basic music classes, which will give students the fundamentals of music terminology used throughout the completion of the minor.

“This minor is for anyone interested in learning about other cultures through the study of music,” Asai said. “Courses that focus on different parts of the world are taught from an anthropological perspective in framing music as part of a larger cultural whole. As the world becomes more connected via various media and the Internet, students might enjoy knowing more about the music that is available through these channels.”

More information about the minor and a complete list of classes can be found in the Registrar’s Office or on the College of Arts and Sciences Web site, www.cas.neu.edu.