It is with great pleasure that I share with you the exciting news that we have appointed Dr Lea Hagmann (Lecturer in Cultural Anthropology of Music and Director of Studies in World Arts and Music at the University of Bern) as the BFE's first Outreach Officer!

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Dr Simon McKerrell

(Chair, British Forum for Ethnomusicology)

The BFE Student Prize for 2019 recognises an outstanding paper presented by a student at this year’s BFE Annual Conference, hosted by The Elphinstone Institute, University of Aberdeen (11-14 April 2019). The decision this year was extremely difficult given the high quality of the papers submitted and the diversity of approaches. We are delighted to award the prize to Vicky Tadros (SOAS, University of London) whose paper is described below. Given the difficult decision-making process, this year the selection committee would like to give commendations to the following authors (papers listed below): Lorenzo Chiarofonte; Hamidreza Salehyar; and Mark Aranha, Cara Stacey, Bronwen Clacherty and Kristy Stone. We would like to thank everyone who submitted a paper this year and encourage students to submit papers for next year’s conference at Bath Spa University in 2020.

Winner

Vicky Tadros: ‘Negotiating the Private: Car Listening Culture and Emirati Values’

This ethnographically-rich and well researched paper examines musical listening practices in the autonomous space of the car, focusing on extensive fieldwork conducted in the United Arab Emirates. Noting its high symbolic value in Emirati culture, Tadros argues that the car also functions as a central space for listening behaviours in the UAE. She contends that unlike in alternative private spheres, the car is a flexible space in which Emiratis can express contemporary values while at the same time adhering to the traditional expectations experienced in public and home settings. The car, in effect, becomes a third space in which individuals can negotiate conflicting ethical ideals around religion, modernity and sexuality. For example, Tadros draws on interviews with LGBTQ Emiratis who view the car as a ‘safe’ space in which they can express, through music, their own sexuality, which would otherwise be hidden from view in other contexts. But rather than viewing the car solely as an individualistic space, Tadros also explores the impact of state-sanctioned religious ethics that filter into the car and influence listening behaviours. In particular, she focuses on how Emiratis experience the sonic infiltration of the adhan into the private space of the car. Given the adhan’s position outside the domain of music, its sonic presence in the car creates an ‘ethical crossroads’ for listeners. They are forced to make personal ethical choices on how they respond to the public sounding of the adhan in the private space – to adhere to religious ethics of listening by turning down the radio or to choose musical content above religious norms. As Tadros notes, this poses the question: Madonna or Mohammed?

Tadros’ paper is well written and meticulously researched. She beautifully interweaves theory and ethnographic material into her analysis. The paper makes important contributions to sound studies, ethnomusicological research on the Middle East and the study of sound and listening in the Islamic world. In exploring the neglected space of the car, Tadros shows how listening behaviours can complicate assumed theoretical binaries between the public and the private. The paper is lively and engaging, and was a pleasure to read. It is a valuable contribution to the field.

Commendations:

Lorenzo Chiarofonte: ‘To Ko Gyi Kyaw: Music Structures, Interaction Processes, and Performance Context of a Burmese nat-chin’

Hamidreza Salehyar: ‘Nationalist Islamism, Transnational Shi’ism, and Rituals of Martyrdom in Iran’

Mark Aranha, Cara Stacey, Bronwen Clacherty, & Kristy Stone: ‘Ife and Bilal: An Intercultural, Practice-Based Intervention’

Selection Committee

Dr Matthew Machin-Autenrieth (chair), Dr Rachel Harris, Dr Steve Wilford

Call for BFE Membership Administrator

Deadline for Expressions of Interest: Friday 7^th June 2019

The British Forum for Ethnomusicology is seeking a part-time Membership Administrator. 

This role may suit someone who has administrative experience within academia and familiarity with the discipline of ethnomusicology (these are desirable but not essential). The successful applicant will work in conjunction with the current membership administrator (BFE Treasurer Ruard Absaroka) to become familiarized with the role.

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate some prior understanding of what the job responsibilities will entail and how these could be developed. The candidate will also be confident with a range of IT applications and will be able to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills. 

Membership administration tasks include (but are not limited to): 

• maintaining the membership lists on the BFE website (in collaboration with the Web Administrator, Treasurer and Administrator), including monitoring and recording correct receipt of membership subs and periodically sending an updated list of current members to the publisher.

• communication: scheduling membership renewal reminders; providing occasional general support and advice on request for BFE members; helping manage other email correspondence between the committee and membership

• working on general membership administration and developing membership-related initiatives (in conjunction with the Treasurer, Administrator and BFE Committee)

The successful applicant will be expected to commence work in this role on 1^st September 2019. The total amount of assistance to be contracted will initially average 2 hours per week, and the rate of pay is £14.00 per hour (c. £1,456 p.a.). This is a flexible arrangement on the understanding that some periods of the year and weeks will be more intensive than others. While most tasks are routine, there may be occasional urgent tasks where a rapid response is required. Following on-the-job training the role will eventually expand to approximately double this time commitment and remuneration.

Under the terms of a self-employed contract, persons providing these services are not entitled to sick pay, holiday pay or any form of employment protection, and will be responsible for paying their own tax and National Insurance.

All enquiries should be directed to the BFE Administrator Morgan Davies (admin@bfe.org.uk). Applicants should email an expression of interest and a short CV (not more than 2 pages in length) to BFE Chair Simon McKerrell (chair@bfe.org.uk) by Friday 7^th June 2019.

Informal interviews will take place during the week commencing Monday 1^st July 2019.

Simon McKerrell, BFE Chair

We offer hearty congratulations to 2019 BFE Annual Conference Liaison Frances Wilkins, who was recently awarded a Research Incentive Grant from the Carnegie Trust for a 12 month project. The project commenced in September 2019 and focuses on researching sacred singing in the West Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland. The research will primarily involve fieldwork in the region, in particular on the islands of Lewis, Harris, Skye, Raasay, North and South Uist, Benbecula and Barra and in Lochalsh. The aim is to record and analyse current practices, placing them historically and contemporaneously within the respective faith communities and understanding them in their social and cultural contexts.

Frances writes: