Listening to Decatur: Musical Ethnography in an Illinois City, 1992--1997

Russell, Melinda Ann

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Description

Title

Listening to Decatur: Musical Ethnography in an Illinois City, 1992--1997

Author(s)

Russell, Melinda Ann

Issue Date

1999

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Nettl, Bruno

Department of Study

Music

Discipline

Music

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

American Studies

Language

eng

Abstract

Listening to Decatur: Musical Ethnography in an Illinois City, 1992--97 explores values, organization, stratification, and coherence in the musical lives of individuals and institutions in Decatur, a small city in central Illinois. Individual chapters are devoted to the various forms of participation in local musical culture, to the maintenance of a ritual musical/holiday calendar, to the establishment of a unique local festival, and to the personal statements of a number of local musicians. Of particular interest are the patterns of participation in musical culture, the factors shaping participation and non-participation, and the ways in which societal expectations are communicated. The relevance of age and context in determining appropriate forms of participation is investigated. The history and enactment of the Decatur Celebration, and the particular roles of music within that festival, are explored.

Graduation Semester

1999

Type of Resource

text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/85872

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