For decades, ethnomusicologists across the world have considered how to affect positive change for the communities they work with. Through illuminating case studies and reflections by a diverse array of scholars and practitioners, Transforming Ethnomusicology aims to both expand dialogues about social engagement within ethnomusicology and, at the same time, transform how we understand ethnomusicology as a discipline. The first volume of Transforming Ethnomusicology focuses on ethical practice and collaboration, examining the power relations inherent in ethnography and offering new strategies for transforming institutions and ethnographic methods. These reflections on the broader framework of ethnomusicological practice are complemented by case studies that document activist approaches to the study of music in challenging contexts of poverty, discrimination, and other unjust systems.

Beverley Diamond is Associate Professor of Music, Associate Dean of Fine Arts, and Director of the Graduate Program in Music at York University. She has done extensive research on music, particularly in Canada, and has published widely.

Beverley Diamond's profile page

Salwa El-Shawan Castelo-Branco's profile page

"A highly original and unusually rewarding read. If anyone wondered what twenty-first century ethnomusicology could become, Transforming Ethnomusicology provides creative ideas and inspiration. Bursting with fresh insights, it speaks to issues of major concern and defines the field." --Lee Tong Soon, Lehigh University, general editor of the Yearbook for Traditional Music

"A testament to the labor of activism, advocacy, and community involvement, Transforming Ethnomusicology lays the groundwork for contemporary practices in applied research that frame the multidimensional roles of scholarly involvement in music-driven social justice — a timely contribution to the field." --Adriana Helbig, Associate Professor of Music, University of Pittsburgh