Description
Make Arts for a Better Life: A Guide for Working with Communities provides a ground-breaking model for arts advocacy. Drawing upon methods and theories from disciplines such as ethnomusicology, anthropology, folklore, community development, and communication studies, the Guide presents an in-depth approach to researching artistic practices within communities and to developing arts-based projects that address locally-defined needs. Through clear methodology, case studies from around the world, and sample activities, the Guide helps move readers from arts research to project development to project evaluation. Woven into the discussions are critical reflections on the concept of a "better life" and ethical issues in arts advocacy. Accessible writing and visual cues ensure that readers can easily locate sections which may be particularly pertinent to their work, whether based on types of arts (music, drama, dance, oral verbal arts, visual arts) or professional positions (educators, scholars, project leaders). For additional resources, readers can access an accompanying website offering methodology "cheat sheets," sample research documents, and suggestions for educators, scholars, and project leaders.
About the Author
Brian Schrag is SIL International's Ethnomusicology and Arts Coordinator, and founder of the Center for Excellence in World Arts (Dallas), a graduate program in applied ethnoarts. He has engaged in sustained arts research and development in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon, and holds a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology (UCLA), an M.A. in Intercultural Studies (Wheaton, IL), and a B.S. in Cognitive Sciences (Brown University). Brian actively promotes artistic creativity for healing and education in communities affected by Huntington's Disease. Kathleen J. Van Buren is an ethnomusicologist with special interests in medical and applied ethnomusicology, arts and social change, and musics of Africa. She is currently Honorary Research Fellow for the Department of Music at the University of Sheffield, where she previously worked as lecturer for ten years (2006-2016). She holds an MA and PhD from the Department of Ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a BA in English and self-designed BM in ethnomusicology from Lawrence University and Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Reviews
In clear language and laudable book structure, Van Buren and Schrag propose a 7-step collaborative method for working with communities to address their own perceived needs. This book would be useful for all kinds of community workers, students, and professionals and the results far more satisfactory than top-down community projects. * Anthony Seeger, Distinguished Professor of Ethnomusicology, Emeritus, UCLA *
Building on a growing body of works and practices that (re)assert the centrality of community in living arts, Schrag and Van Buren pull together an impressive array of thoughts and experiences. The result is an invaluable tool for researchers and facilitators to carefully design, execute and evaluate arts projects in the global complexities of 21st century communities. * Huib Schippers, Director/Curator Folkways Recordings, Smithsonian Institution *
Book Information
ISBN 9780190878283
Author Kathleen Van Buren
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 499g
Dimensions(mm) 155mm * 231mm * 23mm
About the Author
Brian Schrag is SIL International's Ethnomusicology and Arts Coordinator, and founder of the Center for Excellence in World Arts (Dallas), a graduate program in applied ethnoarts. He has engaged in sustained arts research and development in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon, and holds a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology (UCLA), an M.A. in Intercultural Studies (Wheaton, IL), and a B.S. in Cognitive Sciences (Brown University). Brian actively promotes artistic creativity for healing and education in communities affected by Huntington's Disease. Kathleen J. Van Buren is an ethnomusicologist with special interests in medical and applied ethnomusicology, arts and social change, and musics of Africa. She is currently Honorary Research Fellow for the Department of Music at the University of Sheffield, where she previously worked as lecturer for ten years (2006-2016). She holds an MA and PhD from the Department of Ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a BA in English and self-designed BM in ethnomusicology from Lawrence University and Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Reviews
In clear language and laudable book structure, Van Buren and Schrag propose a 7-step collaborative method for working with communities to address their own perceived needs. This book would be useful for all kinds of community workers, students, and professionals and the results far more satisfactory than top-down community projects. * Anthony Seeger, Distinguished Professor of Ethnomusicology, Emeritus, UCLA *
Building on a growing body of works and practices that (re)assert the centrality of community in living arts, Schrag and Van Buren pull together an impressive array of thoughts and experiences. The result is an invaluable tool for researchers and facilitators to carefully design, execute and evaluate arts projects in the global complexities of 21st century communities. * Huib Schippers, Director/Curator Folkways Recordings, Smithsonian Institution *
Book Information
ISBN 9780190878283
Author Kathleen Van Buren
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 499g
Dimensions(mm) 155mm * 231mm * 23mm
