For centuries, Hindustani classical music has been taught as an oral tradition, where the pupil sits in front of the master and learns by watching and listening to them and repeating until they get it right, to the master's satisfaction. Besides other sociological changes, rapid advancements in information communication technology in the past few decades coupled with COVID19 period have resulted in an increased usage of zoom/skype for remote learning and audio-video recordings of the lessons used for studying afterwards. My qualitative research fieldwork was conducted in 2021-22 as part of a year-long research grant aimed at understanding the learning experiences among students who mainly study online and occasionally offline with their master, now a largely accepted practice. The enquiry was made broadly at two levels, one to examine the efficacy of online as a medium for musical skill and knowledge as information transfer among both vocalists and instrumentalists. This highlighted the technical and technological aspects that seemed to be working fine as well as those which needed improvements. And two, the intangible experiences resulting from learning a performing art from a master alongwith the inseparable values and lifestyle by being in the same physical space with them at the same time. This revealed experiences spanning across behavioural aspects, creative inspiration, energetic connection, personal and professional bonding and their influence in the musical expression, naturally, a more complex phenomenon. The findings help us in understanding the role of hybrid pedagogy in shaping the learning and practise in this space.

One of the pedagogical challenges in teaching the topic of ethnoarts in academic and workshop settings is the need to help participants gain a nuanced understanding of indigenous art forms. In addition, students need to learn about ethnographic inquiry and how to study local artistry in ways that demonstrate respect for arts practitioners. Individual courses often emphasize either an analytical approach, embodied knowledge (bimusicality), or ethnographic methods. This paper proposes a pedagogy of participatory methods that combine all three for a deeper level of understanding. Details about these approaches will be outlined as well as a brief overview of a Siberian round dance genre—ohuokhai—that serves as the case study for student engagement. This integrated approach has been taught in multiple languages to over 1300 participants from more than 60 countries. Data from pre- and post-course feedback shows strong evidence of the effectiveness of the course. The data comes from a post-course quantitative survey covering the learning outcomes of the course and the students’ perceptions of where they were “pre-class” and “post-class” in relation to those learning outcomes. Since 2015, this data has helped us to measure the effectiveness of these integrated methods. The presentation will explore discoveries from the field of neurology, providing support for why the participatory approaches outlined in this presentation are so effective in achieving student learning outcomes.

This paper examines recent transformations in lutherie education in Argentina and Brazil through a transdisciplinary and intersectional lens, highlighting the promising involvement of marginalized groups such as women, non-binary individuals, queer communities, and racialized artisans. It draws from recent fieldwork case studies conducted at public institutions like Facultad de Artes de la Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Universidad Nacional de las Artes de Buenos Aires, and Universidade Federal do Paraná while also considering the experiences of current students and graduates. What educational frameworks may possibly disrupt or challenge patriarchal systems that could hinder equitable participation in lutherie? By examining innovative interdisciplinary curricula that promote collaboration among diverse students and faculty, the research raises questions about how these models can foster a collective ethos and encourage shared resource use (Godemann 2008; Tasdemir & Gazo 2020). Could these communal educational frameworks defy traditional mentor-apprentice dynamics that often lead to exclusionary habits? Might they facilitate access to quality custom handmade instruments for musicians across various economic backgrounds (Gibson & Warren 2021)? I argue that public education initiatives are essential for expanding access to lutherie training, addressing economic disparities, and enriching communities through sundry perspectives. Institutions that incorporate sustainable, locally sourced materials and cooperative practices could enhance collective learning and amplify underrepresented voices. This study aims to identify transdisciplinary structures that might empower labor dynamics, potentially advancing a broad, groundbreaking lutherie market (Frater 2019). Ultimately, this paper seeks to open up new possibilities for fostering diversity, inclusivity, and collaborative learning in lutherie education.

An effective world music classroom encourages engagement, personal or situated experience, and inclusive practices to transcend tokenism and encourage an egalitarian representation of musical traditions (Allsup, 2016). Pedagogical approaches have tended to feature particular forms of classical musics in ensemble settings to encourage “bi-musicality,” with deep dives into those traditions with extensive ethnographic and musicological documentation. Yet students are often most eager to explore their own heritage through experiences on campus and in the surrounding community. In our large World Music class, we encourage students to undertake personal fieldwork on campus and around Los Angeles. Their level of engagement as they explore living musical communities is incredibly high, and is one of the most vital and important experiences they take from the class (Woodford, 2019). In most teaching frameworks, each of these experiences is submitted as an assignment, and tossed aside as the student finishes their semester and moves back to their academic focus. To counter this trend and offer a collaborative learning alternative, we’ve developed a digital humanities project to allow students to present their field experiences to their peers. Designed as a curated teaching resource, it functions as a means to enable student agency, positionality and pride (Golubchikov, 2015), and has become an ongoing field guide for the class and the campus community. This paper will explore the possibilities of digital pedagogical tools giving agency to students as they themselves build an inclusive ethnomusicology classroom and foster personal engagement with local musical communities.