Graduate Student Triumphs in Society for Ethnomusicology Conference, Receives Scholarship Award in Field of Music and Culture Studies
In a significant recognition of scholarly excellence, Tyler Yamin, a graduate student from the Department of Ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has won the Ki Mantle Hood Student Prize for his paper titled "Creativity and Contestation in the Canopy." The award was given by The Society for Ethnomusicology, Southern California and Hawaii Chapter (SEMSCHC) at their 2019 conference held at UC Santa Barbara.
The Ki Mantle Hood Student Prize is a highly respected accolade in the field of ethnomusicology, honouring outstanding student research. Yamin's paper was chosen for its exceptional quality, originality, and theoretical or methodological rigor, marking it as an exemplary contribution to the field.
The paper's focus on "Creativity and Contestation in the Canopy" offers meaningful insights into how music-making is shaped by social and cultural dynamics, particularly in contexts where creativity intersects with power relations or contestation. This research can influence how scholars understand music's role in complex social environments.
Moreover, the paper's relevance to the SEMSCHC, which focuses on the Southern California and Hawaii regions, indicates that it may address ethnomusicological issues specific to these diverse and culturally rich areas, potentially shedding light on local or diasporic musical practices.
Winning such a prize often encourages further scholarly discussion and can lead to the paper’s themes influencing subsequent studies in ethnomusicology. It raises the profile of research about music as a site of negotiation, creativity, and sociocultural contestation.
It is worth noting that the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive is involved in a publishing collaboration with Adam Matthew Digital, and a roundtable discussion titled "Ethnomusicology: Global Field Recordings: A Publishing Collaboration between the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive and Adam Matthew Digital" was featured at the 2019 SEMSCHC conference.
The conference, organised by the Ethnomusicology Archive, also saw multiple individuals from the Department of Ethnomusicology being represented, including graduate students and alumni, as well as archivists.
Supeena Insee Adler served as program chair for the 2019 SEMSCHC conference, which is a regional chapter of the global, interdisciplinary network of individuals and institutions known as the Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM). For more details about the complete program for the 2019 SEMSCHC conference, please visit this link.
The Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM) is a global network that focuses on the study of music across all cultural contexts and historical periods. This recognition of Tyler Yamin's work underscores the importance of ethnomusicology as a vital discipline for understanding the complex interplay between music, culture, and society.
Tyler Yamin's paper, recognized with the Ki Mantle Hood Student Prize, represents a significant stepping stone in his education-and-self-development journey within the field of ethnomusicology. His focus on "Creativity and Contestation in the Canopy" resides in the burgeoning realm of online-education platforms, offering other scholars the opportunity to access his perspective on music's role in complex social environments.
