Sarah Bishop, a Ph.D. student in ethnomusicology at the Ohio State University is researching how music and conflict intersect in Ethiopia
By Jack Long (The Lantern)
COLUMBUS, OH– Originally drawn to Ethiopia because of its historical uniqueness and non-western music, a Ph.D. student at the Ohio State University (Columbus, OH) is now researching how music and conflict intersect in the country.
Sarah Bishop, a Ph.D. student in ethnomusicology at Ohio State, first traveled to Ethiopia as a volunteer before starting her undergraduate career at Point Loma Nazarene University in California, where she was exposed to non-western music for the first time and met many musicians.
Ethnomusicology is the study of society and culture through music — typically music outside of the traditional western style. Both the similarities and differences of western and non-western music drew Bishop to the study.
“When I met musicians in Ethiopia, we sort of had this instant bond over the fact that we both were involved in music,” Bishop said.
Ethiopia stands out among other African countries — having never been colonized by a European power, the country has seen its languages, cultures and tribal origins stay mostly intact, according to Bishop.
“In parts of Ethiopia, they have these different kinds of tensions, tonic scales, that we don’t have in western music,” Bishop said.
She added that even the vocal approach and style of playing is different.
“It’s very ornamented, and just quite unlike anything I’d ever heard before in the United States,” Bishop said.
When Bishop got back to the U.S., she tried to find more information on Ethiopian music, but like with other East African countries, there was little information out there, inspiring Bishop to explore it herself.
“If no one’s doing research on the music that’s happening there, maybe I should just do it,” Bishop said.
Growing up, Bishop said she was “steeped” in western tradition; she taught piano, played for churches and accompanied choirs while in high school. She started to earn money for playing and discovered how lucrative the music industry could be.
“I love music very much, obviously,” Bishop said. “But also the financial aspect, interestingly enough, pushed me into [music].”
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