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Alex Kollar

1/24/17

MUSC 103

Response #2

Opportunities for Ethnography in the Sociology of Music

by David Grazian

In this article, David Grazian defines ethnography as the broad set of practices

through which scholars attempt to observe and interpret the cultural beliefs and practices

of social groups by engaging them in some kind of interpersonal encounter (197). He

describes the important insights gained form this type of research, focusing primarily on

how music has shaped culture in Chicago. He introduces the studies conducted by Robert

E. Park, his graduate students, and fellow faculty, who all researched and wrote

ethnographic accounts of the otherwise hidden lives of Chicagos immigrant families,

homeless men, working-class gangs, and juvenile delinquents (198). These case studies,

conducted within the 20th century, reveal the richness of music produced within these

communities. Grazian states This ethnographic work emphasized how blues musicians

in that context drew on the reality of their surroundings, particularly chronic poverty and

institutionalized racism, to infuse their songs with both ironic reflection and emotional

intensity (199).

Remembering that music like jazz, the blues, and rock comes from a place of such

deep emotion and social strife, it makes me analyze my own music tastes. Why do I listen

to the music I listen to? What draws me? Where does the inspiration of these songs come
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from? Whats the foundation? Wheres the substance? Though I dont think its fair to

compare dubstep to jazz, it is important to recognize the origins of these and other genres.

As shown in Grazians writing, music is far more than rhythms and lyrics, but a reflection

of ideologies of different cultures. It is a peoples voice of sadness, rejoicing, mourning,

and victory alike.

Grazians article forces me to think about the music that has shaped me, and calls

into question what it reveals about my culture. What is my culture? How does my music

taste reflect and influence that culture? Answering these questions will provide not just a

greater view of my own self, but help illustrate the role that I play in a bigger narrative.