Dr Kathleen Noss Van Buren BA, BM, MA, PhD
Department of Music
The University of Sheffield
Jessop Building
34 Leavygreave Road
Sheffield
S3 7RD
Tel: +44 (0) 114 222 0497
Fax: +44 (0) 114 222 0469
email : k.j.vanburen@sheffield.ac.uk
Biography
Kathleen Van Buren is Lecturer in Ethnomusicology and Director of the MA in Ethnomusicology (semester 1, 2007-08) in the Department of Music at the University of Sheffield. She is secretary of the British Forum for Ethnomusicology, co-chair of the applied section of the Society for Ethnomusicology, a member of the International Council for Traditional Music, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She has published and presented at conferences worldwide on a variety of Africa-related topics, ranging from music and HIV/AIDS in Kenya to representing the Bible through African performing arts. She also has experience in music and dance of the African diaspora, specifically in Bolivia, Peru, and Haiti. Dr Van Buren teaches undergraduate modules on music in Africa, music and health, and ethnomusicology, and teaches in the long distance programme in World Music Studies and postgraduate programmes in ethnomusicology.
Dr Van Buren received an MA in 2002 and a PhD in 2006 from the Department of Ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She also holds a BA in English and a self-designed BM in ethnomusicology (summa cum laude in independent study, magna cum laude in coursework) from Lawrence University and Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Research Interests
- Music and dance in Africa and the African diaspora
- The efficacy of music and musicians in promoting social change
- Applied ethnomusicology
- Medical ethnomusicology
- Individual studies
View Kathleen Van Buren’s research page
Current Projects
- Uses of music for community education in Nairobi, Kenya. A study of the ways in which musicians are on their own and in partnership with organizations (NGOs, CBOs, and FBOs, etc.) using music to address issues such as HIV/AIDS, children’s rights, and drug and alcohol abuse.
- Information Development for Empowerment Advocacy and Sustainability (IDEAS). An interdisciplinary research and applied project developed by six scholars at the University of Sheffield and the University of Loughborough aimed at studying and facilitating local knowledge maintenance and transfer within African communities. Current work focuses on three communities in Ghana, Gambia, and Cameroon.
- Performance of Gbaya folktales in Cameroon. A collaborative study with Philip Noss, drawing upon and expanding linguistic and anthropological work conducted by Noss between 1966-2000. Van Buren’s contribution focuses on musical form and on the place of song in folktale performance.
Selected Grants
- Hope through the arts: World AIDS Day 2007 (2007): Knowledge Transfer Opportunities Fund, £8550.00
- Music and message: Ethnomusicological studies in Cameroon (2007): British Academy Small Research Grant, £2465.00
- UCLA Dissertation Year Fellowship (2005-2006), US$25,609.50
- UCLA Research Mentorship Fellowship (2004-2005), US$19,683.50
- African-influenced music and dance in Bolivia, Peru, and Haiti (1999-2000): Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, US$22,000.00
Selected Publications
2007. "Partnering for Social Change: Exploring Relationships between Musicians and Organizations in Nairobi, Kenya," Ethnomusicology Forum 16(2):303-326.
2006. "Stealing Elephants, Creating Futures: Exploring Uses of Music and Other Arts for Community Education in Nairobi, Kenya," PhD dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles.
2005. "Representing Scriptures through African Performing Arts," in Jean-Claude Loba-Mkole and Ernst Wendland, eds., Interacting with Scriptures in Africa. Nairobi, Kenya: ACTON, 152-164.
2004a. "Music in Africa: Overview," in Philip M. Peek and Kwesi Yankah, eds., African Folklore: An Encyclopedia. New York and London: Routledge, 257-260.
2004b. "Music and Dance Styles of the Ewe," in Philip M. Peek and Kwesi Yankah, eds., African Folklore: An Encyclopedia. New York and London: Routledge, 265-266.
View a full list of Kathleen Van Buren’s publications
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