Each year, students in the IU Department of Musicology have the opportunity to apply for grants and fellowships that support travel, research, and study abroad. These funds, generously provided by donors and departmental supporters, help students access archives, participate in language programs, and engage with primary sources and cultural contexts crucial to their research.
This past year, two of our musicology Ph.D. students were able to perform archival research at key locations related to their work. In July, Yishai Rubin was able to visit Germany and Austria, thanks to the Peter Burkholder and Doug McKinney Musicology Research Travel Fund. Jacqueline Fortier just recently returned from her trip to Fort-de-France, the capital of Martinique, thanks to the A. Peter Brown and Carol V. Brown Research Travel Fund. Below, they share highlights from their recent travels as well as some thoughts about how these experiences enriched their research and inspired new directions in their studies.
Last summer, I had the precious opportunity to conduct archival research in Germany and Austria. My trip was made possible by the very generous support of the Peter Burkholder and Doug McKinney Musicology Research Travel Fund, for which I am immensely grateful.
My current research focuses on musical activities involving the Jewish community of Bonn in the mid-to-late eighteenth century. So far, my work in the topic led me to look at manuscript copies of notated synagogue music, rabbinical publications in Hebrew, historical German newspapers, as well as many financial and legal documents, a lot of which became accessible to me thanks to the recent trip. A
figure that is naturally ever-present in the background of my inquiry is Ludwig van Beethoven, who was born and raised in Bonn during the same time period, and whose relations to the city’s Jews are yet to be fully investigated.
My visit in Europe certainly had its share of Beethoveniana, as I unexpectedly stumbled upon one of Beethoven’s best-known letters while I was plowing through archival materials at the Haus-, Hof- und Staatsarchiv in Vienna—now I can proudly say that I held an autograph Beethoven manuscript in my hands!
—Yishai Rubin
My recent research travel has greatly impacted my dissertation research in many ways. I was able to make great strides in my fieldwork. I met with a good number of local musicians, scholars, and avid listeners who gave me crucial information on the rich and complex state of music on the island, past and present. I was also able to attend various musical performances around Martinique, testifying to the island’s vibrant and diverse musical life. These include bèlè drumming and dance performances, zouk concerts, and intimate reggae and ragga evenings in local restaurants.
I spent time working in the Schoelcher Library, the library of the Université des Antilles, as well as the Archives Territoriales de la Martinique. The materials held in these spaces include various music periodicals from the late 20th century that pertain to my research as well as books and dissertations that are hard to access outside of the island. I also worked with the fonds Sully Cally, which includes hours of interviews with musicians on the island, which has aided in strengthening my knowledge of music history in Martinique. I am extremely thankful to Carol V. Brown for establishing the A. Peter Brown and Carol V. Brown Research Travel Fund. Without this funding, I would not have been able to pursue this trip which has been central to my research.
I’ve included a few pictures. First, the beautiful bibliothèque Schoelcher, situated in Fort-de-France, the capital of Martinique. This library is not only a fantastic resource for my research but also an important historical monument. Second, a picture of the anse Figuier beach, one of the many beautiful beaches in Martinique where I like to spend my time when I am not working.
—Jacqueline Fortier
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