History of Ethnomusicology: some aspects of remodelling a MA seminar

There is a growing trend to use storytelling techniques as a research and teaching tool. In the case of Anthropology and Ethnomusicology, one can say that storytelling is an integral part of ethnography itself, not only regarding the activities carried out during fieldwork but also in writing a thesis and a book. At the most basic level, the idea of “telling a story” can convey ideas and help people make sense of personal or collective experiences. Aiming for a comprehensive understanding of the way a musical culture “is learned and the materials used to teach it” (Nettl 2015), I will explain how I managed to adapt storytelling techniques to my teaching experiences at NOVA-FCSH. To that end, I will detail the remodelling process of an MA seminar entitled “History of Ethnomusicology”, focusing on the pe- riod from 1870 to 1990. How to engage MA students to identify and understand historical processes related to the study of music and Ethnomusicology? I found answers not necessarily in changing the content – which mostly remained the same – but in adopting new teaching techniques, most notably focusing on storytelling practices and the adoption of a three-part structure: I. cold open, II. Exposition, III. Discussion.