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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Listening to Decatur: Musical Ethnography in an Illinois City, 1992--1997

Abstract

dc:description

Listening to Decatur: Musical Ethnography in an Illinois City, 1992--97 explores values, organization, stratification, and coherence in the musical lives of individuals and institutions in Decatur, a small city in central Illinois. Individual chapters are devoted to the various forms of participation in local musical culture, to the maintenance of a ritual musical/holiday calendar, to the establishment of a unique local festival, and to the personal statements of a number of local musicians. Of particular interest are the patterns of participation in musical culture, the factors shaping participation and non-participation, and the ways in which societal expectations are communicated. The relevance of age and context in determining appropriate forms of participation is investigated. The history and enactment of the Decatur Celebration, and the particular roles of music within that festival, are explored.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph.D.
Level thesis:degree_level
Dissertation
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Music
Grantor
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Year dc:date
2015

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Russell, Melinda Ann
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Nettl, Bruno

Subjects

dc:subject × 1

Rights

Language dc:language
eng

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Identifier
(MiAaPQ)AAI9944987
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/85872

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
Base URL
www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Russell, Melinda Ann. Listening to Decatur: Musical Ethnography in an Illinois City, 1992--1997. Dissertation thesis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2142/85872