Walking as Fieldwork Method in Ethnomusicology

Abstract

Abstract Ethnomusicologists walk a lot. Walking brings us closer to our teachers, who give us knowledge about ndwom, and reveals important insights into how a locale is laid out, helping us to develop local literacy and an embodied understanding of the scales and rhythms of the society. Walking is one approach without which we would not be laughing, dancing, singing, sharing, or eating with people through ndwom. Walking takes us to our teachers’ houses for lessons and interviews and to archives, rituals, and performances. Yet many publications that address fieldwork in ethnomusicology overlook this crucial part of our research process. Drawing on my own field research at Kormantse in Ghana and on others’ research, I discuss how walking informs us as ethnomusicologists and suggest how it could be incorporated into our work. Amambra mu ndwom ho adzesua nhwewhεmufo bͻ aporͻw pii. Aporͻbͻ anaa nantsew twe hεn bεn hεn akyerεkyerεfo a wͻma hεn ndwom ho nyimdzee na wobue hεn enyi wͻ mbrε wosi hyehyε/siesie mbea pͻtsee a dwumadzi bi kͻ do no hͻn ho. Iyi boa ma yetu hεn nyimdzee a yεwͻ fa biribi n’abͻse/sibea mu mpon. Nantsew yε kwan kor a sε yekwetsir a, yennkotum edua ndwontow do nye nkorͻfo edzidzi, aserew, asaw anaa atow ndwom; nantsew san boa hεn ma yetum kͻ hεn akyerεkyerεfo hͻn efiefi kosua adze na yεtoto hͻn ano fa nsεm pii ho; yεnam do so yε nhwehwεmu wͻ nsεndahͻ mu, atͻrmuadze na ͻyεkyerε ahorow mu. Eso, iyi nyina ekyir no, akyerεw ahorow a ͻkasa fa aporͻbͻ a ͻkͻ do wͻ amambra mu ndwom ho adzesua na nhwehwεmu ho no bu hͻn enyi gu dεm asεnhia yi do. Mirigyina mankasa me nhwehwεmu a meyεε no wͻ Kormantse a ͻwͻ Ghana na dza afofor bi ayε do no, merebεpεnsampεnsa mbrε nantsew/aporͻbͻ si boa hεn dε yεyε amambra mu ndwom ho adzesua nhwehwεmufo na medze nsusui a ͻbͻboa hεn ma yeehu mbrε yebesi dze nantsew na aporͻbͻ ahyehyε hεn dzwumadzi mu.