Mike's Oud Forums

SOAS MMus Performance

ibn sina - 4-12-2014 at 08:42 AM

After accepting students for the postgraduate course MMus Performance, SOAS now decides they will not offer "Music of the Near and Middle East ad North Africa" this fall.
When we applied, we asked for this Area of Concentration, and it was listed on the online description as available.
Now they suggest we study Central Asian music and other unacceptable alternatives.
Studies of the Middle East and North Africa is what SOAS (London) is all about.
Can anybody shed light on this situation? Is anybody else hung up here? :(

Lysander - 4-12-2014 at 09:28 AM

I have emailed the head of the music department about this and am awaiting a response. I expect, if you are doing a part time degree, that it will be available in the 2015/2016 period though that doesn't help those doing it full time. It does say on the website "not all regional courses will necessarily be available in any one year, [the major] may also be taken in year 2 or 3 if Department approval is obtained".

I'll let you know when I get anything back.

TomtheTall - 4-12-2014 at 11:17 AM

I am also a student at SOAS, about halfway through the Mmus Ethnomusicology.

I'd heard the Mmus Performance wasn't running any more...! Guess I heard wrong. In any case, that's a real shame the Near/Middle East unit isn't running. They seem to alternate certain specializations each academic year: I wanted to do Indian Classical Music on the year I joined but they said it wasn't available, despite being listed on the website.

I forget the name of the department head there but he's an amenable fellow - I'm sure you'll get some answers!

Lysander - 4-12-2014 at 11:45 AM

As far as I understand it, the Performance is a minor for Ethnomusicology and it seems to be running this Autumn [it bloody better be!]. Tom, good to know you're on the Ethno course. How are you finding it and did it match/meet your expectations?

Is there anything that people such as myself and ibn should know before we begin? I'm currently reading Nettl's 31 Issues and Concepts to get a better feel for the course mindset before the start. I was contemplating giving the Anthropology of Music a going over as well.

ibn sina - 4-25-2014 at 01:38 PM

The latest information is that they are not running the Middle East/North African specialty next fall (2014). I had planned to do it full-time for one year. Can't afford to live in London two years.
While the website may say "not available every year" when I applied, it was listed as available. I checked that specialization. It is also apparent from my application essay that what I do is Middle Eastern music, I mean can you say Munir Bashir?

So I do not understand them at all. They have wasted a lot of my time and energy applying for this program, they expect me to just accept whatever they offer. However, I will not be going without the Middle Eastern/North African concentration. This is not a very professional way to run a program.

TomtheTall - 5-28-2014 at 11:14 AM

Sorry for the delayed response everyone! Lysander, speaking honestly the course wasn't quite what I was expecting. I guess I come from quite a "practically-orientated" background, so wasn't prepared for the more heavyweight academic texts and assignments. There are so many interesting people to meet there though, and a wide diversity of events/seminars/performances throughout the year. The SOAS concert series is definitely worth checking out!

Lysander - 5-28-2014 at 12:55 PM

Thanks, Tom. I am expecting it to be about 20% performance related. I'd like it to be a lot more but I think that's a reasonable assumption. King's do an entirely academic ethnomusicology degree, I think that would be a bit much for me. The practical side is what I'm most interested in, though I'm sure there'll be a lot of other interesting stuff along the way.

TomtheTall - 5-28-2014 at 01:16 PM

Yeah I'd say that's pretty accurate. I had a very interesting time with my performance module - I was being taught raga Jaunpuri on the double bass by a sarangi player. Unfortunately I had to defer before completion, but am probably starting up again this September.

I'm sure there will be - I hope you enjoy it :) Maybe we'll bump into each other there!

*EDIT* Whilst I think of it, do you know who the current oud teacher is at SOAS? Is it Ahmed Mukhtar? I see SOAS is mentioned on his website.

Lysander - 5-28-2014 at 02:26 PM

Quote: Originally posted by TomtheTall  
Yeah I'd say that's pretty accurate. I had a very interesting time with my performance module - I was being taught raga Jaunpuri on the double bass by a sarangi player. Unfortunately I had to defer before completion, but am probably starting up again this September.

I'm sure there will be - I hope you enjoy it :) Maybe we'll bump into each other there!

*EDIT* Whilst I think of it, do you know who the current oud teacher is at SOAS? Is it Ahmed Mukhtar? I see SOAS is mentioned on his website.


Err in that case we definitely will meet! As far as I am aware they do not have a resident oud player. They advised me to find one and they would reimburse some of the cost.

TomtheTall - 5-29-2014 at 02:23 AM

I look forward to it!

Ah I see, I think they hand out a list of recommended teachers for various instruments at the beginning of the year. I don't know if Attab Haddad does instrumental tuition - if so he would be another possibility. Had the good fortune of hearing his quintet in London last year, beautiful music indeed.

Lysander - 5-29-2014 at 02:38 AM

The difficulty for me is finding a teacher of Turkish oud in London, so far I have only found one [and he lives fifteen miles away in High Barnet]! Unless an Arabic oud teacher would be OK as well, but I think really a Turkish one is best. I think I will have little choice but to go with this guy but at least there is one at all.