UCLA
The education I recieved at Pitt prepared me well for graduate study. I hit the ground running and blew away the Master's degree coursework in one year. I spent the second year researching and writing my thesis, “Trem do Forró: Tourism, Musical Tradition and Transformation in Pernambuco, Brazil, 1945-2000.” Due to poor funding in my department I ended up working more than studying during my Ph.D. program. I took a full-time job as Instructional Technologist at the UCLA Office of Instructional Development to fund my studies. I defended my dissertation, “Who are the Pirates? Power Relationships in a Globalized Music Market, Ethnomusicological Perspectives,” in 2005. The following year, I was invited to join the faculty as an adjunct lecturer.
Royce Hall and I |
I designed and taught the courses: Music of Brazil, Global Pop, and Music and Media from 2006 through 2008 when they discontinued my appointment. I continued my position as Instructional Technologist through 2011 until budget cuts eliminated that position.
UCLA was a luke-warm experience for me. I loved meeting and playing with so many remarkable musicians, but the academic aspect left a lot to be desired. I felt terribly unchallenged by the coursework. The biggest challenge was doing fieldwork in Brazil with zero funding! The Department of Ethnomusicology (and much of UCLA) was rife with corruption, power struggles, animosity, poor mentoring, favoritism and selective funding. It was through sheer determination I survived, but it left a forever lingering bitter taste in my mouth for UCLA and that department. |
Degrees Earned:
Ph.D. Ethnomusicology 2005
Certificate of Philosophy Ethnomusicology 2002
M.A. Ethnomusicology 2000
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY
In 1998, I began working intensely with instructional technology. Under a U.S. Department of Education Grant called FIPSE (Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education), I was chosen as one of a very few to initiate the push on teaching with technology (as it was called back then) at UCLA. We were part of an special group of educators who were also early adopters of technology. I began designing PowerPoint slides for faculty in 1998. HTML 4.0 was just released and I was one of the few educators who learned the language. In early 1999, I was posting course websites that included audio samples to support courses. By the end of 1999, I had achieved near expert status in a wide variety of software programs. When the FIPSE grant ended, I was hired by UCLA's Department of Instructional Development (OID) to assist the faculty in their efforts to incorporate technology into their teaching. There, I continued to grow as an instructor and a technologist. I stayed with OID until 2002 when I had to vacate to do field research in Brazil.
Teaching with Technology Workshop on a Disc
I did all the programming and design for this
2001 CD-ROM published by OID. |
In 2006, I returned to OID as the Instructional Technologist for the entire campus of UCLA. It was an exciting challenge and I met it head on.
I developed a series of training workshops for faculty which focused on teaching technologies and their best practices in the classroom. I also
consulted regularly with faculty on designing educational projects that included a technological component. In 2008, I was promoted to Principle Administrative Analyst, while continuing to be the Instructional Technologist for the campus. In 2011, our ruptured economy took away that position and I lost my job. |
I was one of the very first to enter the game of educational technology, and in my twelve-plus years I accomplished some remarkable things of which I remain proud. I know I made a significant difference at UCLA, I helped innumerable people with a wide variety of requests and helped elevate the classroom experience for many students and faculty. I continue to do research in the pedagogical application of technologies and the evaluation of their use.
TEACHING
My goal from the very beginning of my studies was to eventually teach. Not only do I love to share information, I embrace the opportunities to help others grow. I mindfully exercise my role in transferring knowledge to our new generations. I believe in active, versus passive, learning and design my lessons with that in mind. As always, I believe that learning can, and should,
be fun!!! I have had numerous teaching experiences in my short career of which I share some highlights here.
Introducing "Weird" Cultures to 5th Graders Through Music
Loyola Village Performing Arts Magnate School, Los Angeles, 1999
As an ArtsBridge Scholar, I was invited to teach world music to two separate fifth grade classes once per
week for ten weeks at Loyola (20 sessions).
My goals were to have fun while providing the students with a broader world view,
and improving their cross cultural understanding. In essence, I was attempting
to de-mystify foreign cultures for them through music.
The students learned to listen attentively to music
and identify its characteristics
They learned to identify unfamiliar instruments and understand
their cultural significance
The students learned a short, specialized vocabulary
of words used when speaking about music
At the end of the course, the majority of the students were able to
match words like idiophone, ostinato, membranophone, and drone with their
meanings
There was also a noticeable absence of the words "weird", "strange" and "funny" when talking about
other cultures and music
The students performed "Cha Cha Cha Ku Africa" on
the last day of class
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Aside from map lessons, instrument demonstrations, listening to music and watching videos, I wanted the students to get a taste of hands-on playing. So, I invited my friend Donald Kachamba from Malawi to visit the class.
He amazed them with stories of Africa and taught them a song called "Cha Cha Cha Ku Africa."
Every week thereafter we practiced the song, and
on the last day they performed it .
The late Donald Kachamba teaches
"Cha Cha Cha Ku Africa" to the class
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Some Feedback
"On behalf of our 5th grade teachers and students, please accept our grateful thanks for placing ArtsBridge Scholar Jack Bishop at our school during the fall. Mr. Bishop's engaging ethnomusicology lessons and instrumental demonstrations offered an invaluable and broadening experience in multi-cultural education." - Principal Gary Domnitz (letter to the ArtsBridge Foundation)
This experiment was a grand success and demonstrated that negative stereotypes can be overcome with positive exposure. Music was the perfect vehicle to accomplish this goal because it was fun and much of learning took place subconsciously. |
Global Pop with the Doctor
UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology 2006-2008
The course logo from the web site |
I designed and taught the course Global Pop (Ethnomusicology 25) at UCLA from 2006-2008. The course was a cultural survey of popular music on a global scale and attracted music majors and non-majors alike. The average class size was 140 students. There could have been over 200, but we were working under space constraints.
The course was multi-disciplinary using history, sociology, anthropology, geography, communications and economics to explore music making across cultures and time. This course required a lot of listening and reading time and was shored up by a strong writing component. This was an extremely popular course while it lasted.
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During this class students learned to:
Listen critically to recordings
Evaluate musical content
Broaden their musical tastes
Identify different genres of music
Identify sounds with their geographical locations
Use a specialized vocabulary of scientific words
Write effectively, both about music and in general |
We explored music from many countries in Africa, the Middle-East, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Pacific and North America. Each class was a multi-media delivery of images, text, music, videos, and web sites.
The classes featured an open discussion format which produced some of the course's richest moments.
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Some Student Feedback
"I just wanted to say a small thank you for everything you've done in this class. Seriously, the website is awesome, and the emails make me smile because you never sound like a teacher, but more like a dad."
"Each session is a learning experience that is comparable to having the scales fall from my eyes on the given topic. It's profound and comprehensive."
"Thank you so much for an amazing class. By far, it is the best I've taken at UCLA!"
"Hi!!! I jus wanted to let you know that you are by
far the best professor at UCLA." |
"Thanks for being such a wonderful person. There should be more teachers like you at every school, you give students a reason to want to come to class."
"Thank you so much for everything this quarter, your class was absolutely remarkable. You're an amazing professor!"
"You were one of the most energetic and passionate professors I've ever had (and probably will EVER have)!"
"You are truly a priceless and unforgettable professor." |
Feedback from a Teaching Assistant
"I just wanted to reiterate how great it was to work with you this quarter -- a serious breath of fresh air in this department. I really respect how you deal with students and it was clear that your teaching and general human presence affected them in a positive way, especially the young dudes. I hope we get to work together again the future."
Global Pop was nominated twice by the students for the campus award for innovative use of technology in teaching and was the featured course, receiving a write-up, in the 2007 UCLA Yearbook Bruinlife.
Music and Media
UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology 2007
I designed and taught this course in 2007 at UCLA. it examined the enmeshed relationship between music and media from the 1850s through 2007. As a general elective, this course was open to everyone and we received 120 students and a few auditors.
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Technological mediation defines the sonic qualities of music in popular culture. Presently, the majority of music in human life is experienced through some form of technological mediation whether it is the radio, cassette or CD player in the car, the 'walkman,' the 'boom box,' the 'piped in' music at the office, MP3s, the computer, the soundtracks in films, or the sound systems at concerts and clubs. Against a theoretical background, this course explored the ways in which music is mediated to the consumer. The course also examined the growth of the recording industry as a branch of the global communication empires and what that has meant for music production and consumption worldwide. |
Some Student Feedback
"hi jack, thanks for the awesome class. you made it fun to get up early."
"I never knew things were so convoluted. This course really opened my eyes to things I took
for granted."
"Awesome class Jack. I can't believe how much you care. It really shows. I hope I can take your Brazil class this summer." |
"Hi Professor, Thanks for a great class. Beyond doubt one of my favorites. I loved the website. If class were not so much fun, I might have been tempted... :)"
"Dear Professor, Thank you so much for the detailed response to my question. Especially since most professors won't take the time. You are a fantastic professor and person. I hope
you stay at UCLA." |
Music of Brazil
UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology 2006-2007
I designed and taught this course during the summer of 2006 and 2007.
This course introduced students to the music in Brazil from its colonial period up to the musical developments of the day. After a brief overview of composers and music during the colonial period, the course focused on music genres that have emerged since the late 19th century. Emphasis was placed on the genres of choro, baião, forró, samba, bossa nova, Brazilian popular music (MPB), samba-reggae, mangue, and a few others. No previous knowledge of Brazil or its music was expected. |
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The course was conducted in English with the regular introduction of words and names in Portuguese. When necessary the Portuguese will be translated into English by the instructor.
The goals of the course were:
- To introduce students to the sounds of Brazilian music through discussions, videos, listening and reading assignments, and live performances
- To develop in the students a greater sense of critical listening
- To introduce concepts related to ethnomusicology and music research
- To encourage students to consider music as part of its socio-political and historic environment
After taking this course, students were able to identify the different genres of Brazilian Music; have a greater familiarity of Brazil, its geography, culture and its music; and understand how Brazilian music fits into the greater picture of World Music.
Some Student Feedback
"I have never in my whole life had a professor
as happy and energetic as you are. Your passion is incredible and you really know your sh@%!"
"Hi Professor, Man, I love this course! You are amazing! Do you think you could show me how to play Garota de Ipanema on guitar?"
"Hi Jack. So, basically I am in love with your course. Can you tell me more about ethnomusicology? Can anyone do it? Do you have to be a musician?"
"I feel so cool sharing this music at parties!" |
"Dr. Bishop. I wanted to thank you for the outstanding class. The best I've taken at UCLA for sure! I was amazed by the amount of work you put into it. The website was killer and really helped me stay on track! I had so much fun and learned a ton!"
"Thanks for the choro performance in class today. It was awesome!"
"Jack. Thanks for the CD! I love it. Do you think I could do a performance rather than a final paper?" |
WRITING
PUBLISHED WORK - All Downloads are PDF format
As Author:
In Progress: "Who Owns Culture? Power and Property in the 21st Century." 2012
“Building International Empires of Sound: Concentrations of Power and Property in the ‘Global’ Music Market.” Popular Music Volume 2. Edited by Chris Rojek. Brunel University, United Kingdom: Sage Publications 2011.
“Building International Empires of Sound: Concentrations of Power and Property in the ‘Global’ Music Market.” Popular Music and Society 28(4) 2005, pp. 443-470. 2005 Serge Denison Award Winner
"Who are the Pirates? The Politics of Piracy, Poverty, and Greed in a Globalized Music Market." Popular Music and Society 27(1) 2004, pp. 99-104.
"What Does 'World Music' Sound Like?: Identity and Authenticity in 'World Beat'." Pop Sounds: Klangtexturen in der Pop- und Rockmusik. Edited by Thomas Phleps and Ralf von Appen. Verlag, Bielefeld: Transcript, 2003, pp. 161-178.
"Vem Arrasta-pé: The Commoditization of Forró Culture in Rural Pernambuco." Selected Reports in Ethnomusicology Volume 11, UCLA Ethnomusicology Publications, 2003, pp. 187-196.
“Quem são os piratas? : a política de pirataria, pobreza e ganância na indústria da música popular do Brasil, México e Estados Unidos.” Proceedings of the IASPM-LA IV Congresso, 2002, pp.14-25.
“Just as Sweet the Second Time Around: The Re-popularization of the Baião in Pernambuco.” Journal for the Study of Latin American Popular Culture volume 20, University of Arizona 2002, pp. 203-216.
"17 Year Author/Title Index of the PRE." Pacific Review of Ethnomusicology Volume 10, Regents of the University of California, 2002, 104-119.
“The Pope of Bossa Nova Returns.” Review of João Gilberto’s Grammy Winner Voz e Violão UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive Review (EAR) 3(3) Spring 2001, p. 4.
As Editor:
Selected Reports in Ethnomusicology Volume 11 co-edited with Steven Loza, 2002
Pacific Review of Ethnomusicology Volume 10, 2002
Pacific Review of Ethnomusicology Volume 9, 1999
As Illustrator:
3 illustrations in “Free Flow Energy Conflicted Exchange Form: Formations and Relationships in Afro-Family Musical Cultures of Nigeria and Latin America” by Chuks Iwotor in Musical Cultures of Latin America. California: UCLA Ethnomusicology Publications, 301-308, 2003.
1 map of China; illustration in “Naxi Ancient Music Rocks London”: Validation, Presentation, and Observation in the First International Naxi Music Tour” by Helen Rees in Ethnomusicology 46(3): 433-455, 2002.
2 Maps of China; illustrations in “‘He Yi’an’s Ninety Years’ Biography, History, and Experience in Southwest China” by Helen Rees in The World of Music 43(1): 43-67.
2 Maps of China; illustrations in Echoes of History by Helen Rees, Oxford Press, 2000.
TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS
Teaching with Technology: A Workshop on a Disc. Educational CD-ROM, Steve Rossen, Jack Bishop and Andrew Thomas, UCLA/Office of Instructional Development, 2001.
UNPUBLISHED WORK
"From The Lab to the Parlor: The Invention of an Industry"
(Brief overview of the early days of the recording industry)
"The Age of Invention: Nineteenth Century Technology and Music"
(An interesting look at the ripe atmosphere for inventions during the 19th century)
Esquismogenesismo?:
A industrialização global de Música Popular Brasileira
(Paper given at 1st meeting of ABET in Recife, Brazil, 11/2002)
(Here is the English
Version
Who Are The Pirates?
(Presented at the 36th meeting of SEMSCC, 2/2002)
(Here is the Portuguese Version
Politics
of Piracy
(Paper given at 47th
meeting of SEM in Colorado 10/2002)
Other Meanderings:
What
is a CD?
Some
Thoughts on Piracy
Why
I don't buy NEW CDs c.2000
(And why you might want to
reconsider)
Thank You for Looking! |
