Dear Admissions Committee,
I am writing to express my desire to pursue a Master of Arts in Ethnomusicology at Liberty University. As a graduate of Wartburg College with a Bachelor's of Music Education and a Bachelor’s of Music, I have had many opportunities to develop a deep passion for exploring music within cultural, theoretical, and historical contexts. My family is very sports-oriented, and never saw the value of music and its function in society. My undergraduate studies opened a new door for me and I was enthralled by the opportunities that presented themselves.
Throughout my undergraduate studies, I was exposed to a diverse range of musical traditions and styles, and began showing interest in the study of ethnomusicology. I had the incredible honor to study under the late Dr. Maria Paula Survilla and after my first class with her knew that I wanted to continue studying ethnomusicology in the future. Her knowledge, passion, and respect for music across the world was so inspiring and encouraged me to always look deeper.
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A large percentage of our population is first and second generation immigrants and our community is very culturally diverse. As I started making connections with my students, I found myself turning back to ethnomusicology and how I could incorporate music outside of the Western tradition into my classroom. Taking the time to learn about the music my students experience at home reinvigorated my love of ethnomusicology. I am a big advocate for doing proper research, especially after stepping into the world of general music. There are so many songs that appropriate from other cultures, or have questionable origins, that are still circulating within general music classrooms. One of my goals in studying ethnomusicology is to continue educating myself on songs that are problematic and encourage others to remove them from their