A close look at a long-running international music program.

This book presents key findings from a four-year project that sought to understand Ethno, an organized residential folk, world, and traditional music program for young people ranging in age from eighteen to thirty. First held in Sweden in 1990, Ethno now hosts gatherings in more than forty countries. The authors examine the complexity of an Ethno music experience with three focuses: pedagogy and professional development, participant experience, and impact beyond the gathering.

Drawing on data from participant observations, interviews, social media analysis, onsite and video observations, surveys, and questionnaires, the authors ask critical questions concerning Ethno’s history, ethos, pedagogy, and philosophical ideals. Considering its history and current practices, the following themes are explored: non-formal music making, personal authenticity, holistic praxis, musical possible selves, intercultural music exchange, sustainability, social media engagement, song sharing, and future practices. As a collection of integrated thought, the book’s purpose is to illuminate new understandings of what Ethno does and in so doing present synergies and divergencies with the wider field of music education.