Fieldwork-based
Locate an informant who has some type of affiliation with the Middle East. Your informant does not have to be a music maker. He/she could be a classmate of yours who is either originally from a Middle Eastern country or someone whose parents are originally from that region and has knowledge of the music scene (or part of it). He/she could be a professor, a neighbor, or a friend who lives abroad (in this case you will conduct your interview through skype). Important: find a credible source – an informant who has things to share! Interviews w/ weak informants and poor content won’t get substantial credit.

Your goal through the interview is to learn about aspects of a particular Middle Eastern musical culture. This is a short essay – narrow down your goal into learning about one or two aspects. Here are some ideas regarding what you may want to learn about: a particular music genre, your informant’s Middle Eastern musical preferences, people’s beliefs and values about music, musical experiences, uses of music, music in relation to gender, class and social hierarchies, music education. These are only suggestions for you.