Chapter 1
Before the Trip Begins: Fundamental Issues
Questions to Consider

When ethnomusicologist say that “Music is universal, but it is it not a universal language” they are telling us that music may be created and heard around the world, but it is not something that everyone can describe in one way. They are saying that every place has its own interpretation of what music is and no one interpretation will suit another, plus, music could never really be used to convey a direct message that text and actual conversations would; music is not a language because it does not requires specific symbols that must be structured by law in order to convey a message.
Classifying music as “classical,” “folk,” or “popular” is saying that everyone can agree on one definition of what they understand these genres to be. “Classical,” “folk,” or “popular” may mean one thing to you and I here in the United States, but somewhere in Thailand or Hawaii what they know these genres to be would differ from what we are used to. Each individual listener’s interpretation is entirely the result of cultural conditioning, therefore, we cannot generalise and expect these genres to be similar or the same to everyone else.
An ethnomusicologist studies the culture behind the music while a musicologist simply studies music. Thus, an ethnomusicologist might approach the study of Western classical music differently from a musicologist because an ethnomusicologist follows precise steps to ensure their findings. They first prepare to research, this includes gathering ideas of what they will research and where would be the best place to do so. Next, they conduct fieldwork by visiting or experiencing the culture of a specific place they are interested in researching. Then, they analyze their findings by gathering what they've recorded, what they've experienced, and what they've learned resulting in