What are the new directions in ethnomusicological fieldwork? Will fieldwork continue as an integral part of ethnomusicological theory and method? This is the first book by ethnomusicologists to consider fieldwork as an issue-laden practice, rather than as a methodology requiring a prescriptive manual. The volume's contributors challenge the very notion of fieldwork: its goals, the nature of knowledge gained, and the place of fieldwork in historical studies. Designed to encourage dialogue between ethnomusicology, anthropology, and other fields that involve fieldwork, it highlights the unique ways in which ethnographic fieldwork can contribute to transcultural understanding.