Hewitt Pantaleoni
Encyclopedia
Hewitt Pantaleoni was a twentieth-century ethnomusicologist, best known for his work on African music. Trained in musicology at Harvard University
(AB and MAT in Music, 1953; MA in Music, 1956), he completed his doctoral research on West African drumming in Ghana
and received his Ph.D. from Wesleyan University
(1972). His fieldwork was primarily collaborative, leading to such joint projects as Songs and Stories from Uganda, a book he created with the Uganda
dance ethnographer Moses Serwadda.
Pantaleoni taught Western and non-Western music for over twenty years at State University of New York at Oneonta
, where the Hewitt Pantaleoni Memorial Concert Series continues to this day. The Mid-Atlantic Chapter for the Society of Ethnomusicology (MACSEM), of which Pantaleoni was one of the first members, awards the Hewitt Pantaleoni Prize each year to the student who delivers the best paper at the chapter’s annual meeting.
Pantaleoni's stepmother Helenka Adamowska Pantaleoni
helped found the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and served as its president for 25 years. Pantaleoni's niece is American actress Tea Leoni
.
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
(AB and MAT in Music, 1953; MA in Music, 1956), he completed his doctoral research on West African drumming in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and received his Ph.D. from Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
(1972). His fieldwork was primarily collaborative, leading to such joint projects as Songs and Stories from Uganda, a book he created with the Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
dance ethnographer Moses Serwadda.
Pantaleoni taught Western and non-Western music for over twenty years at State University of New York at Oneonta
State University of New York at Oneonta
The State University of New York College at Oneonta is a four-year liberal arts college in Oneonta, New York, United States, with approximately 5,800 students. The College offers many bachelor's degrees and a number of graduate degrees...
, where the Hewitt Pantaleoni Memorial Concert Series continues to this day. The Mid-Atlantic Chapter for the Society of Ethnomusicology (MACSEM), of which Pantaleoni was one of the first members, awards the Hewitt Pantaleoni Prize each year to the student who delivers the best paper at the chapter’s annual meeting.
Pantaleoni's stepmother Helenka Adamowska Pantaleoni
Helenka Pantaleoni
Helen Tradusa "Helenka" Adamowska-Pantaleoni was an American silent film actress and humanitarian who was the founding director of the U.S. Committee for UNICEF, a role that she held for 25 years...
helped found the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and served as its president for 25 years. Pantaleoni's niece is American actress Tea Leoni
Téa Leoni
Elizabeth Téa Pantaleoni , better known by her stage name Téa Leoni, is an American actress. She has starred in a wide range of films including Jurassic Park III, The Family Man, Deep Impact, Fun with Dick and Jane, Spanglish, Bad Boys, and Ghost Town.-Early life:Leoni was born in New York City...
.
Selected publications
- Ladzekpo, S. Kobla, and Pantaleoni, Hewitt. “Takada Drumming.” African Music Journal 4.4 (1970): 6-31.
- Pantaleoni, H., and Serwadda, M. “Drum notation tablature.” African Music Journal 4.2 (1968): 47.
- Pantaleoni, Hewitt. “Music in Africa: A Respectful Knock.” Musical America, 12 Dec. 1968.
- Pantaleoni, Hewitt. On the Nature of Music. (Welkin Books, 1985)
- Pantaleoni, Hewitt. “One of Densmore’s Dakota rhythms reconsidered.” Ethnomusicology 31.1 (1987): 35-55.
- Pantaleoni, Hewitt, and Pantaleoni, Timothy. “Sharing Music With Your Child.” Mothering Magazine, 22 Mar. 1990. [Edited and published posthumously by Pantaleoni’s son.]
- Pantaleoni, Hewitt. “Three principles of timing in anlo dance drumming.” African Music Journal 5.2 (1972): 50-63.
- Serwada, W. Moses, and Pantaleoni, Hewitt (ed.). Songs and Stories from Uganda. (Crowell, 1974)
External links
- Obituary - McAllester, David P.David P. McAllesterDavid Park McAllester , an ethnomusicologist, was Professor of Anthropology and Music at Wesleyan University, where he taught from 1947-1986. He made seminal contributions to the development of the field of ethnomusicology, and helped establish the ethnomusicology department and the World Music...
Hewitt Pantaleoni (1929-1988). Ethnomusicology 33.2 (1989): 287-291. - Mid-Atlantic Chapter for the Society of Ethnomusicology
See also
- EthnomusicologyEthnomusicologyEthnomusicology is defined as "the study of social and cultural aspects of music and dance in local and global contexts."Coined by the musician Jaap Kunst from the Greek words ἔθνος ethnos and μουσική mousike , it is often considered the anthropology or ethnography of music...
- Music of AfricaMusic of AfricaAfrica is a vast continent and its regions and nations have distinct musical traditions. The music of North Africa for the most part has a different history from sub-Saharan African music traditions....
- Music of GhanaMusic of GhanaGhana has many styles of traditional and modern music, due to its multiplicity of ethnic groups and its cosmopolitan geographic position in West Africa. The best known modern genre that originated in Ghana is Highlife.-Traditional music:...