Project Ethnomusicology
About Me!
My name is Maya Zahir and I am from Barrington, Illinois. My musical journey started at the age of six. I learned how to play the classical flute through the suzuki method; at the time I had no idea what opportunities would emerge because of it.
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I started off by playing the flute at recitals, competitions, and young musician festivals. However, as I got older I started becoming more interested in playing the flute for volunteering purposes. My sister and I played our instruments for a hospital with a caroling group in 2018, and the effect we had on the patients absolutely amazed us. That motivated us to start our non-profit Hope & Harmony (website).
However, my interest didn’t stop there. I was introduced to the study of ethnomusicology after entering high school and learning about music from different countries. At first, I thought that the study was comparing the musics on a technical level, but it’s so much more than that. Learning about music from people around the world allows us to understand those individuals in ways never seen before. We are able to understand their passion, creativity, and values simply by opening our ears and listening.
My goal of Project Ethnomusicology is to enlighten people about the many art forms from around the world, and allow them to understand individuals and cultures in a different way. My eventual goal is to create a sense of unity and connect everyone through music.
Music Education
2012-Present
Barrington Music Academy and Suzuki School, Flute Player
Took part in various recitals and competitions, such as the Chicago Flute Club Competition and Solo Ensemble Competitions, performed numerous times at art fairs, Christmas carols etc
Summer course 2023
University of California, Berkeley, "Music in American Culture"
Explored the ties between ethnic groups and the music they brought to America and how they shaped American history. Learned about music such as American Ballads, Corridos, and the Blues. I learned how to observe Ethnomusicology in a broader sense.
Summer Course 2022
Brown University, "Women's Music For Social Change"
Learned about how women all across the globe use music to fight racial and gender discrimination.
For my final project, I chose to research bomba music of Puerto Rico. Bomba music was used by Puerto Rican people to fight against colonization and injustices, and it is still used till this day to show the rich and powerful history of Puerto Rico.
Summer course 2021
Duke University, "Music As Biology"
Explored the tone combinations that humans consider consonant or dissonant, the scales we use, and the emotions music bring rise to, all of which provided data for exploring music and auditory aesthetics in a biological framework. Learned about how data collected can be used analyze how music can work against biological illnesses such as Alzheimer’s Disease, depression, and high stress levels.