Anna Schultz

As for many of us, I was introduced to ethnomusicology through Bruno Nettl. There were no ethnomusicology faculty at my college, so Bruno’s The Study of Ethnomusicology: Twenty-Nine Issues and Concepts guided my first steps into the field. I devoured his insights and copied his writing style—my first ethnomusicology paper, written circa 1991, used humorous subtitles modeled after classic Bruno titles like “TheHarmless Drudge” and “Come Back and See Me Next Tuesday.” When I began the Ph.D. program in Ethnomusicology at the University of Illinois, I learned that this playful use of language was not just a quirk of Bruno’s writing. That same avuncular, light-hearted humor guided every aspect of his teaching, research, and hallway kibbitzing. Academia is a serious, vexing business, but Bruno taught me that it can also be joyful, creative, and social.

When my husband and I visited Bruno and Wanda in November of 2019, Bruno talked of writing another monograph and gushed about Wanda’s new art book. We reminisced about my first visit to their home for Marzipan-making in 1995, and we planned what we would eat on our next visit. Though Bruno’s body was frail, his humor, vitality, generosity, warmth, and love for family were as strong as ever. He inspired me as much in his final days as he had in those long-ago first encounters. I am forever grateful to count myself among the many students whose creativity Bruno nurtured and cherished.

—Anna Schultz, March 14, 2021