Music

School of Music

elaine_dobsonElaine Dobson

Position

Senior Lecturer

Qualifications

  • 1976.  M.Mus. [Composition]. University of Queensland. Compositions – Six Days, 1X1  and Chamber Music, Thesis ­– The Music of Gyorgy Ligeti from 1958 to 1968:Form, Notation and the Concept of Illusion.
  • 1972. B.Mus. Hons. [Composition]. University of Queensland
  • 1966. Four-year High School Specialist Music Teachers' Certificate, Newcastle Conservatorium of Music/Newcastle Teachers' College.
  • 1965. A. Mus. A, piano performance.

Room

209, Music building

Contact Details

Phone: +64 3 364-2987 ext 7635, or +64 3 366-7001
Internal Phone: 7635
elaine.dobson@canterbury.ac.nz

Postal address:
School of Music
University of Canterbury,
Private Bag 4800,
Christchurch 8140,
New Zealand

Background

Elaine Dobson was appointed to the School of Music in 1984. As well as teaching composition, she is responsible for the introduction and development of the ethnomusicology courses and the establishment of the University’s Balinese gamelan Banyu Gunung Salju.

Her research into Tibetan and Bhutanese music, particularly that of the dranyen or Himalayan lute, has led to field work in Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal in 1991, 1998 and 2004, including visits to the remote areas of the eastern borders of Bhutan and the Humla region of north-west Nepal.  In 2005, she undertook a preliminary, field study of the music of the Lepchas, the indigenous people of Sikkim (north India).

Her compositions explore the relationship between music and the visual arts, experimental instrumentation and music theatre and include Banten, for Balinese trompong and Tibetan ting-sha (1999), and Ancient Moon, for Balinese gamelan and Japanese kotos (2001). 

Teaching Positions

  • 2001 – 2006 Senior Lecturer in Ethnomusicology and Composition, School of Music, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
  • 1984 – 2000 Lecturer in Composition, School of Music, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
  • 1982 – 1984 Chairperson of Academic Studies, Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Brisbane, Australia.
  • 1979 – 1984 Lecturer in Composition, Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Brisbane, Australia.
  • 1974 – 1978 Full-time Tutor, Music Department, University of Queensland, Brisbane Australia.
  • 1973 Part-time Tutor, Music Department, University of Queensland, Brisbane Australia.
  • 1967 Graduate Music Specialist Teacher, Moree High School, N.S.W. Australia.

Awards

  • 1995. University of Canterbury Research Grant.
  •  1973 and 1975. Percy Brier Memorial Prize for Composition, University of Queensland.
  • 1972-73. Australian Commonwealth Postgraduate Award.
  • 1972. Bunbury Arts Festival Composers’ Prize, Western Australia.
  • 1968-1971. Australian Commonwealth Open University Scholarship.
  • 1970. Commonwealth Assistance to Australian Composers Inaugural Young Composers' Fellowship.
  • 1963-1966. N.S.W. State Government Scholarship.
  • 1966 G.W. Hutchinson Prize for Dramatic Work, Newcastle Teachers' College.
  • 1965. Newcastle Teachers’ College Music Prize.

Current Research Interests

Ethnomusicology, Asian Music, especially Bhutan, Sikkim and Tibet, traditional music and change, festival music and musical instruments.

Postgraduate Research Supervision

Ph.D.

  • Aspects of the Korean traditional vocal form ‘Kagok’: Cho Soon-ja and the call for a new integrative notation.
  • Sri Lankan Traditional Drumming: The Hidden Aspects of Teaching and Learning, Instruments and Musicians.
  • Music and the Performance of the Guzheng and its Musical Changes in Malaysia

M.A.

  • Music of the Thaipusum Festival, Malaysia

Recent Publications

  • Dobson, Elaine. (2005) “Music for the Black-necked Cranes of Bhutan”, in Palmer, Edwina (ed.) Asian Futures, Asian Traditions. Folkestone, Kent: Global Oriental: 419-430.
  • Dobson, Elaine. (2004) Dancing on the demon’s back: the dramnyen dance and song of Bhutan http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/file_download.php/93012f1857c2e04571e63ffeeaf409d2dobson.pdf
  • Dobson, Elaine (2002) “Diehl, Keila. Echoes from Dharamsala: Music in the Life of a Tibetan Refugee Community”. Asian Musicology 2: 181-184.
  • Dobson, Elaine (2000) “Exploring the haunting tunes of the Himalayas”. UC Alumni 8,2 (Dec.): 8-9.
  • Dobson, Elaine (2000) “ Himalayan views: a Bhutanese musician speaks”. Sound Ideas: Asians and Western European music 4,1 (Aug.): 34-39.
  • Dobson, Elaine. (2000) “Dranyen's forms and significance investigated”. UC Research (Dec. 1999/Jan.) 2.

Conference papers

  • Dobson, Elaine (2004) Breaking Tradition, Creating Tradition: Contemporary Compositions for dranyen. Symposium of the International Musicological Society, Victorian College of the Arts and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. 11-16 July.
  • Dobson, Elaine (2003) Dranyens of the Himalayas: A Regional and Comparative Study.  Musicological Society of Australia and New Zealand Musicological Society Conference: Music and Locality, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. 27-30 November.
  • Dobson, Elaine. (2003) Dancing on the Demon's Back: the dramnyen Dance and Song of Bhutan. John Blacking Symposium: Music-Culture-Society, Callaway Centre, School of Music, University of Western Australia, Australia. 12-14 July.
  • Dobson, Elaine. (2001) Songs for the Black-necked Cranes of Bhutan.  NZASIA 14th International Conference Paper. Christchurch, New Zealand. 28 November – 1 December.
  • Dobson, Elaine. (2001) McLaren the Musician. Society for Animation Studies 13th International Conference Paper, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, 22-25 October.
  • Dobson, Elaine. (2001) Dance and Song in Bhutan. 18th New Zealand Musicological Society Conference, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. 13-15 July.
  • Dobson, Elaine. (2001) The Lute of Happiness: the Bhutanese Dramnyen and its Religious Context. 24th Musicological Society of Australia Conference, University of Melbourne, Australia1. 8 - 22 April.

Link to Gamelan page