I'm currently a senior in High School in the US, and for the past 3 years my dream career has been to eventually get a Ph.D in Ethnomusicology and then go into academia and conduct research, write papers and books, teach, and the like. To shoot towards this, next year I will be attending university to double major in Music History and East Asian studies. (Now, since it seems like some people that I've talked to find this a potentially risky career track, I'll just get it out of the way and say this is my dream; I am prepared for failure and have other options to fall back on if this falls through for whatever reason.)

That being said, I am very interested in pursuing my Master's abroad for a number of reasons. The primary academic reasons would perhaps be that I feel it may be advantageous to study such a field abroad, as one would presume that it would be beneficial to study the traditional music of a culture and region within that culture and region if possible. Additionally, graduate school in Japan seems more intimately involved with research, more so than in MA/MM programs in the US, at least from my cursory knowledge. It could also potentially open doors which diverge slightly off of the academia track, related particularly to East Asian traditional musics, but this is just a baseless assumption.

Furthermore, there are personal reasons. I have a strong love of many facets of other cultures, including language, art, literature, and, naturally, music. Thus, it is a dream of mine to spend some years abroad to experience certain cultures before finally getting my ultimate degree and settling down somewhere in the world. I feel as if, if I could spend several of these years getting my Master's in Musicology in Japan, I would be not only able to reap all of the academic aforementioned benefits (which I may be wrong about) but also be presented with an excellent opportunity to experience another culture as I so desire, crystallizing my language skills, etc. Furthermore, if, for whatever reason, I lose the inclination to pursue a Ph.D mid-Master's track, I feel as if I would have preferred taking the opportunity to study in a foreign setting, as opposed to a domestic one.

I suppose that my question is, does anything that I have said sound ridiculous? Am I uninformed about anything, e.g. the viability of entering academia with such a foreign degree, the true benefits (or lack thereof) of studying such a field abroad, or anything else? If so, don't hesitate to say so.

Now, again, I am still only a high school student. My aspirations are still probably volatile, and I have no idea what exactly I'll be thinking or wanting in 3, 4 years time. I understand that. Even though that's the case, I suppose that there is no harm in getting input, especially considering that this has been something that has been on my mind for a while, and would probably require some planning starting now.

Thanks for reading.

The only thing I have questions about is whether or not you can turn a Japanese MA into a US doctorate. You might have to do your doctorate in Japan and that could really impact your US job search. That's something you should really look into.

Find out whether foreign applicants have been accepted into reputable ethnomusicology programs in Japan, and then find out what foreign graduates from those programs are doing now.

Anyway, your thought-out and well-composed post indicates that you're already far ahead of other high school students. I'm sure you'll find success in most, if not all, of your endeavors (even if they don't count as successes to you). You already can think critically and foresee contingencies. Besides those abilities, you only need to have confidence in yourself and not let anyone hold you back. It's painful to watch a competent person miss opportunities due to excessive doubts or guilt from unreasonable obligations. I'd hate for you to succumb to the same fate. Anyhow, good luck and please report back in the future.

I wonder if Peter Barakan might not be able to provide some insight. He's on Facebook.

You're ahead of the game if you're already worrying about your MA at this point, but as yudantaiteki mentioned, a Japanese degree isn't really much of an asset in the US, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. You could probably do a Japanese MA for the experience and than just do a regular PhD in the US (i.e. not getting credit for the year).

I really don't know anything about musicology, but my general recommendation would be to do a PhD in the US at the best possible place, and then focus on a Japan-related research topic, and spend 2-3 years in Japan while doing your PhD. It seems to keep the most options open, including getting a job in Japan post-PhD.

To get an academic job in ethnomusicology in the US, it's important to have a Ph.D from the best US institution to which you can get accepted, and have an active research profile (conference papers, articles, etc.). (I'm a full professor of music theory and chair of a college music department, with a Ph.D in theory, and have served on several music faculty search committees).

I would suggest that you get your degrees from US institutions, but enroll in universities that support you spending considerable time doing field research as part of your program. At my college, for example (which is an undergrad school only), it would be possible to have two separate periods of study in Japan -- a 4-week May term (which I lead most years) and a one-semester or a full-year stay at a partner Japanese university (including places like Waseda, Meiji Gakuin, and many others).

An extended period of research during a Master's degree program would not be unheard of, and -- as recommended by Irixmark above -- you could/should definitely spend most or all of your dissertator period in Japan, which could potentially be 2-3 years (or even more).

If you'd like some more personal advice, feel free to e-mail me. I'd be happy to have you come to my college, as well!

Also have a look at this thread: http://forum.koohii.com/showthread.php?tid=9104

Some of the discussion is probably relevant to your choice as well... although again, perhaps it's best to think about where to do your undergrad first.

First, thank you everyone for your kind responses and advice. It's very much appreciated. Briefly looking it over, it does some like perhaps it would be a better idea to stay here for the reasons that have been stated, especially given the fact that I could spend time abroad during the dissertation period as pointed out.

Rdhodson, I'll be sure to send you an email! I'm currently finishing up my applications, and I'd love to consider your school too.

Anyway, thanks again, everyone. This forum seems to be a wealth of helpful people and good information, and I'll be sure to post again several years down the line.