Page 7 - 2019-2020 Endowment Report | University of Rochester

One of Egan’s professors, Jennifer Kyker, had encouraged
her to pursue a master’s degree in ethnomusicology and to
study African music. That resonated with Egan, who had a
proficiency for mbira (an African percussion instrument) and
other instruments beyond the guitar. Besides that, she loved
African music.

Egan has since immersed herself in the guitar music of the
Tuareg—a seminomadic people of the Sahara in Africa. The
guitar plays a key role in their culture. “Tuareg music was Rosemary Utz, Erica Jones, Doug
Jones, and Carla Jones
immediately striking to me,” she says. “It had been described to
me as painful and revolutionary, and I wanted to know why.” “The University of

Rochester taught us to
To better understand that "why," Egan has been working
closely with musicians from Niger who play the music and value diverse viewpoints
communicate its nuances, meanings, and depths to her. in all disciplines.
Understanding another
“Through these connections, I have developed a deep
appreciation for and a responsibility to the Tuareg, one that I culture’s music can
hope will help others understand the important relationship facilitate better
between music and culture.” appreciation of its

history, traditions, social
In the future, Egan wants to facilitate new ways for scholars
and other people to connect, noting that “music has a life structure, and often non-
beyond academia.” She is keenly aware of how music and Western perspectives.
music scholarship can be used to “include or exclude, to Our gift to
appropriate or appreciate, to subjugate or uplift.” And, she
wants to lead important conversations about music, gender, ethnomusicology at
and social change. Eastman—where our

daughter studied—
Egan is especially grateful to the Tuareg people and
her Eastman faculty for advancing her knowledge and supports our society’s
understanding. She is also indebted to her scholarship need for improved
donors. “Their support provided me with freedoms and intercultural acceptance.ˮ
privileges that I wouldn’t have had otherwise,” she says.

“For me, this scholarship wasn’t like DOUGLAS JONES ’85M (FLW);
getting a Christmas present or winning ROSEMARY UTZ ’79M (MD), ’85M (FLW);

the lottery—it was like winning the keys AND ERICA JONES ’07, ’10E (MA)
to my life.”

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