Quick Facts
Biography
Willard Rhodes (1901 – May 15, 1992) was an American ethnomusicologist.He is known for his extensive recording of American Indian music between 1939 and 1952.
Rhodes grew up in Dunkirk, Ohio and received A.B. and Bachelor of Music degrees from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. He received an M.A. from Columbia University in 1929.In France, he studied with Nadia Boulanger. From 1937 to 1969, he served as a professor at Columbia University, where he founded the graduate program in ethnomusicology, and co-founded the Society for Ethnomusicology, serving as that organization's first president.
He also conducted field recording in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and India. His field recordings have been released by Folkways Records and the Library of Congress Recording Laboratory.
A collection of Rhodes' recordings and other materials is held by the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive.
A selection of American Indian music, chosen by Rhodes, was released on the Voyager Golden Record (1977).