In hindsight, it seemed inevitable that graduating senior Jonathan Withers would go on to Harvard to pursue graduate studies in ethnomusicology. Withers’ early musical influences ranged from the traditional Irish music his uncle played (with Pittsburgh band Hooley) to the classical music of his mother’s native India. Though Withers began his career at Pitt as an engineering major, he switched to a double major in music and physics by his sophomore year and became fascinated with ethnomusicology. The Department of Music provided Withers with many opportunities to explore world music first hand and so, was an ideal place for Withers to cultivate his interest. He did that enthusiastically through participation in the African Music and Dance Ensemble and the Carpathian Ensemble. Jazz guitar lessons with John Maione and Joe Negri allowed Withers to hone his musical skills as he continued to expand his perspective on music and culture.

In 2008 Withers took time to study abroad in Turkey, and in 2009 he returned to Turkey under the auspices of a State Department Scholarship. During his study trips, he concentrated on becoming fluent in Turkish and spent plenty of time with local musicians. The Folk Music Club at Middle East Technical University became a resource in Withers’ musical growth and provided a window into the social and political dynamics at work in Turkish Society. The understanding he gained in Turkey became the basis for his senior Honors College thesis. In that thesis, he examined multiple YouTube versions of the Turkish folk song Kalenin Bedenleri to demonstrate how Turkish speakers around the world use YouTube as an arena for identity debate and formation.

Jonathan Withers successfully defended his Honors thesis this April and will head back to Turkey this summer, once again through a State Department Scholarship. After that, it’s on to Harvard where he will begin his graduate work in ethnomusicology. Withers has already demonstrated his ability to integrate musical understanding and scholarly inquiry in insightful ways, and it is fair to expect that he will continue to do so. In fact, you could say it seems inevitable.