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James Grippo

James Grippo completed his B.A. and M.A., and is currently a Ph.D. candidate, in ethnomusicology at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) where he has studied Middle Eastern music for over ten years. James, a member of the UCSB Middle East Ensemble, is an accomplished performer of Turkish, Arab and Persian musics on the oud and qanun. Presently on his fourth trip to Egypt on a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship, he is now conducting research for his doctoral dissertation on urban shaabi music culture which includes meeting with musicians, composers, and music industry professionals, analyzing and transcribing pieces, learning performance practices, and documenting archival research.