About
Virginia Whitney is an Adjunct Professor at the School of Music, Cairn University, since 2014. She holds an MMus in Music Theory from Temple University and a BMus in Theory/Composition from Wheaton College.
- Educational Background
- MMus in Music Theory, Temple University
- BMus in Theory/Composition, Wheaton College Conservatory of Music (1978)
Her research focuses on ethnomusicology, particularly the analysis of oral-tradition melody systems and their application to Christian missions. She has conducted extensive fieldwork with the Akoye people in Papua New Guinea (1982-2001) and currently works with the Oroko people in Cameroon, integrating local music styles into Christian worship. Additional projects include collaborations in The Gambia, Peru, and maintaining the vidachenoweth.com archive.
Recent publications include editions of Vida Chenoweth’s works on melodic perception and Pacific Island music, as well as a 1997 conference paper on Akoye cultural individualism. Her work intersects music theory, cultural preservation, and religious practice.
- Professional Memberships
- Society for Ethnomusicology
- Global Ethnodoxology Network
Contact: vwhitney@cairn.edu
