The Department of Music is pleased to announce that Assistant Professor of Music Ruth S. Opara’s forthcoming book, Musical Moments of Motherhood: Nigeria’s Igbo Women at Home and in the Diaspora, has received the Spring 2026 publication subvention from the American Musicological Society.
The book was selected for support through the AMS 75 PAYS Fund, which assists with the publication of first books by scholars in the early stages of their careers.
Forthcoming from the University of California Press in March 2027, Musical Moments of Motherhood examines music, motherhood, gender, cultural knowledge, and social life among communities in southeastern Nigeria and North America. Drawing on ethnographic research and historical context, Opara explores women’s musical and expressive practices, including songs, dance, instruments, costume, dramatization, and rituals.
The American Musicological Society awards publication subventions to support the production and dissemination of music scholarship. Opara’s selection through the AMS 75 PAYS Fund recognizes the scholarly contribution of her first book and supports its publication by the University of California Press.
Congratulations to Professor Opara on this recognition of her forthcoming book.
