Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Patricia Tang. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.
Patricia Tang is an ethnomusicologist specializing in Senegalese music. She received her Ph.D. in Music from Harvard University in 2001. Currently, she serves as an Associate Professor in the Music program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she also acts as the Associate Head of the program. Her research interests include Wolof music culture, African popular musics, as well as life history, fieldwork, and ethnography. She authored the book 'Masters Sabar: Wolof Griot Percussionists of Senegal' published by Temple University Press in 2007. Tang has published work in various edited volumes, encyclopedias, and journals such as Ethnomusicology, Journal of Popular Music Studies, and African Music. Currently, her research focuses on the globalization of Afropop music and the experiences of African immigrant musicians in the diaspora. In addition to her academic pursuits, she performs with the Rambax MIT Senegalese Drum Ensemble and has played with various groups including Nder et le Setsima Group and Positive Black Soul. At MIT, she regularly teaches courses including Introduction to Musics of the World, Musics of Africa, and Popular Musics of the World. She also co-organizes study abroad programs in Senegal in conjunction with Boston University, and serves as a faculty advisor for Rambax. Furthermore, Patty is a certified Essentrics instructor and enjoys cooking, traveling, and volunteering.