Mark F. DeWitt

Mark F. DeWitt is an independent scholar residing in Oakland, California. He did his undergraduate work at MIT in urban studies and planning and took private voice lessons on the side. He studied music theory at New England Conservatory of Music, then completed doctoral work in ethnomusicology at University of California, Berkeley. He taught ethnomusicology and world music at Ohio State University for two years.

His article in the journal _Popular Music and Society_ won the Society for Ethnomusicology's 2004 Klaus P. Wachsmann Prize for "innovative methods in the study of musical instruments." His work also appears in the book, _Accordions, Fiddles, Two Step & Swing: A Cajun Music Reader_, edited by Ryan Brasseaux and Kevin Fontenot.

DeWitt studied the double bass and piano as a youth and plays now for his own enjoyment. During his dissertation research, he studied Cajun accordion with Danny Poullard. He is learning how to sing jazz at the Jazzschool in Berkeley.

Photo credit: Jim Block - jimblock.com