Overview
Ethnomusicology student Shiratori's work investigates the resonances of Japanese and Appalachian folk cultures. Following her undergraduate degree in English in Japan she completed an MA in Appalachian studies at Appalachian State University. A classically trained violinist, she has immersed herself as a performer in the Appalachian fiddle tradition which has allowed her to develop close relationships with her research collaborators. Her work makes an especially meaningful contribution by speaking to the prominence of Asian diasporic communities (and their traditions) in the eastern United States, a demographic that has in large part been neglected by Appalachian studies, rural studies, and folklore studies. She is excited to continue her work in a PhD program, especially regionally in North Carolina, where she has developed her field research thus far.