Mary K. Oyer African Music Archive (Goshen College Music Center)

The Mary K. Oyer African Music Archive is a collection of 150 tape recordings that were collected by a Goshen College Professor of Music called Dr. Mary K. Oyer. She did the collection when she visited in 22 African countries between 1970 and 1980. The field recordings have been digitized and catalogued to be more accessible for public use. The collection is also part of the Indiana University Archive of Traditional Music.

The collection focuses on specific research topics or areas of African music namely traditional (indigenous) music practiced in between 1969-1987, church music that shows the influence of changes that took place in the 1960s. It also looks at the African Independent (later African-initiated) Churches (AIC) and lastly, traditional music instruments, this involves collecting instruments, especially chordophones.

The archive is open to the public via the main office from Monday to Friday between 08h30am and 12h00pm. It opens again at 13h00 until 17h30pm and is closed on Saturday and Sunday.