Archiving for the Future: Heritage Seeds and Heritage Cultu

Archiving for the Future: Heritage Seeds and Heritage Cultu - PPT

Public Lecture by Anthony Seeger. Sir Zelman Cowan School of Music. Monash University. 1. 2. This evening event . Focuses on a song that I hope you will sing the chorus to. Describes the context of ecomusicology and cultural diversity. ID: 560619

By tatiana-dople
Watch All docs

Likes : 9
Views : 51

Download this presentation

Click below link (As may be) to get this presentation.

Archiving for the Future: Heritage Seeds and Heritage Cultu

Download Note - The PPT/PDF document "Archiving for the Future: Heritage Seeds..." is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.

Presentations text content in Archiving for the Future: Heritage Seeds and Heritage Cultu

Archiving for the Future: Heritage Seeds and Heritage Culture for an Uncertain Future
Public Lecture by Anthony SeegerSir Zelman Cowan School of MusicMonash University
1
2
This evening event
Focuses on a song that I hope you will sing the chorus toDescribes the context of ecomusicology and cultural diversityConsiders three words/phrases in my title and one that’s not:ArchivingHeritageUncertain futureEcomusicology
3
The Song: “Lost, Lost Forever!” (chorus)
Chorus: Lost, lost forever, no more music and dance No one can do them ‘cause no one has learned them And so we have lost them for good!
4
“Lost, Lost Forever!” (V. 1) (BSE—before safeguarding era)
Homo sapiens appeared a long time agoAnd traveling the world we quickly did goWe talked and we sang and we danced as we wentBut nothing remains, there were no archives thenChorus: Lost, lost forever, no more music and dance No one can do them ‘cause no one has learned them And so we have lost them for good
5
Lost, Lost Forever (v. 2)
There once was a forest that stood on this groundFeeding insects and animals and a few people aroundThen came company and cut it all downAnd all those there earlier can scarcely be foundLost, lost forever, no more music and dance No one can do them ‘cause no one has learned them And so we have lost them for good
6
Xingu Indigenous Park 2010https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU2O9RNNTx8
Ecomusicology/(musical)ecocriticism
..”the study of music, culture, and nature in all the complexities of those terms. Ecomusicology considers music and sonic issues, both textual and performative, related to ecology and the natural environment. (Aaron S. Allen, Ecocriticism Study Group of the American Musicological Society: http://www.ams-esg.org Ecomusicology has various roots and approaches
8
Ecomusicology and Soundscapes
R. Murray Schafer founded the field with “The World Soundscape Project” since 1982 known as the World Forum for Acoustic EcologyAcoustic ecologySoundscape artistsBoth have activist aspects as well as scholarly and creative ones: sound pollution, hearing loss, and the acoustics of urban life
9
0
Biomusic or Zoomusic
The study of non-human sound worldsBirdsWhalesFrogs This is a rapidly expanding area of research, partly due to advances in technology of recording, studies of the brain, and recognition of the significance of sound beyond the human audible spectrum
10
1
Ecomusicology and humans
The use by humans of ecological sounds in their musicSteven Feld’s study of the Kaluli – certain birds and waterfalls provide The Suyá Indians think that all sounds come from the natural world—but that the “natural world” in its essence is very like the human world—all animals and some things believe themselves to be humans, have speech and music, and see others as foreign species:What you hear in the forest is not the songs of the animals“Perspectivism” and multi-naturalismMusic and sonically identified places
11
2
Music and its ecosystems
How music is shaped by and also influences other aspects of its “environment”This takes an ecological systems approach and looks at music within its larger contextIF the definition of music is taken to be “the sounds considered to be music” then those sounds should be seen as part of a larger system constantly in flux that might include social, economic, technological, legal, ecological, and other factors.Ethnomusicology is the study of music in its various social and cultural contexts—or “ecosystem” The next verse is an example of one of those ecological factors
12
3
Lost, Lost Forever – verse 3
We all wonder about whose music is thisWe fret and we fuss and we make ourselves sickIs this music public domain, or will I be sued?Maybe it’s safer if I no longer useLost, lost forever, no more music and danceWhen copyright confused them they ceased to perform themAnd so we have lost them for good
13
4
Music and Diversity
There is some evidence that genetic diversity is good; is there any evidence that musical diversity is good?Genetic and species diversity are important parts of Darwin’s writings on evolutionAlan Lomax wrote passionately about the world’s “cultural gray-outSmaller traditions were disappearing in the face of commercially supported popular onesMany nations around the world began to fear the loss of “treasured” oral traditions.
14
5
Disappearing or Disappeared?
15
Many traditions don’t simply disappear, they are “disappeared” as a result of actions in other domains (the “ecosystem”) of which they
a
re part.
6
Sources of “endangerment” mentionedin 59 Nomination Summaries for 2005 nominations as Masterpieces of Intangible Cultural Heritage
Rapid social change & urbanization 15Loss of knowledge bearers/aged performers 11Damage by tourism 8Competition with commercial media 8Church & missionary influence (Christianity & Islam) 8Political projects to modify musical form 7Lack of financial support 6Discrimination against group by ethnicity, race, or class, but not specifically religion: 5Hegemony of national school system 2Lack of raw materials 2Not indicated 3; other 3
16
7
UNESCO’s response
17
UNESCO’s efforts to help countries reduce the loss of local traditions has taken several forms over years and has decidedly mixed results.
Reversing musical changes, or “safeguarding” is extremely difficult to do--but not impossible.
In this way it is different from global warming—musical traditions can survive in vastly different ecosystems.
But is diversity “good”? I don’t see the evidence for music, which has always changed in the past, though others do.
155 states—not including the USA or Australia--have signed the Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage and begun to implement its provisions.
8
“Lost, Lost Forever!” (V. 4)
Faced with big changes in their music and danceSome nations asked UNESCO to give them a chanceFirst Masterpieces, a convention, and then diversity tooGave ethnomusicologists frustration and rueChorus: Lost, lost forever, no more music and dance UNESCO proclaimed them, then our government claimed them And now we have lost them for good
18
9
Lost, Lost, Forever Verse 5.
UNESCO proclaimed traditions to beWorthy of safeguarding for the future, you see.Then governments claimed them as national goodsAnd local artists were forgotten or not understood.Chorus: Lost, lost forever, no forest or music or dance No one can do them because no one has learned them And so we have lost them for good!
19
0
UNESCO programs
Proclamation of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity2003 Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural HeritageSigners of the convention are required to begin huge projects of documentation and “safeguarding” of something called “intangible cultural heritage” of which music and dance are a part.This is extremely difficult and can be confusing for all parties. (Anthony Seeger, “Lessons Learned from the ICTM (NGO) Evaluation of Nominations for the UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, 2001-2005.” In Laurajane Smith and Natusko Akagawa, Intangible Heritage. London: Routledge. Pp. 112-128Convention on Cultural Diversity
20
1
Definition “Safeguarding”(http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00006)
21
3. “Safeguarding” means measures aimed at ensuring the viability of the intangible cultural heritage, including the identification, documentation, research, preservation, protection, promotion, enhancement, transmission, particularly through formal and non-formal education, as well as the revitalization of the various aspects of such heritage.
This does not mean “freezing” traditions
Nor does it mean stifling innovation
2
Archives as part of musical ecosystems
Music has never developed unidirectionally--it keeps changing but often loops back on itself with revivals.Earlier recordings and related documents can become the basis for revivals, or for new creations.Oral traditions are fragile—if one generation fails to pass it on, it’s “lost, lost forever.”But archives can provide some of what has been lost for those who seek it. -- the similarity with heritage seed banks.But it is important for researchers and archivists not to become part of the problem:
22
3
“Lost, Lost Forever!” – DON’T be part of the problem! Verse 6
There once was a scholar who recorded some tapesBut when she was done she needed some spaceAnd so she did box them and carefully wentAnd stored them way down in her wet basement Chorus: Lost, lost forever, no more music and dance No one can do them ‘cause the collector abused them And so we have lost them for good
23
4
The end?
I’ve come to the end of my talk for tonightDiscussing ecomusicology, heritage and the likeIt’s time for some questions and criticisms tooThen we can adjourn and eat drink tooNot Lost, not lost forever! We can have music and danceAs some perform them, others will learn themAnd the world will gain diversity too
24
5
Thank you!aseeger@arts.ucla.edu
25