International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance
A Non-Governmental Organization in Formal Consultative Relations with UNESCO
Third Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Multipart Music
Audience:
Budapest, Hungary, September 12-16 2013
Local Organiser
Institute for Musicology. Research Centre for the Humanities. The Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Budapest, Hungary.
Head of the Local Organisers’ Committee: Lujza Tari.
Programme Committee Ardian AHMEDAJA, Chair (Austria) Ignazio MACCHIARELLA (Italy) Zhanna PÄRTLAS (Estonia) Lujza TARI (Hungary)
Websites of the conference
Themes
1. Scholarly terminology and local musical practice
One of the barriers ethnomusicologists have to constantly overcome in their work is the balancing act between dealing with local practices and trying to generalize the focused questions by using scholarly terminology. In addition to the complex relationship between local and global terminologies, connotations of terms in use change continuously. Furthermore, different sciences influence each other’s views and consequently their terminologies. Questions to be focused on in the discussions are: How do terms come into use in scholarly research? Is there a model or does every term have its ‘own history’? How do their connotations change? How do other sciences influence this process? And what about questions on ‘lingua franca’? What is the place of local terminology within this framework? How does terminology influence local musicians’ and scholars’ perception of music and music making?
2. The role of educated musicians and missionaries in local music practices.
Schoolmasters, cantors, choir conductors and other educated musicians have influenced local practice in many parts of the world. With regard to multipart music they have even influenced the establishment of new traditions. An important place is occupied by religious missionaries in this context. As a result, in many cases local music has lost its reputation or has been neglected in favour of newly-introduced music. Through case studies and theoretical approaches, the kind of influences these activities have oneveryday musical practice will be examined, focusing at the same time on the contexts of the objectives and results of the work of various protagonists in this process.
3. Individualists in company
Multipart music as a specific mode of music making and expressive behaviour is based on intentionally distinct and coordinated participation in the performing act by sharing knowledge and shaping values. In this process, the company members try to promote personal goals connected with creation and experimentation during music making and the discussions about it with community members. A specific issue within this framework is multipart music performed by one singer or by one musician on a single instrument. The main question to be discussed within this framework is connected with the kind of position the individual and the company have in various multipart music traditions.