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An Ethnography Through Sound. Jon Mackey. Ethnomusicology.
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An Ethnography Through Sound Jon Mackey
Ethnomusicology • The area of ethnomusicology is just as important as any facet of Anthropology. Alan Lomax, thought it was of the utmost importance to record and document the folk music of various cultures around the world. His documentation has made it possible to peer into the sounds of the past and preserve the musical cultures that are slowly dying and fading away with time… • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAAuQksDrVU
A Sound Ethnography? • The purpose of this study is to explore a true subjective ethnography. • Although I will be choosing what any listener will hear it is up to the listener to decide what they find important and captivating rather than having someone spell it out for them • The main goal behind this project is to try to create a pure and unbiased piece of research. • The listener will draw their own conclusions from the recordings
Location of the Study • Although this sort of study can be done wherever culture and music intertwine I have chosen to do my project specifically on Indian Classical music • I plan to eventually travel to India in order to accomplish this project and work under the direct supervision of the Ethnomusicology Archives in New Delhi
Methods • This recording/study will be gathered through the use of numerous sound technologies • Microphones and portable recorders will be utilized in order to maintain a mobile recording status and pick up the sounds of my surroundings as well as my participants to the highest quality
Methods continued… • For each recording I will go to wherever the subject/participant feels most comfortable being recorded • The idea is to make them feel as comfortable as possible when recording their talent and passion. So therefore there will be numerous locations during the course of the study
Previous Examples • Though I am choosing to do my research on a certain type of music, sound ethnographies don’t have to be about specifically music • Each culture and the location associated with that location has a specific sound and vibe • http://soundcloud.com/lippmana/walk-down-ruta-del-comprador-1
Why is this important? • The important thing when experiencing any culture is the engagement of the senses • This study uses hearing in order to make the listener feel immersed in another place, it takes them away from their normal surroundings and forces them to think critically about what they are hearing • This is something a reading cannot do