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| Nadaswaram |
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| Kanjira |
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| Bansuri flute |
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| Shrutri (harmonium) box |
Monday 28 January 2013
Saturday 26 January 2013
India trip (10th - 19th January)
Summary of activities in India with Alok Nayak (Director of Development, Milapfest):
Ahmedabad (11th - 14th Jan): I attended the last three days of the Saptak festival (annual event showcasing new talent and guest stars in Indian Classical Music). I was particularly interested in the different vocal traditions on show in the evening concert including: Parveen Sultana (often referred to as the Queen of Classical Vocal and Hindustani Music) and Aishwarya Majumdar.
Another interesting concert included a 'Mohan Veena' (modified guitar used in Indian Classical music) performed by its inventor - Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. Seeing these performances provided my first experience of this listening to Indian Classical music within its home cultural context.
13th Jan: 2hr recording session with Rajeeb Charkraborty (Sarod) - this gave me an opportunity to collect sound materials for a new piece for Sarod and electronics. We talked about how the piece would be put together and performed. Rajeeb's raw sound material will be organised in Pro Tools and the electronic part (electroacoustic sound) will be placed around this as a tape part (triggered at points during the piece). Single sounds, motifs, rhythmic pattens and extended phrases were recorded for this purpose.
Delhi (14th -16th Jan): Visit to Gandharva Mahavidyalaya - a school for Indian music and dance - some music classes were briefly observed and a meeting with the principal, Madhup Mudgal enabled us to discuss teaching styles, the Milapfest/Liverpool Hope collaboration and the forthcoming educational website. This school had a wonderfully stocked library which I'm eager to return to. I really would like to get my hands on: B. Chaitanya Deva, Musical Instruments of India, Their History and Development:
A visit to the Sangeet Natak Akademi to view the extensive Museum and Gallery of Musical Instruments was an amazing discovery. The museum holds around 600 Indian musical instruments, 250 which are currently on display. This was a fascinating visit to be up close to many instruments I'd read about from afar. The collection of instruments is also documented in a hard-copy catalog (with photos) and a computer based archive classifying instruments on lines of 'membranophones, idiophones, aerophones and chordophones.
Chennai (16th - 19th Jan) Alok and I met with Leela Samson (Bharatanatyam dancer who has recently been appointed by Liverpool Hope as a visiting lecturer within Dance). This was a great opportunity to discuss her intentions for her time at Hope starting in September 2013.
A recording session of three India folk percussion instruments (Pohl and two different Halgis) was an unexpected opportunity at Girish Gopalakrishnan's home studio - this opened up a discussion on how extensive the online sound archive should be - where do you draw the line in terms of the lesser known obscure instruments and those that exist more as historical artifacts, no longer in use? We have discussed the possibility of building this resource in phases so its development evolves over a longer time span to include as many as possible.
I was fortunate to visit A. R Rahman's sound studio in Chennai on my penultimate day in India. He is widely known for his film music and Oscar nominations, including the soundtrack to Slum dog Millionaire. It was great to see the amazing studio facilities, which are attached to a conservatory (KM Music Conservatory) set up by Rahman for music education/future musicians.
Overall the trip to India provided a great opportunity to discuss future plans for the Milapfest/Hope partnership and how the research project can move forward. On reflection the visit appears to be an important turning point in the AHRC project as my relationship and knowledge of Indian classical music culture has changed purely from visiting its country of origin. Its an interesting question if visiting a country (where one is borrowing from) is a necessary prerequisite for borrowing in the first place? The discussions with Alok Nayak on diaspora, the existence of a British Gharana and how he views respectful borrowing provided some the most stimulating conversations of the project so far including an 8-hour discussion while waiting for a plane to Delhi!
Ahmedabad (11th - 14th Jan): I attended the last three days of the Saptak festival (annual event showcasing new talent and guest stars in Indian Classical Music). I was particularly interested in the different vocal traditions on show in the evening concert including: Parveen Sultana (often referred to as the Queen of Classical Vocal and Hindustani Music) and Aishwarya Majumdar.
Another interesting concert included a 'Mohan Veena' (modified guitar used in Indian Classical music) performed by its inventor - Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. Seeing these performances provided my first experience of this listening to Indian Classical music within its home cultural context.
13th Jan: 2hr recording session with Rajeeb Charkraborty (Sarod) - this gave me an opportunity to collect sound materials for a new piece for Sarod and electronics. We talked about how the piece would be put together and performed. Rajeeb's raw sound material will be organised in Pro Tools and the electronic part (electroacoustic sound) will be placed around this as a tape part (triggered at points during the piece). Single sounds, motifs, rhythmic pattens and extended phrases were recorded for this purpose.
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| Rajeeb Charkraborty & sarod |
Delhi (14th -16th Jan): Visit to Gandharva Mahavidyalaya - a school for Indian music and dance - some music classes were briefly observed and a meeting with the principal, Madhup Mudgal enabled us to discuss teaching styles, the Milapfest/Liverpool Hope collaboration and the forthcoming educational website. This school had a wonderfully stocked library which I'm eager to return to. I really would like to get my hands on: B. Chaitanya Deva, Musical Instruments of India, Their History and Development:
A visit to the Sangeet Natak Akademi to view the extensive Museum and Gallery of Musical Instruments was an amazing discovery. The museum holds around 600 Indian musical instruments, 250 which are currently on display. This was a fascinating visit to be up close to many instruments I'd read about from afar. The collection of instruments is also documented in a hard-copy catalog (with photos) and a computer based archive classifying instruments on lines of 'membranophones, idiophones, aerophones and chordophones.
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| Instruments from the Sangeet Museum |
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| Catalog system of instruments at Sangeet Akademi |
Chennai (16th - 19th Jan) Alok and I met with Leela Samson (Bharatanatyam dancer who has recently been appointed by Liverpool Hope as a visiting lecturer within Dance). This was a great opportunity to discuss her intentions for her time at Hope starting in September 2013.
A recording session of three India folk percussion instruments (Pohl and two different Halgis) was an unexpected opportunity at Girish Gopalakrishnan's home studio - this opened up a discussion on how extensive the online sound archive should be - where do you draw the line in terms of the lesser known obscure instruments and those that exist more as historical artifacts, no longer in use? We have discussed the possibility of building this resource in phases so its development evolves over a longer time span to include as many as possible.
I was fortunate to visit A. R Rahman's sound studio in Chennai on my penultimate day in India. He is widely known for his film music and Oscar nominations, including the soundtrack to Slum dog Millionaire. It was great to see the amazing studio facilities, which are attached to a conservatory (KM Music Conservatory) set up by Rahman for music education/future musicians.
Overall the trip to India provided a great opportunity to discuss future plans for the Milapfest/Hope partnership and how the research project can move forward. On reflection the visit appears to be an important turning point in the AHRC project as my relationship and knowledge of Indian classical music culture has changed purely from visiting its country of origin. Its an interesting question if visiting a country (where one is borrowing from) is a necessary prerequisite for borrowing in the first place? The discussions with Alok Nayak on diaspora, the existence of a British Gharana and how he views respectful borrowing provided some the most stimulating conversations of the project so far including an 8-hour discussion while waiting for a plane to Delhi!
Tuesday 22 January 2013
Organised Sound - issue coordinator
My call for articles on the theme of 'The Sound of Cultures' for an issue of Organised Sound has been officially released.
I am hoping this opens up a wider dialogue on the issue of cultural sound use:
Organised Sound: An International Journal of Music and Technology
Call for submissions
Volume 19, Number 2
Issue thematic title: The Sound of Cultures
Date of Publication: August 2014
Issue co-ordinator: Manuella Blackburn (blackbm@hope.ac.uk)
Submission deadline: 15 September 2013
Recorded sound often provides the starting point for creative work within the practice of electroacoustic music. Means of accessing sounds and inspiration from all corners of the globe bring these aural and often so-called exotic experiences closer to us than ever before. High-quality portable recording technology, file sharing, networking and the Internet have all contributed to this ‘easy’ access, but what are the ethical considerations here? Should creators of sonic art assume unrestricted access or even proprietary rights over this substantial resource? Where does respect end and appropriation commence? And as audience members, how do we listen and respond to works that borrow, reconfigure and transform cultural/ethnic/exotic sounds?
Following the Organised Sound ‘Global Local’ issue 13/2 (2008), the open sound world of electroacoustic music, where any sound may be sampled and integrated, demands a closer look. Are certain sounds ‘off-limits’ with respect to issues of cultural or social sensitivity? Should we be cautious and respectful when we plunder from the global sound pallet? How do we as composers deal with these sounds in the studio?
Of course culture can manifest itself in other ways. An impression, hint or suggestion may imply inspiration drawn from a foreign ‘otherness’. Understanding how such influences manifest themselves within sonic works may reveal new fusions, hybrids and methods of composing. Cultures can also be described as internal developments within regions, genres, institutions and schools of thought. Greater awareness of sub-cultural contributions to the wider understanding of electroacoustic music is fundamental to the continuation and evolution of sonic practices. Modes of synthesis, programming, installation, audio-visual practices and performance are often defined and contextualized through cultural practice. The role of technology and its ability to capture, collate, preserve and exploit cultural sounds and aural traditions are all aspects at the heart of this issue.
Topics for investigation might include:
· Issues associated with sonic/musical exchange across cultural boundaries
· ‘Exoticism’ and its manifestation in electroacoustic music/sound art
· Identification and developments of musical sub-cultures
· Sonic signatures (originating from regions, institutions, genres and practice)
· Issues of sonic appropriation and borrowing
· Sound location and dislocation
· Site- and cultural-specific sound
· Symbolic/iconic sound use and its prevalence in electroacoustic music
· The preservation, cultivation or exploitation of local/global sounds
· Ethnic phonography
I am hoping this opens up a wider dialogue on the issue of cultural sound use:
Organised Sound: An International Journal of Music and Technology
Call for submissions
Volume 19, Number 2
Issue thematic title: The Sound of Cultures
Date of Publication: August 2014
Issue co-ordinator: Manuella Blackburn (blackbm@hope.ac.uk)
Submission deadline: 15 September 2013
Recorded sound often provides the starting point for creative work within the practice of electroacoustic music. Means of accessing sounds and inspiration from all corners of the globe bring these aural and often so-called exotic experiences closer to us than ever before. High-quality portable recording technology, file sharing, networking and the Internet have all contributed to this ‘easy’ access, but what are the ethical considerations here? Should creators of sonic art assume unrestricted access or even proprietary rights over this substantial resource? Where does respect end and appropriation commence? And as audience members, how do we listen and respond to works that borrow, reconfigure and transform cultural/ethnic/exotic sounds?
Following the Organised Sound ‘Global Local’ issue 13/2 (2008), the open sound world of electroacoustic music, where any sound may be sampled and integrated, demands a closer look. Are certain sounds ‘off-limits’ with respect to issues of cultural or social sensitivity? Should we be cautious and respectful when we plunder from the global sound pallet? How do we as composers deal with these sounds in the studio?
Of course culture can manifest itself in other ways. An impression, hint or suggestion may imply inspiration drawn from a foreign ‘otherness’. Understanding how such influences manifest themselves within sonic works may reveal new fusions, hybrids and methods of composing. Cultures can also be described as internal developments within regions, genres, institutions and schools of thought. Greater awareness of sub-cultural contributions to the wider understanding of electroacoustic music is fundamental to the continuation and evolution of sonic practices. Modes of synthesis, programming, installation, audio-visual practices and performance are often defined and contextualized through cultural practice. The role of technology and its ability to capture, collate, preserve and exploit cultural sounds and aural traditions are all aspects at the heart of this issue.
Topics for investigation might include:
· Issues associated with sonic/musical exchange across cultural boundaries
· ‘Exoticism’ and its manifestation in electroacoustic music/sound art
· Identification and developments of musical sub-cultures
· Sonic signatures (originating from regions, institutions, genres and practice)
· Issues of sonic appropriation and borrowing
· Sound location and dislocation
· Site- and cultural-specific sound
· Symbolic/iconic sound use and its prevalence in electroacoustic music
· The preservation, cultivation or exploitation of local/global sounds
· Ethnic phonography
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