Transmitting Musical Heritage

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The Transmitting Musical Heritage research project addresses the central question of how meta-data relating to performance contexts and ideologies are transmitted along with sound through community music practices. Drawing on the work of Shelemay (2008) and Higgins (2012), the research team form a bridge between ethnomusicology and music sociology to explore these issues in a community context. Employing a process of collaborative ethnography, researchers from The University of Sheffield work with three community partners to develop, deliver and analyse this topic.The research has developed in response to an identified need by existing community music groups working with various international forms of music heritage. The partners include Soundpost, an education group working with indigenous British musical traditions; Babel Songs, an organisation collecting songs from long-term residents of Sheffield with roots elsewhere for performance in a community choir setting; and Arts on the Run, a network including more temporary asylum seeking refugee musicians who seek performance and teaching opportunities. The research asks to whom musicians associated with these groups are transmitting materials, what extra musical elements they deem important to pass on, how they attempt to achieve this, and in what ways does this activity impact on communities? The research will impact on current thinking in community music delivery where items of music heritage are to be considered.Music is a cultural product of society, a sonic reflection of ideologies and behaviours, a performative heritage. When musical sound is transferred from player to player, or player to audience, we question what of this cultural meta-data travels with it, and how. The research will interpret transmission as 'passing on' through either overtly educational contexts (workshops), performance based contexts (concerts) or situational based traditions (ceremonial musics). Much musical activity takes place as a part of 'everyday life', though with the development of charitable organisations and the intermittent provision of funding, the ways music is mediated within many cultures is changing. 'Community Music', typically executed through a workshop situation, has an explicitly social aim, to draw participants together and build community. This research draws on the fields of ethnomusicology, music sociology and studies of communities to investigate this duality of approach to community and music - as music made by communities and as community made through music.