Challenge Question Response

Please write a 2-3 essay regarding the inconstant and often fluctuating nature (tradition) of certain musical performances. Include examples that are specifically tied to and/or tainted by their representations found in the media. How should the ethnographic scholar approach writing about this? What methods of fieldwork will help give the most accurate and unbiased account on this topic?

The inconstant and fluctuating nature of certain musical performances and traditions can be attributed to several factors including the performers themselves and the audience (those witnessing the performance firsthand and those to whom the ethnographies are directed). Only in such instances where a re-evaluation of a specific music tradition does the influence from within a music-group (performers) really come into play. For example, in the case of the Sacred Harp singing tradition, the controversy over whether or not to preserve the long-held tradition of 4-note shape singing or progress to a more modern 7-note gospel influenced tradition is a prime of example of the actual performers of the tradition having a direct influence on the fluctuation and evolution of the tradition. Those outside of the Sacred Harp tradition have little influence on whether or not a four or seven shape tradition is adopted.
Oftentimes, however, the audience for which a musical tradition is performed plays an even greater role in the way the specific musical tradition is transmitted and consequently interpreted. More specifically, the connections created between performers, ethnomusicologists, their transcriptions and ethnographies, and finally the audience, are ones that are exposed to several influences. That is to say that before any information about a specific music tradition can reach its respective audience, the channels linking these different aspects may have already been modulated. This is evident in the ethnographies of many ethnomusicologists who must pay careful attention in their utilization of the channel between them and the audience for whom their ethnographies are directed. For example, in order to enhance the comparison between Mozart and Beethoven and their respective place in the culture of music-schools, Nettl utilizes Anthony Burgess’s novel “A Clockwork Orange” and the corresponding film by Stanley Kubrick establish the metaphor of Beethoven being the “peak of worldly achievement” and Mozart being “the gift of the otherworldly”. Nettl’s description of the dichotomy between Mozart and Beethoven ultimately becomes more engaging and familiar, due to the relative accessibility of the media to which it is being compared. This is one of many specific examples when the media through which musical traditions are communicated plays a large role in the way certain musical traditions are interpreted.
Whether it is through television, motion pictures, or the internet, the media has played a crucial role in the transmission and progression of musical traditions by allowing them to reach out to a greater audience. Technology has also played a major role in increasing the accessibility of countless music cultures and serves as an effective means for the progression of tradition. Unfortunately, by exposing a specific musical tradition to a greater audience, one also opens up the possibility of more diverse interpretations. Consequently, the way a musical tradition is portrayed in the media must be carefully thought out or the music-culture’s reputation and representation may be permanently tainted.
One current controversy over media representation of a specific music-culture involves the white supremacist duo, Lamb and Lynx Gaede, better known as “Prussian Blue”. ABC’s portrayal of the duo as singers spreading racist hate contain undertones of the slight biases associated with the networks own personal attitudes towards the group. As a result, supporters of Prussian Blue would contend that the duo was not characterized in a positive light, the band’s message altered by the clash of personal beliefs. From a more applicable viewpoint, how would an ethnomusicologist who is researching this specific music-culture, deal with such a band whose disturbing lyrics intertwined with pop melodies render their style attractive to many? Many believe that it is an ethnomusicologist’s job, similar to a journalist or reporter, to simply report the news. However, being an ethnomusicologist is very distinct from being merely a reporter of music. There is a great deal of personal commitment involved in the selection of ethnographic fieldwork projects, and if it is obvious that a clash of ideals is bound to occur, there should be no reason for ethnomusicologists to feel pressured to research something they know just does not suit well with their own personal beliefs.
In terms of fieldwork and ethnography ethics, it is crucial for ethnomusicologists to deliver the most accurate and unbiased account of the music-culture being studied. The polyphonic ethnography approach, a sharing of ethnographic authority and utilizing multiple informants, is a useful method for increasing the accuracy of an ethnography and eliminating or at the very least reducing the bias that may accompany researching a controversial music-culture.
Musical traditions are always evolving, which can be attributed to several influential factors including intramusic-culture decision making as well as outside perspectives and interpretations of that specific group. The media through which a music culture is portrayed plays a significant role in outsiders’ perceptions of a group; thus, it is imperative that ethnomusicologists take precautionary measures when immersing themselves in research projects involving controversial music-cultures that may lead to a conflict of ideals, as the music-culture’s progression or preservation of tradition depends on it.