ABSTRACT. This panel explores the relationship between performance cultures and a sense of well-being, community building, and social belonging among diasporic Korean communities in Europe, the U.S., and South Korea. Drawing upon ethnographic research as a core methodology, three papers in this panel demonstrate how and why Korean migrants engage themselves with various music and dances distinctively. Why have particular performance cultures been adapted to and seen as adequate and necessary for the lives of particular Koreans and their well-being and social belonging? The first presentation by Dokyung Joo features the widely practiced outdoor dancing activities among Korean Chinese who are the return migrants in South Korea. By investigating these Koreans’ engagement in and love for outdoor dancing, Joo exemplifies how dance helps the migrants mitigate the cultural and social distance they experience in relocating to their ancestral homeland after being born and spending extensive time in China. Ri Choi’s paper investigates the influence of K-pop on the Korean community in Hawaiʻi and its significance for both collective and individual well-being of Koreans within the context of an expanding spectrum of Korean migrants in Hawaiʻi. By examining the connections between K-pop and traditional Korean music and dance, Choi shows how amateur musicians and the community as a whole leverage the popularity of Korean popular culture to promote Korean heritage in Hawaiʻi. Finally, Hyunah Cho’s paper delves into the experiences of Korean international students in the U.K. and their engagement with music and dance to navigate cultural transition and secure a sense of belonging in the context of temporary migration. Cho calls attention to how these students carve out safe spaces within university environments, utilizing music and dance as sources of comfort and familiarity and how that assists the students’ well-being.

Paper 1 Title: Dance as a Way of Well-being and Social Mingling among Korean Chinese Elders Residing in South Korea

Dance is a way of well-being and social interaction among Korean Chinese elders residing in South Korea. Korean Chinese elders have established several amateur dance groups and many of them dance in outdoor public spaces. Korean Chinese elders dance mainly for two reasons: health and leisure. They believe dance enhances both mental and physical well-being—memorizing movements may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease; moving the body can be an exercise. Dance is also conceived as a good way of pastime. After working hard in the early days, Korean Chinese elders have desires to enjoy the rest of their lives. Dance also embodies the ethnic and national identity of Korean Chinese, reflecting their experiences in China. Accustomed to state-organized groups and collective activities in China, Korean Chinese have formed their own groups and activities after they moved to Korea. It is also due to limited access to South Korean senior centers and differences in dance styles. In China, Korean Chinese, classified as an ethnic minority, have encountered challenges in integrating into mainstream society. They have sought to confirm their presence through artistic expressions rather than political-economic ones. In Korea, where they are perceived as minorities as foreign immigrants from China, Korean Chinese express themselves through singing and dancing. Dance not only fosters bonding within Korean Chinese migrant community but also creates avenues for social interactions between South Koreans and Korean Chinese. While most dance group members are Korean Chinese, there are dance groups welcoming South Koreans and ethnic Han members. Dance enables inter-ethnic communications by way of bodily gestures rather than verbal language. Apparently, using dance as a medium, Korean Chinese create opportunities to socialize not only within their own community but also with South Koreans and ethnic Hans for their successful relocation in Korea.

Paper 2 Title: Transformation of ‘Korean Music’ of the Hawai‘i-Korean (American) Society: K-Pop Influence in Amateur Traditional Music Making

While traditional music, particularly nongak (Korean farmer’s music) and samulnori (four-instrument-ensemble), has long served as representative cultures creating solidarity within the Hawai‘i-Korean (American) society and demarcating ethnic boundaries in relation to other ethnic societies, the recent global popularity of K-Pop has reshaped the notion of ‘Korean music’ in Hawai‘i. This study examines the impact of K-Pop on Hawai‘i-Korean traditional music-making and discusses how Hawai‘i-Korean immigrant society is riding the success of K-Pop to their advantage. Drawing upon my ten months of field research of the Hawaii Gogo Janggu ensemble and the Korean Festival, and based on my nearly ten years of experiences as a Korean international student in Hawai‘i, I discuss how amateur traditional musicians mediate and create a new style by fusing traditional Korean music and K-Pop in reflecting a new musical trend. Gogo Janggu has recently begun to gain popularity in Hawai‘i Korean musical community, particularly among the elderly. It is a genre that uses newly created jangdan (rhythmic patterns) on the janggu (hourglass-shaped drum), often accompanying K-pop or trot pieces. Amateur musicians and their participation in cultural festivals such as the Korean Festival, which is the biggest ethnic festival held by Hawaiʻi Korean Chamber of Commerce (HKCC), have not only shown how migrants maintain, foster, present, share, and confirm their ethnic culture but also how they expand and rewrite their ethnic culture by way of incorporating new and contemporary cultural elements such as K-Pop. In-the Hawaiʻi-Korean society, music has played a critical role in shaping the construction of Korean cultural identity and emphasizing collective values among Hawai‘i-Koreans. This inclination for such musical transformation contemporizes Korean cultural identity, making it more attractive and inclusive to a wider local audience, and aligns with the trajectory of enhancing the societal well-being of the Korean community within Hawai‘i’s diverse, multi-ethnic society.

Paper 3 Title: “I feel safe when I listen to Korean music!”: Musical Engagement and Subjective Well-being amongst Korean International Students in the U.K.

By addressing the research question, “How do Korean international students engage in music for their own well-being in the U.K.?”, this study aims to understand a group of international students’ experiences of their temporary migrantion and the coping mechanisms they employ in the pursuit of subjective well-being in response to these experiences. After semi-structured interviews, the thematic analysis resulted in five themes: (1) music as a tongbanja 동반자 (companion), (2) music as a safe konggan 공간 (space), (3) music for gwangye 관계 (relationships), (4) music for gamjeong 감정 (emotion), and (5) musical demands of international students. For Korean students in the U.K., music serves as an unwavering companion in their daily lives, providing them with a safe space to feel the sense of security of those students who want it. Music has been also used to build new relationships in the host country, maintain old relationships with their family and friends in Korea, and reconstitute those relationships . In the context of temporary migration, music provides the most accessible and immediate way to lift and regulate their emotions. The students turn to music to immerse themselves in a particular emotional state to reinforce positive feelings. My research findings, thus, lead to discussions of music as: ‘being’ a companion and safe space, and ‘doing’ and ‘helping’ relationships and moods, even ‘re-membering’ the relationships and feelings associated with music such as K-pop, the students listened to. By analyzing and sharing the interview data, this study intends to add depth to the understanding of musical engagement of Korean international students in the U.K. and how music is used mitigate the challenges they face while contributing to enhancing their subjective well-being.

4. Discussion

ABSTRACT. Translation of traditional music and dance presents multifaceted challenges rooted in linguistic, cultural, and artistic intricacies. These challenges are magnified in this paper, and a few approaches are set for effective communication and preservation of cultural heritage. This paper examines the specific translation challenges encountered in traditional music and dance, focusing on the experiences of some liaison officers in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) who were recently appointed in the International Council for Traditional Music and Dance (ICTMD) within the past three years. The primary challenge lies in bridging linguistic divides while preserving the cultural nuances embedded within traditional performances. Liaison officers operating within the ICTMD not only often encounter the availability of resources and archives but also its availability solely in the Arabic language. This prompts debate over Arabic’s status among the United Nations (UN) formal languages and whether they need to be considered official in the ICTMD, an organization in formal consultations with the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Some scholars question the Eurocentricity of adopting English as ICTMD’s sole language of communication and publication. In addition, the question of funding from cultural institutions in the MENA and GCC region to translate these resources rises. However ethical issues, authenticity, copyright, and intellectual property issues become central, especially when considering Artificial Intelligence (AI), and its role in translation in today’s modern world. In response to these challenges, liaison officers advocate together by applying theories of Applied Ethnomusicology to find solutions, establish methods of implementation, and form an evaluation process necessary for efficiency measurement. In conclusion, through the efforts of liaison officers and collaborative initiatives within the ICTMD, meaningful strides can be made toward preserving and celebrating the diversity of traditional music and dance worldwide.

ABSTRACT. In the digital age, social media platforms have become dynamic online spaces where music and dance performances are shared and curated, creating a digital repertoire that transcends physical boundaries, allowing 'online users to interact with each other, engaging in two-way dialogues and reciprocating interactions' (Coons & Chen, 2014). This panel's concepts have been broadly developed from Burgess and Green's (2013) systematic investigation of its cultural impacts and politics, highlighting the productive tensions between its amateur community rhetoric and its commercial media logic. Schneider's (2016) interactionist approach to understanding how 'YouTube has contributed to changes in how users record and disseminate music, as well as how users perform, consume, and make sense of the music they experience'.

Broadly based on these ideologies, this panel explores the transformative role of social media in shaping the accessibility, preservation, and dissemination of music and dance performances. Through a multidisciplinary approach, panelists will discuss the implications of this digital transformation on artists, audiences, and the cultural landscape at large. The first paper examines the uploaded music videos on YouTube from the music TV program Coke Studio India to understand how the platform has become a digital archive that enables audiences to access exclusive content, fostering engagement and bridging brand identity with cultural expression. The second paper considers how Bollywood music and dance's accessibility to the Indian diaspora on social media platforms built cultural bonds beyond borders and generated a participatory public performance (Flash Mob Dance) by these amateurs. The third paper studies the role of Chinese local social media in offering content for New Zealand Chinese artists' performances, thus facilitating artistic connections and providing a digital arena for the continuity and evolution of Chinese cultural traditions.

Aligning Music with Promotion: Leveraging Social Media for Audience Engagement and Cultural Expression in Coke Studio India Coke Studio India (CSI) is an Indian music TV program that showcases studio performances, featuring musicians and musics from diverse backgrounds, and fusing their Indian musical styles—both classical and folk—with Western pop/jazz influences. Initiated by Coca-Cola as part of the globally-reaching program Coke Studio to promote its beverage products, CSI was primarily aired on MTV India television channel between 2011 to 2015. Its pioneering collaboration with MTV India also enabled the proactive uploading of its programs on social media platforms such as YouTube. This research examines the critical role that social media such as YouTube played in the dissemination of CSI. It explores the function of social media as a music archive since it has enabled audiences to access exclusive CSI content via YouTube. Some teasers and artist interviews were not shown on TV but were only available through YouTube clips. By analysing musical performances and audience comments on Youtube uploads, this study demonstrates how social media enhances audience engagement and opens up discussion, and how audiences react to particular musical and visual styles and cultural elements. Additionally, through interviews with program producers, the research showcases how the use of social media aligns with Coca-Cola's broader promotional strategies, enhancing audience engagement through all channels to develop brand resonance. Therefore, this study illustrates that social media has played a significant role in not just sharing CSI content but also in shaping the audience's experience and fostering a deep connection between brand and cultural identity.

Screen to Street: The Impact of Social Media on Bollywood Flash Mob Dances and Diasporic Cultural Identity Bollywood flash mob dance (BFMD) is a confluence of the need to perform, express and share aspects of cultural identity and the growing power of social media platforms. It is a planned live performance of mostly amateurs performing popular Bollywood songs at public spaces such as shopping malls, train/metro stations, or large paved public areas worldwide. BFMD has emerged as a global phenomenon, captivating participants and spectators with spontaneous and synchronised performances in public spaces displaying cultural expression and community engagement. It is usually filmed and edited to appear as an unpredictable public performance and uploaded on social media platforms. Similarly to Bollywood dance, BFMD blends traditional Indian dance styles with modern choreography and reflects the diaspora's diverse cultural heritage and experiences. The global reach of social media platforms has enabled recordings of BFMD to reach audiences worldwide, raising questions about representation and the commodification of culture. This study investigates the practice and perception of Bollywood-inspired flash mob dances among the Indian diaspora in different parts of the globe. Analysing user-generated content and engagement patterns on YouTube through posted comments, "likes", and views count, it examines how digital technologies shape cultural expression, community building, and identity negotiation among diasporic populations. It also seeks to uncover how social media shapes the creation, dissemination, and reception of BFMD by analysing some flash mob dances in New Zealand ("Kolaveri Di Auckland Flash Mob" (2011); "Auckland Holi Flash Mob" (2012); "The Ntec Flash Mob" (2015); and so on). Drawing on cultural globalisation and digital ethnography theories, this study explores how social media platforms enable the Indian diaspora in New Zealand to connect, share, and engage with their cultural heritage through dance.

Dance Across Borders: The Role of Chinese Local Social Media in global Artistic Practice and Cultural Exchange In the dynamic landscape of the digital age, Chinese Local Social Media (CLSM) platforms such as Douyin, WeChat, and Xiaohongshu have revolutionized the way in which cultural content is created, disseminated, and received both within China and across the global Chinese diaspora. Characterized by their innovative algorithm mechanisms and versatile functionality, these platforms have achieved unparalleled user engagement among mainland Chinese audiences and have become indispensable tools for overseas Chinese communities. This study zeroes in on the unique intersection of CLSM and the performing arts during a critical period of global disruption: the COVID-19 pandemic. With offline activities restricted, performing artists in mainland China turned to CLSM as a vital conduit for maintaining and sharing their craft, broadcasting a diverse array of music and dance works that garnered significant attention and interaction through user engagement metrics such as "likes." This phenomenon sparked a notable cultural dissemination and exchange among the Chinese dance community in Auckland, New Zealand, which is the focal point of my research. My investigation reveals how these dancers have not only imported popular works from CLSM to local stages but have also engaged with these platforms to facilitate various aspects of their artistic endeavour—from selecting repertoire and organizing rehearsals to promoting their performances. This study highlights the pivotal role of CLSM in offering content for overseas Chinese artists' performances, fostering artistic connections, and providing a digital arena for the continuity and evolution of cultural traditions. By examining the practices of the Chinese dance community in Auckland, this research sheds light on the broader implications of digital platforms in bridging geographical divides, enabling cultural inheritance, and catalysing innovation within the global artistic landscape.

ABSTRACT. Panel Abstract: How do musical practices contribute to complex connections between people and place? As musicians’ identities are linked with localities and associated musical styles, how do artists navigate individual creativity and collective traditions? In spaces of inequality and insecurity, how might musical practices constitute a praxis of care? When people move from place to place, disrupting their personal relationships, how do musical practices sustain those relationships and build new connections? When music moves from its place of performance into online spaces, what connections are created and/or sustained? This panel addresses these questions, arguing that musical practice enables and embodies a range of intersecting, fluid connections between people, places and traditions. The first paper, ‘In and Out of Style: Identity and Community in Uilleann Piping’, examines the productive role of tensions between individual and collective forms of identity in establishing connections between pipers and their instruments, localities, communities, lineages and histories. Next, ‘Women singing Siyaçemana, an ontological Praxis of Care in the Hawrāmān region of Kurdistan’ investigates the vocal form Siyaçemana’s embodiment of connections between the Hawrāmi community and its remote, mountainous environment, the process of cultural transmission and Siyaçemana’s links with communal wellbeing. The third paper, ‘Touching from a Distance: Music as Mediation in Translocal Networks’, examines the roles of musical practice in sustaining relationships through physical separation and in diasporic spaces, with a focus on women displaced from Iran and Mexico. Finally, ‘Digital Representation and the Sustainability of Tanjidor Betawi’ analyses the effects on contextualisation, reception and sustainability when a hybrid brass band genre moves from its Indonesian locality to online spaces, as well as the nature of these spaces as ethnographic sites. Together, these papers build on related ethnomusicological research, drawing on interdisciplinary theories of identity, community, mediation and representation to contribute new perspectives on music and place.

1. In and out of style: identity and community in uilleann piping In the discourse of scholars and practitioners alike, the history and contemporary practice of Irish traditional music is one of ‘styles’. Musicians are classified (sometimes against their wishes) within a complex taxonomy of styles coalescing around a locality, an iconic musician or an approach to their instrument. At the same time, significant weight is placed on individual expression and idiolect in ways which may even begin to contradict the pre-eminence of these axiomatic categories. The practice of Irish traditional music can be regarded as a negotiation of identities, as understandings of self (themselves fluid and contingent) interweave and intersect with broader communal identifications and groupings. The uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes) have attracted more than their fair share of this discourse and their history, culture and practice present unique features, which merit special consideration here. This paper examines individual and communal identities as simultaneously generative and constraining factors in contemporary uilleann piping practice. It reflects on the productive role of the tension between individual and collective forms of identity in establishing connections between a piper and their instrument, locality, communities, lineage and history. This research draws on ethnographic interviews with prominent contemporary uilleann pipers and pipe makers, coupled with analysis of their recorded musical output. Scholarly understandings of musical style and identity from the study of Irish traditional music, ethnomusicology and sociology will be contrasted with the perceptions and opinions of uilleann pipers to illuminate the broader processes of choice and necessity that guide musicmaking.

2. Women singing Siyaçemana, an ontological praxis of care in the Hawrāmān region of Kurdistan This paper investigates the cultural, social and gender dynamics surrounding Siyaçemana, a distinctive vocal form in the Hawrāmān region of Kurdistan, with a focus on the role of women in the form’s sustenance and transmission. Siyaçemana, deeply rooted in the historical and geographical context of Hawrāmān, emerges as a crucial element of local musical heritage, intricately linked with the community’s identity and history. Through its centuries-old lineage, Siyaçemana portrays elements of cultural continuity, while reflecting the intimate connection between the local community and its remote, mountainous environment, thus sustaining place-based identity and heritage. Despite the significant contributions of women as active practitioners of this local musical legacy, societal norms often obscure their influence. Drawing on ethnographic and autoethnographic research, this paper analyses the multifaceted dimensions of Siyaçemana, guided by the theories of ‘ethics of care’ and ‘relationality’. Viewing Siyaçemana not merely as a musical form, but as an ontological praxis of care, underscores its emphasis on relationships and the reciprocal process of cultural transmission. Within this framework, the paper not only illuminates the often-overlooked contributions of women, but also the interconnectedness and interdependence of individuals within the Hawrāmi Kurdish community. The role of women as ‘silent’ transmitters of Indigenous musical culture is integral to the safeguarding of this heritage, weaving together cultural and environmental identity, the resilience and adaptability of community members and the Hawrāmi people’s wellbeing. Through participant observation, interviews and personal reflections, this paper identifies Siyaçemana custodians and explores its transmission process, gender dynamics and impact on community dynamics. With its focus on a little-researched musical form, in an environment sometimes difficult for ethnomusicologists to access, the paper contributes new insights into the complexities of musical practice and its connection with natural and social environments.

3. Touching from a Distance: Music as Mediation in Translocal Networks Global inequalities, precarity and conflict have contributed to ever-increasing levels of displacement around the world, with over 100 million people forcibly displaced today. One of many consequences for those displaced is the disruption of relationships, from physical separation to shifts in social positions and possibilities. In this context, new forms of mediation and communication emerge, with music often playing a crucial role. This paper argues that musical practice serves as an effective form of mediation for a range of relationships, especially in translocal spaces. Here, mediation may be understood as transmission, communication, conflict resolution and/or entanglement, while translocality entails a simultaneous attachment to local communities and online engagement with people elsewhere. The relationships affected include the intimate and familial, social and workplace interactions, and relations between citizens or residents and their governments. Especially for people living with histories of marginalisation and forced mobility, music is a uniquely powerful means of connection, with its portability and potential for multilayered, fluid, individual and collective meaning. Drawing on extensive in-person and online ethnographic research, this paper focuses on the experiences and musical practices of women who have moved from Iran and Mexico to Australia and the United States. The findings reveal not only personal and collective experiences, but also some of the ways that conditions in these four countries vary according to residents’ respective social, gender and national positions. They also point to the diversity of musical possibilities in these contexts. The paper builds on the work on music and displacement of such scholars as Bohlman, de Quadros, Marsh, Pettan, Reyes, Stokes and Zheng. Its comparative approach and interdisciplinary theoretical framework combine to contribute a fresh ethnomusicological perspective.

4. Digital Representation and the Sustainability of Tanjidor Betawi Tanjidor is the hybrid brass band genre practised by the Betawi people of Indonesia, who are native to the Greater Jakarta metropolitan region. Traditionally, undertaking an ethnography usually requires a full, or substantial, cultural immersion within a particular field of study. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic taking flight in late 2019, it became increasingly difficult for a time, in some cases impossible, for cultural researchers to engage physically with their fields of studies. This required a significant adjustment in attitudes towards modes of conducting ethnographic fieldwork. The digital realm of the Internet became a major site, and object, of study for examining physically out-of-reach cultural material. In light of this, I undertake a digital ethnography of tanjidor to investigate the genre’s representation online, and what this reveals about its portrayal and contextualisation within Betawi society. My findings illustrate that little heed is paid to the musical specificities of the genre online. Rather, extraneous elements of the genre, other than the music itself, take precedence in the digital representation of tanjidor Betawi. The visual sighting of the helicon acts as a synecdoche for the entire genre and, more generally, Betawi music. The atmosphere of celebratory processional performance contexts that tanjidor bands are usually integrated within take precedence over the musical content performed. Moreover, text-based and audio-visual digital resources featuring tanjidor practitioners highlight the inter-generational, familial and historical aspects of the musical genre in describing its value within Betawi society. Nevertheless, the lasting records of the activities of tanjidor bands created and enhanced through digital means, particularly over the COVID-19 pandemic, may boost the endangered genre’s future sustainability. For wider scholarship, digital ethnography not only offers an alternative site for fieldwork, but also an object of study that reveals the affordances of the online space for traditional musicians.

ABSTRACT. China’s urbanization and modernization began in the early 1980s, especially the implementation of the reform and opening up policy (改革开放政策), which caused many areas, especially the once backward and remote areas, to gradually move towards urbanization and modernization. This also poses a threat to the survival and development of some traditional folk art forms. Many art forms have also begun to disappear with the process of urbanization and modernization. The Wu Family’s Guchui Ensemble, which was founded in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province at the end of the 19th century, is a wind and percussion ensemble with drums and suona as its main instruments. It has not been seriously affected by the process of modernization and urbanization. The Wu Family’s Guchui Ensemble has always maintained its sustainability and vitality. And it is still the first choice of local people in various folk activities. This enduring presence is in contrast to guchui yue and guchui ensembles in other areas. This article mainly to analysis the reasons for the sustainablity of music in the Wu Family’s Guchui Ensemble in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province in the process of urbanization and modernization. This article using music sustainability to analyzes Harbin’s cultural policies and economic support, the Wu Family’s Guchui Ensemble internal education mechanism, as well as the cultural outlook and community engagement. This not only helps to explore the reasons for the sustainability of music in Wu Family’s Guchui Ensemble under modernization and urbanization, but also provides suggestions for the development and protection of guchui yue and guchui ensemble in other areas in China.

Keywords: The Wu Family’s Guchui Ensemble; Sustainability; Traditional Music Genre.

ABSTRACT. One of the most important ceremonies of Thau people in Central Taiwan is the Tungkariri Lus'an, a nationally recognized ritual crucially dependent on language and voice. In this ceremony belief in ancestral spirits constitutes an ethnic boundary for Thau (Jian Shilang 2006) where ritual baskets called ulalaluan contain clothing and accessories of deceased ancestors. In worship shamans serve as mediaries for Thau to achieve their self-identity. But only in Tungkariri Lus'an do Thau people actively participate in “shmayla” singing and dancing in circles to achieve self-identity by themselves. The biggest problem facing Thau’s shmayla is language loss because Thau are still a minority in their village. Taiwan has experienced colonial regimes, occupations and settler colonies causing the displacement of peoples, occupation of land, and continued colonization of indigenous peoples (Tsai, Lin-chin 2019). Even though Thau have tried to revive their mother language, it is still recognized by UNESCO as nearing extinction.

In this paper I examine inextricable links between language and vocality as closely related to embodiment. Magant (2020) argues that if traditional songs contain ancestral knowledge of body, trusting that the body remembers how to sing can restore knowledge and rebuild cultural continuity. This research compares the vocality between generations through historical archives, semi-structed interviews and field recordings to explore the degree to which embodied knowledge is transferred in shmayla performances and ancestral belief systems. At the same time, I want to research the possibility of sustainable development of Thau’s shmayla through historical archives, language preservation, and embodied knowledge.

ABSTRACT. Chaozhou gong and drum music, a prominent subcategory of Chaozhou music, stands as one of the most vibrant and influential types within the Guangdong gong and drum music tradition. It enjoys significant popularity in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Canada, and other global regions. In recent years, the evolution of Chaozhou gong and drum music has spawned new expressive forms. This study situates Chaozhou gong and drum music within its local cultural context and focuses on adolescents aged 8 to 16 as the research participants. Employing historical research, fieldwork, and comparative analysis, this study examines and contrasts the transmission methods of the Shantou Traditional Opera Art School (School inheritance) and the Huayao Youth Chao Orchestra (Apprenticeship system). The discussion centers on the crucial roles these institutions play in the perpetuation and development of gong and drum music in the Chaoshan area and the broader Guangdong region. This analysis aims to delineate the dual mechanisms of "tradition" and "innovation" in the preservation of Chaozhou music within contemporary society, further exploring the pathways for its continued transmission. The findings of this study provide insightful reference materials for the conservation strategies of gong and drum music in different cultures and countries.

ABSTRACT. Confucius ritual music, often referred to as "Yayue" in Chinese, specifically relates to the musical traditions integral to ancient China's ritual ceremonies, deeply influenced by Confucian philosophy. This music is central to Confucian ritual practices and embodies the profound integration of music with cultural and ethical values as advocated by Confucius. It also symbolizes the cultural sophistication and philosophical ideals of ancient Chinese society, believed to significantly impact both individual character and the moral fabric of society.

Over the past century, Yayue's influence declined as new musical forms emerged and the political and social structures of China evolved. The practice was completely discontinued in the People's Republic of China after 1949. However, since the 1990s, efforts to revive Yayue have been part of the government's broader initiative to rejuvenate Chinese cultural heritage, underscoring its historical and cultural significance. This revival not only try to preserves an art form but also serves as a conduit for expressing and showcasing the cultural and political ideals of both Confucianism and the modern time authorities.

Nevertheless, restoring a discontinued music tradition that had virtually died poses significant challenges, sparking intriguing discussions about music authenticity and the notion of "fake" tradition. Another point of debate is how to recreate a lost music tradition from the past within a contemporary cultural environment.

The political motivations and the government's role in both the complete ban and subsequent revival of this music practice in its country of origin, coupled with its continuous practice as a living tradition in neighboring nations across East and parts of Southeast Asia, offer a unique perspective on the cultural resilience and vitality of this millennia-old musical tradition in modern times.

ABSTRACT. The wedding customs of the Bishnupriya Manipuri community in Bangladesh display a rich array of local music, dances, and ancestral knowledge passed down over the years. Originating from India's northeast some three centuries back, the Manipuris settled in Sylhet, bringing along their unique cultural traditions. Despite the uniformity in Manipuri wedding customs, regional differences persist in food serving, recitations and in some cases, singing. The ceremony, called Lohong, Luhong, or Biya, stays true to its roots amidst changing times, with Swattik customs at its heart. Central to these rituals are performances like Pala, where skilled musicians and singers, such as the Palameccha (lead singer), Dohar (assistant singer), and Dakula (Pung player), set the ceremonial rhythm on a circular platform made of cane, paper, and leaves. The songs are found in three different languages- Prakrito Bangla, Imar Thar and Brajabuli. As the bride circles the groom seven times to the beat of Sangkirton, a deep connection to local ways of life and understanding is felt. However, alongside these traditional performances, the wedding day sees the inclusion of Band Parties, hired from outside the community. A Band Party has become a mandatory part of off-time wedding jolliness for each Lohong. Using local instruments like the Trumpet, Sanai, Dhol etc., they inject a lively spirit into the festivities. Despite their historical detachment from Manipuri tradition, the evolution of Band Parties reflects a complex interplay between local practices and external influences. This contrast between traditional and modern musical expressions highlights a broader tension within the community. While the teaching of traditional Pala and Songkirton remains rooted in the local cultural pedagogy system known as Ojanoki, Band Parties introduce external elements and embrace modern musical technology. As Band Parties incorporate traditional songs into their performances nowadays, a nuanced negotiation between preserving cultural heritage and embracing modernity unfolds. In navigating these complexities, the Bishnupriya Manipuri community grapples with adjustments of preserving culture, identity, and authenticity.

ABSTRACT. Shamanism is the indigenous belief and practice of communication with the spirit world. The Sami shamans had direct contact with the spirit world through the journey. They gained knowledge and power by traversing the axis mundi. Moreover, the shamans healed people, led a sacrifice ceremony, preserved traditional stories and songs, and predicted fortune-telling. As a doctor-prophet-officiator, the shaman was the central figure in Sami society. The spirits had appointed a shaman. His duty was to deal with the world of the dead. When faced with famine in nature, illness, livelihood problems, or crises in a village or family, people sought a remedy through the shaman. His travels in-out of the spirit world were helped by the drum between the physical and spiritual worlds. The drum was used to guide daily life, get knowledge about the future, cure sickness, and determine to which god one should make a sacrifice. Each drum had even 150 symbols. Gradually beating the drum faster, the shaman started his soul journey. When he went into ecstasy, he fell, and the drum was put on his back. In the dream, he met helping spirits. The drum has three levels: the gods, people, and the paradise underworld, where the ancestors lived, respectively. The shaman, with his spirits and drum, was the central figure of a religious leader. Reformation reached Scandinavia (16C), and the Church persecuted the shaman and his drum. Ritual practices were against the devil and witchcraft. Ancestor worship was particularly against. The Sami had to abandon their drums to avoid persecution. The Church burned the confiscated drums (18C). Among the preserved 70 drums, almost half of them show a drum motif. My paper investigates its origin and function with other symbolic signs to underline Sami's sacred landscape and cognitive mindset. Intangible gestures and sounds are unavoidable.

ABSTRACT. The musical changes that occurred when the same ethnic group was dispersed from their hometown to a foreign country and then forced to return to their hometown in a long historical period is a phenomenon worth discussing in the "migration issue".The Muen branch of the Yao ethnic group, the subject of this paper, now lives in Guangxi. In the early Qing Dynasty, the living environment was threatened and they moved to Guang Ninh Province in Vietnam. In the late 1970s, they moved back to Guangxi due to war. Long-term fieldwork found that rituals and their music are collective memories and cultural connections shared by the muen branches of the two countries. Some ritual masters will appear in different ceremonies in the two countries. Although their political identities are not recognized, they Being a ritual master is recognized in foreign countries.Based on this situation, this article intends to discuss how the Muen branch living in China reconnects with the Muen branch in Vietnam and the continuation of collective memory through ritual performances, the use of musical instruments and ritual scriptures, and Identity in China.

ABSTRACT. Background As the Taoism is a native region of China for more than 1,700 years the Taoist Ritual Music has a long history and one part of the Chinese folk music. During the early Twentieth Century a plenty of the married Taoist priest people who come from the Zhengyi School moved to Macao from Guangdong. In 1923 to 1933 the Guangzhou Sanyuan Taoist Monastery and Luofushan Chongxu Taoist Monastery were twice invited by the Kiang Wu Hospital to set up a grand altar to initiate ritual ceremonies to pray for the people suffered the storm disasters and the cemetery relocation. Since these events also brought out a plenty of the Quanzhen Schools Taoist priest people, the two main schools had a harmonious co-existence and became a unique Taoist Ritual Music which is existed in Macao but not in the other district or countries. With the 500 items of the music have been preserved until present, the Macao Taoist Ritual Music has been the National Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) around the world since 2011 with the long-term of passing down from generation to generation. From 2010 to present the Taoist Orchestra have had been established to be active to promote the Taoist Ritual Music and help to pass down the music to the younger generation.

Aims This research aims to prove that as below: 1. The Taoist orchestra youth club learning experience improves and brings out the sustainability of the Taoist Ritual Music. 2. Oral with the inspiration in heart with the aged in 12-18 youth people still is main method to be used in the traditional music teaching and learning. 3. Taoist Ritual Music spread on a positive pathway to the aged in 12-18 youth people in Macao through a series of the traditional music activities like the formal music concert performance, outside visiting and communications, Taoist Cultural Festival, secondary students singing contest, etc.

Method This study is a questionnaire to focus on the questions above. Researcher take a questionnaire research plan with the youth people aged in 12-18 (n=30) o of a average social-economic status. Data is taken from the paper questionnaire and analysed via SPSS19.0. 10 random of the samples of this research are taken the Semi-Structured interview and qualitative analysis will be used .

Result The predict results of this research show a positive correlation of the Taoist orchestra youth club and sustainability of the Taoist Ritual Music teaching and learning. The factor of music learning in oral and with the spiration in heart has a positive correlation of the Taoist orchestra music learning experience. Traditional music activities of the Taoist Ritual Music demonstrate a positive sustainability for the aged in 12-18 younger generation.

Conclusion and implication Macao Taoist Ritual Music as a meaningful National Intangible Cultural Heritage in Macao which was in the multicultural context made the Zhengyi and Quanzhen two main Taoist schools could be harmonious co-existenced. The mission of transmitters should not be only one person in future and the method of learning and teaching may not only still in oral or inspiring in heart, but also in the orchestra youth club. Kinds of the formal or informal updated music activities help the sustainability of the Taoist Ritual Music spreading everywhere.

ABSTRACT. As a sonic representation of polity, traditional or heritage music in public cultures embodies collective affects that are important in the embodiment of social orders in contemporary local communities. In this panel, we explore relational, intercultural or transcultural social processes in which music making is a part. Interest on this area, approached dynamically, is part of the larger questioning on the impact of material conditions from external spheres to local music cultures. A recent book Sonic Modernities in the Malay World (Barendregt 2014), for example, has dealt with the problem of local popular music cultures in Malay modernity. Studies of traditions by local bearers of indigenous music practices also occupy an important space in present-day musicological discourses, thus bringing us closer to understanding the constititive role of music in power relations and social structures from the ground up rather than ones in which cultural changes totally depend on factors outside of local cultural zones.

In this panel, we examine a group of studies of indigenous music makings in the Philippines, which demonstrate varying collective participation of indigenous people in the contemporary period. We use a number of interpretive frames to discuss this but all four papers in the panel gravitate towards the idea on the efficacy of music as performatives that do something to culture bearers in changing political landscapes. The first case, on Agusan Manobo curing ritual, discusses local mimetic practices of healing that are based on a local knowledge of spiritguides as embodiments of social action. The second paper utilizes the concept of "transcendental social" in the social organization of sodality, a group of lay person in indigenous religious observances and vows that create a local community within the order of broader Roman Catholicism. The third and fourth talk about traditional indigenous music practices within the power of the modern state's projects. In all, the panel investigates how music acts within asymmetrical polities, yet because of subculture-superculture negotiations, music moves towards the larger intercultural representation of "we-ness."

Paper 1: Mimesis of Mythopoetic characters in Agusan Manobo Curing Ritual One of mimetic theory's errors is to construe mimema (the copy of the "real" or that what is represented) merely as a mental representation that is bracketed from the situated context to which a mimetic process is pertinent. Mimesis, however, is a perceptual act and thus Merleau-Ponty's theory of embodiment provides a more adequate framework to understand the phenomenology of perception that is enacted always with a knowing body grasping what-is-at-hand in a world (see for instance works by Taussig, Friedson, and Stoller). In this paper, I interpret the event of indigenous Agusan Manobo curing ritual to describe the processes of embodied mimesis and highlight the notion of intercorporeality. This form is collectively done and hence is indicative of a social cognition. Manobo ritual efficacy depends on the correct application of medicinal herbs and of strict procedures of bodily regimen that the patient and her or his immediate family must adhere to. All these procedures are believed to come from spiritguides in the environment, revealed in dreams or in ritual performance itself. These spirits (diwata) incarnate in curing ceremonies as (Viconian) mythopoetic characters that control the ritual dialogues that are necessary for healing. A new form of spirit, which speaks the settler language, embodies Manobo historical experience of modernity. Hardly are these "spirits" mere ideas. Instead, culture bearers themselves verbalize them locally as effects of doers' actions. Collectively, they are affirmed in ritual performance.

Paper 2: The Transcendental Social in the Sodalities of Poong Nazareno of Quiapo Quiapo in Manila, Philippines is famous for its Basilica and National Shrine of the Black Nazarene.  Devotees attest to the healing miracles and favors received from the image of Poong Nazareno (Jesus, the Nazarene) enshrined at the altar.   Two lay sodalities, the Hijos del Nazareno and the Music Ministry in the church’s social structure weave a tapestry of  interconnectedness in terms of their essential roles  to fulfill a panata (vow) to the Poong Nazareno.  Their collective identities are shaped, and social relationships are maintained. The brotherhood movement of the Hijos endeavors to acquire the power of the Nazareno through participation in a challenging ritual field considered a male rite of passage.  On the other hand, singing, a performative act of the Music Ministry, allows the devotees to channel their collective yearning for divine intervention fostering introspection and self-care. As a devotional ritual, it becomes an agent of self-reconstruction and offering for others’ needs. Via the interpretive lens of Maurice Bloch’s theory on transcendental social, the lay sodalities transcend individuality and fosters a culture of inclusivity and diversity.  Modes of communication and networking are exercises of power in forms of essentialized roles, policies, and leadership of church hierarchies.  It enhances trust in members and deference to authority.  With a mystical experience of the Transcendent, performance of their rituals, activities, and personal piety configures the building up of community; it reaches out to the bigger society to care for others.   Paper 3: Rhetorical devices and aesthetic expression in cultural performances of balitao in Negros Oriental The rhetorical device "garay," embedded in the "balitao," a spontaneous song debate, is a common entertainment among the Ata of Negros Oriental which is adapted as a traditional performance in the Province of Negros Oriental and highlighted through a competition in the Buglasan, a yearly festival event showcasing cultural performances of the towns and cities of the province. Although the balitao is foregrounded as more popular being a genre, the utilization of garay as an instrument of poetics cannot be undermined as a potent force that edifies the aesthetics of the Balitao. Garay is inseparable to balitao. The performances of the local government-initiated Buglasan, however, due to its new guidelines and techniques, inundated the idea of poetics as it accedes to modern entertainment imperatives. How the rhetorical device of garay is crucially challenged in the balitao competition of Buglasan is a subject of query in this research presentation.

Paper 4: Arbitration and Mediation: The Role of Teduray Kë’fëduwan in Dispute Resolution and Community Harmony in Upi Maguindanao, Philippines This paper explores the role of Teduray kë’fëduwan in resolving disputes without resorting to formal court systems, focusing on their unique methods of arbitration and mediation. The kë’fëduwan are esteemed legal advisors in the Teduray community, responsible for addressing conflicts through a consensual approach rather than through conventional litigation. This study underscores the effectiveness of these traditional forms of dispute resolution, noting that they are more flexible and spiritually inspired. The kë’fëduwan employs intoned verbal practices and highlights how these traditional songs “acts” in the proceedings of mediation. Moreover, the research delves into how the reification of leadership has influenced traditional counsel from the elders and explores how leadership in the Teduray community has changed over time. It focuses on selected barangays in Upi Maguindanao, Philippines, highlighting how these community-based practices encourage collective action and a strong sense of "we-ness." This research advocates for the recognition of the Teduray kë’fëduwan's cultural significance, emphasizing their role in sustaining the social fabric of the community. Through a community-based approach, the paper supports local stakeholders in preserving their cultural heritage and integrating these traditional dispute-resolution methods into modern contexts.

ABSTRACT. This group focuses on a special type of Chinese ballad in the 20th century, which was composed and widely sung during the war, covering the hard struggle and bloody struggle of the people and soldiers, and vividly and detailed documenting the development of China from a poor and weak feudal society to a new socialist country. The first article mainly focuses on the generation and dissemination of red ballads in the "Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Soviet Region", which adopts the organizational form of "Soviet power", and studies how different institutions, groups, and different political concepts, propaganda strategies, and war factors within the Communist Party of China are reflected in the process and content of the spread of red ballads. From the perspective of lyrics, this paper analyzes the characteristics of metaphor and symbolism, narrative and lyrical means in the songs, and focuses on the relationship between lyrics and social culture. By analyzing the linguistic characteristics, emotional expression, and thematic significance of the lyrics of red ballads, this paper reveals how such songs produced under the historical changes in China record this change from the perspective of their literary style. The last article of the group discusses the cultural function of Chinese red ballads throughout the 20th century through a macro analysis, and tries to deconstruct the cultural function of red ballads and the magnificent changes of the Chinese revolution in the 20th century. It can also re-understand the war, and it is more helpful to understand Chinese society under the soundscape of Red Patriotic Ballads.

1.The Creation and Dissemination of Red Patriotic Ballads in the " Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi Soviet Area" The Xiang-E-Gan Soviet Area was a red Soviet regime jurisdiction established by the Communist Party of China at the junction of Hubei, Jiangxi, and Hunan provinces during the Agrarian Revolutionary War (1927-1937). Although this Soviet Area only lasted for approximately five years before being forcibly destroyed by the Kuomintang authorities, the Communists produced a large number of ideological ballads (now known as red ballads) in this brief period, which are still widely circulated in the form of folk songs in this region. To delve into the context of the birth of such ballads, this study is based on historical documents from the archive systems of Hubei, Jiangxi, and Hunan provinces. The history of the Xiang-E-Gan Soviet Area is divided into two periods: the first period (1927-1929) when the Communist Party was engaged in underground activities, and the second period (1930-1934) when the Communist Party openly operated and successfully established a political power. This study examines how different institutions, groups, political ideologies, propaganda strategies, and wars within the Communist Party were reflected in the process and content of the dissemination of red ballads. During the first period, red ballads were created and disseminated through the "local party dissemination system" and the "Red Army dissemination system." In the second period, the "social revolutionary organization system" and the "education system" were established, enabling the dissemination of red ballads to reach a wide range of social identities, from children to women, workers to farmers, thus leaving a lasting imprint of red culture in the society of the Soviet Area.

2.Sing a song together ---- on the melody transformation of the Red Patriotic Ballad of "Sichuan, Hunan and Hubei Soviet Regions". As a typical musical text in the course of the Chinese revolution, red songs have become an important medium for remembering history and inheriting red genes. This paper attempts to analyze how the traditional ballads of the "Sichuan-Hunan-Hubei Soviet Region" have gradually transformed into red songs with the characteristics of the times and political significance, and to analyze the reasons and motivations of this transformation. Firstly, this paper analyzes the concepts and characteristics of traditional ballads and red songs, and discusses the importance of them in cultural inheritance. Secondly, through the comparative analysis of the historical development trajectory of traditional ballads and red songs, the importance of the two in cultural inheritance is revealed. differences and connections in content, form, and similarity. Particular attention is paid to changes in expression, lyric themes, and musical characteristics. It not only shows the changes in the public's aesthetic concept of red songs, but also reflects the people's firm belief and unremitting pursuit of the revolutionary cause. This change is not only of historical significance, but also of practical significance, which provides valuable inspiration and reference for us to continue to inherit and carry forward the red culture today.

3. Research on the lyric structure of Chinese Red Patriotic Ballads in the "Hubei-Henan-Anhui Soviet Area". The emergence of Chinese red songs can be traced back to the beginning of the 20th century, and they have appeared in the public eye in a special form, and these songs have awakened the patriotic feelings and revolutionary enthusiasm of the people with a clear political stance, passionate fighting spirit and profound ideological connotation, and have become the spiritual pillar and source of strength of the people. This paper focuses on the literary structure of red song lyrics, and attempts to discuss the shaping of the meaning of red song lyrics. From the perspectives of lyrics, rhyme, and metrics, this paper analyzes the characteristics of metaphor and symbolism, narrative and lyrical means in songs, and focuses on the relationship between lyrics and social culture. By analyzing the linguistic characteristics, emotional expression, and thematic significance of the lyrics of red ballads, this paper reveals how such songs produced under the historical changes in China record this change from the perspective of their literary style.

4. Changes in the cultural function of Chinese Red Patriotic Ballads in the 20th century The 20th century Chinese Red Patriotic Ballads mainly refer to popular songs produced in The First Civil Revolutionary War (1924.1-1927.7), the Agrarian Revolutionary War (1927-1937), the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-1945), and the war of liberation (1946-1949) in modern Chinese history, as well as the first ten years of the founding of the People's Republic of China (1949-1966) and the ten years of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). Chinese red ballads are mainly dominated by the literary and artistic figures of the Communist Party of China, showing the overall content characteristics of revolutionary, agitator, praised, democratic, combative, and critical, and have the complex and multiple cultural functions of mobilizing the masses, propagating the revolution, glorifying the leaders, eulogizing the times, inheriting the red history, expressing revolutionary feelings, replacing music textbooks, and acting as red ritual music The deconstruction of the magnificent changes of the times in the Chinese revolution in the century presents a close coupling relationship, which is not only helpful to deeply understand the cultural phenomenon of Red Patriotic Ballads, but also to understand the Chinese society under the soundscape of red songs.

ABSTRACT. This panel includes four papers on dance and music in diasporic Balkan communities which are thematically linked to the concept of ‘imagined communities.’ Inspired by Benedict Anderson’s work on the processes by which various written media create a nation as a socially constructed community, we ask: what roles do music and dance play in this process? Based on extensive fieldwork, we explore the post-socialist diasporic migration of Bulgarians and Balkan Roma to global sites and analyze why and how dance has become so important in their cultural performances, both in their communities and for the public. We investigate questions of identity, belonging, symbolism and status via the genres and contexts of music and dance. The papers include: ‘Bulgarian Dance in Diaspora; Linking Culture, Identity, and Economic Stability’ (explores the relationship between cultural self-determination and the economic security of Balkan diaspora communities); ‘Imagining the Past, Dancing the Present’ (analyzes Bulgarian horo as a symbolic resource for Bulgarian dance groups abroad); ‘Markers of Pride: Music and Dance Practices of Bulgarian Diasporic Communities in the United States’ (juxtaposes recreational dancing to weddings, which reveals similar and contrasting identity markers) and ‘Transnational Balkan Romani Dance: Affect, Gender, Stigma’ (analyzes how affect, emotion, and status intersect via dance and music to form a community symbol system).

Bulgarian Dance in Diaspora: Linking Culture, Identity, and Economic Stability

„I am Bulgarian!“ When is the moment when immigrants from Bulgaria start to actively think of themselves this way? With previous research and projects, we have already discovered how this moment can and often does connect to traditional dance and music making. But what is the relationship of cultural self-determination to the economic security of a Balkan diaspora member? Based on observations and interviews with members of the Bulgarian diaspora in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, USA, Canada, Japan and Brazil, this paper will examine integration first as a pragmatic economic issue that precedes, accompanies or conditions the psychological cultural aspect. The municipal integration management of many advanced democracies celebrates successful integration with the acquisition of citizenship or other stable residence status in the host country. The conditional path of integration includes learning the local language, finding a job, providing a material basis for living, a stable orientation in the education system, health... This path is eventually crowned with an active social life. Only here the majority of the Bulgarian diaspora (re)discovers Bulgarian folk dances and music. But does this mean that cultural identity depends on or follows economic stability? Finally, the paper will discuss national identity as fate and choice in foreign spaces today. It will categorize the aforementioned options of being Bulgarian in the communication psychology model "Values and Development Square" (Hartmann/Herwig/Schulz von Thun) and analyze the possibilities of traditional dancing and music-making as strategies for a fulfilled life.

Imagining the Past, Dancing the Present

Historically dance played a crucial role in society and culture via its multifaceted ritualistic and social purposes. Similarly, folklore-inspired dance creations were the solid base wherefrom Communists projected the lavish imagined Bulgaria to the people within and without physical borders. Today horo is the symbolic resource that Bulgarian dance groups abroad draw upon to mobilize the long-acquired socialist ensemble aesthetics for the construction of meaning and identity (Willis 1990: 158). This research tries to explore the question what the so-called Bulgarian folklore revival in soul and body is. Moreover, it seeks to illuminate how dance unites the beating Bulgarian diasporic heart thus creating a unique cultural identity displayed so vividly through the festival Na megdana na drugata Balgaria.

Markers of Pride: Music and Dance Practices of Bulgarian Diasporic Communities in the United States

This study observes two kinds of cultural occurrences: regular music and dance practices of groups for recreational folk dancing and Bulgarian music and dance at weddings. Research questions include: How shall we identify pride within the discourse of the imagined communities (after Benedict Anderson) and the Bulgarian diasporic identity (the plurality of it)? In what ways is the notion of pride influenced by factors such as educational and professional backgrounds and personal stories, the Bulgarian folk dance scene (within the current political and economic circumstances), and the visions of the Bulgarian cultural centers across the United States? The research proposes that the juxtaposition of regular practices and weddings reveals similar yet different identity markers. While the regular weekly dance activities (mainly to recorded music) are “lived experiences” that eventually lead to international stages with costumed performances (that bring recognition and pride), the weddings of Bulgarian and mixed-marriage couples reveal a different diapason of symbolic reminders of identity. The latter often includes playing gaida, which evokes particular emotions (and pride), dancing a line dance (Pravo horo), and solo Rachenitsa. In larger states with Bulgarian dance groups, weddings often include a performance. The latter is a program to be observed, not physically experienced. Yet it symbolizes Bulgarian music and dance traditions. Such a trend is directly influenced by the homeland’s wedding scene. This paper is inspired by Francis Fukuyama’s work on identity and is part of an ongoing study of the music and dance practices of Bulgarian diasporic communities in the United States.

Transnational Balkan Romani Dance: Affect, Gender, Stigma

The scholarship on migration has traversed profound shifts in the last 50 years from immigration studies in the 1970s, to diaspora studies 1980s, to transnational and transborder studies in the 1990s/2000s, and to mobility studies in the last ten years. How can these theoretical frameworks explain the lived dance and music experience of transnational Balkan Romani migrants? Focusing on the multiple identities of migrants via cultural productions, I examine music and dance as a window into community expression that reveal dilemmas of migration, work, family, gender and class, as well as historical remembering. Highly gendered dance forms are valued in all Balkan Romani social occasions and are integral to the ritual and economic web. I analyze how affect, emotion, and status intersect via dance and music to form a community symbol system. Moreover, migration patterns depend on economic and political factors, as well as state and local policies; these in turn are embedded in hierarchical structures that have racialized, stereotyped, and marginalized Roma. The training, repertoire, and performative strategies of musicians (often the most mobile members of their communities) provide insights into transculturality and exclusion/inclusion. Ethnographic fieldwork took place in North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, USA, Germany, Canada, and Australia since 1988.

ABSTRACT. Panel Abstract: Four papers in this panel reveal some issues about alternative educational methods in ethnomusicology, including the new research field of "educational ethnomusicology" and the alternative educational methods in three case studies within different social and cultural contexts.

The first paper mainly emphasizes the interrelationship and complementarity between music education and ethnomusicology. To explore the developing trends and possibility of "educational ethnomusicology", this paper will focus on following aspects: the research overview of educational ethnomusicology, the educational ethnomusicology under the applied ethnomusicology, the learning and teaching of educational ethnomusicology.

The second paper takes Taiwanese Xiqu named Gua-a-hi as an example to explore the differences in traditional music education between schools and troupes in Taiwan through five perspectives: teaching relationships, teaching forms, teaching content, teaching outcomes and teaching system, raising a reflection on the diversity and equality of traditional music cultivation methods in different educational systems.

The third paper examines how an indigenous musician reshapes paiwan music identity in Tjuveljevelj’s hometown in contemporary Taiwan, and how she applies strategies to education in paiwan music. Her workshops bridge different generations in paiwan ethnicity, and other cultures, functioning in two main aspects: to increase the visibility of this instrument, and to encourage indigenous kids to form their identity.

The final paper reflects how a Traditional Chinese Teochew Opera evolves within the Malaysian context to assure the sustained viability and relevance by examining the educational system and strategies in the communities in Penang.

Thus, the main contribution of this panel would engender a multifaceted understanding of the new research field of "educational ethnomusicology" and three case studies within different social and cultural contexts.

Paper title 1: Music, Education and Culture: Trends and Possibilities in the Development of Educational Ethnomusicology

Abstract: The ethnomusicology community has concerned about the issue of music education for a long time, until recent years, the new research field of "educational ethnomusicology" has gradually taken shape. Educational ethnomusicology regards music education as a social behavior from the perspective of cultures. Through the research methods and theories of ethnomusicology, it sorts out the socio-cultural contexts of music education, assists music educators in understanding, interpreting, criticizing, and adjusting music education, and makes music education adapt to the changes of music contexts, so as to achieve the social goals of music education. Although music education and ethnomusicology differ in the concept of academic disciplines, there are also closely linked research materials, methods, and theoretical systems between disciplines, which also promote the connection and integration of the two different disciplines. This paper mainly emphasizes the interrelationship and complementarity between music education and ethnomusicology, such as the nature and basic concept of ethnomusicology and the commonality of music education and culture, so as to understand the correlation between ethnomusicology and music education, and the research on music education in the ethnomusicology field in recent years. To explore the developing trends and possibility of "educational ethnomusicology", this paper will focus on following aspects: the research overview of educational ethnomusicology, the educational ethnomusicology under the applied ethnomusicology, the learning and teaching of educational ethnomusicology, the fields covered by educational ethnomusicology, and the possibility of the development of educational ethnomusicology in the Chinese contexts.

Paper title 2: Reshaping Indigenous Music Identity in Contemporary Taiwan- A Case Study of Sauniaw Tjuveljevelj

Abstract: In contrast to the skills in collecting and analysing data from traditional music in the field, this article examines how an indigenous musician reshapes paiwan music identity in her hometown in contemporary Taiwan, and how Tjuveljevelj applies strategies to education in paiwan music. This reflects a contemporary phenomenon to bridge different generations in paiwan ethnicity, and other cultures. One female paiwan musician is discussed as a case study here. The contemporary identity she reshapes not only for paiwan ethnicity, but also for other cultures. Apart from other indigenous musicians, she contributes more to workshops for transmission.

As an official inheritor in paiwan nose-flute in Pingtung County in Taiwan, Tjuveljevelj has run numerous workshops on this instrument over twenty years. In an interview by me, she addressed how she reshaped paiwan music identity in these workshops and her efforts on the teaching material in contemporary teaching and learning style in Taiwan. Tjuveljevelj’s long-term personal experience reflects how she applied her learning and research experience to the education agenda as a performer, a researcher, an applied ethnomusicologist, and an educator in this contemporary transmission process. Compared to the apprenticeship program for other national inheritors, Tjuveljevelj’s workshops function in two main aspects: one is to increase the visibility of this instrument, and the other is to encourage indigenous kids to form their identity. Thus, this paper aims to examine how Tjuveljevelj reshapes paiwan music identity in workshops, offering personal experience in contemporary Taiwan.

Paper title 3: Enculturation of Tradition: The Cultivation of Performers of Gua-a-hi Troupes in Taiwan

Abstract: With the development of the Western classical music education model in Asia, many schools in Asia have gradually adopted technical training methods from western classical music, and marginalize many Asian traditional music education methodology that were mainly based on "oral transmission" in troupe education. Although traditional music has become a part of official education system in schools, the traditional education methodology as Xiqu is very difficult to be used in the official education system because of conflicts between two systems. This article takes Taiwanese Xiqu named Gua-a-hi as an example to explore the differences in traditional music education between schools and troupes in Taiwan. Firstly, in terms of teaching relationships, schools only have teachers for students, but there are masters or relatives for young learners in troupes. Secondly, teaching forms in schools are mainly collective classes, while troupes usually provide individual guidance. Thirdly, schools mainly train various techniques separately in teaching content, while troupes provide integrated training by performing. Fourthly, schools cultivate students with exquisite stage performance in terms of teaching outcomes, but troupes can cultivate improvised performers. Fifthly, schools follow rigid managements in their teaching system, but troupes are more flexible and autonomous. If schools hire teachers from troupes, there will be conflicts in educational ideas. Today many local traditional Xiqu still active in troupes, and their unique performance styles are passed down through intergenerational enculturation. Therefore, performers trained by troupes inherit tradition while constantly innovating through performances. Ultimately, this raises a reflection on the diversity and equality of traditional music cultivation methods in different educational systems.

Paper title 4: Vanishing or Sustaining Oral Heritage: A Case Study of Teochew Opera Arts Heritage Education in Penang, Malaysia

Abstract: The educational development of Chinese Teochew opera art in Malaysia traces a rich history of cultural preservation and adaptation, especially in Penang. As a traditional Chinese art form, Teochew opera and Teochew puppet theatre have found a vibrant home in Malaysia, where it has evolved alongside the country's diverse cultural landscape. Historically, Teochew opera art education in Malaysia has relied on apprenticeship models, where aspiring performers learn from experienced practitioners within family or community-based settings. However, in recent years, there has been a concerted effort to expand educational opportunities for Teochew opera art enthusiasts. This includes the establishment of specialized community-based museum, troupes and workshops dedicated to teaching the intricacies of Teochew opera singing, acting, stagecraft and operating the puppets. Thus, from training programs in museum to community-based workshops and performances, these efforts have not only sustained the art form but also fostered cross-cultural understanding and appreciation. This study will primarily explore the educational system and strategies employed by Malaysia's community in Penang to assure the sustained viability and the relevance of Teochew opera and Teochew puppet theatre, the revered cultural practices.

ABSTRACT. In an era of Africanisation, decolonisation, transformation and indigenisation of African curricula at institutions of higher learning in South (Africa), the paper looks at South African indigenous compositions and songs as a vehicle for South African contemporary jazz composition and composition studies. The normative understanding of South African jazz is the association with grooves and the harmonic language fixed on the three primary triads in the major key centres, resulting in the established musical forms Marabi, Kwela and Mbaqanga. The paper probes and interrogate the other musical traits borrowed from South (African) indigenous music and spiritual music that have come to characterise South African contemporary jazz beyond the above descriptors. Primarily, for there are compositions by South African jazz composers that are not based on the above-mentioned traits and yet the music still has a distinctive sound that can be or is identified as South (African). This study will interrogate the re-imagination of South African indigenous songs such as the isiXhosa spiritual song "Intlombe Variations: Diviners Ceremony" re-composed by Zimasile “Zim” Ngqawana as "Intlombe Variations: eBhofolo (This Madness)" and the isiZulu songs "Ngibambeni, Ngibambeni!" by Princess Magogo ka Dinizulu as re-composed by (for) Sibongile Khumalo into the contemporary jazz idiom. Geoof Mapaya's theory on the infusion of folklore into South African jazz will be used as a theoretical framework to this study.

ABSTRACT. Rural areas in Kenya have often been revered as custodians of indigenous customs and traditions. Emerging from the British colonial administration, which restricted communities to ‘tribal’ villages, the common belief is that rural regions are unaffected by external influences. Hence, they uphold their traditions. However, despite their perceived isolation, rural areas have been exposed to foreign influences as their inhabitants interact with neighboring and guest communities, including colonial government officials and settlers. Furthermore, in the 1950s, rural populaces had access to radio broadcasts in their vernacular languages, first from the national broadcasting corporation and later from the regional stations. This conflux of influences contributed to the development of music genres in the country as musicians combined their traditional expertise with external musical influences acquired from visitors, repatriating natives, and radio transmissions. It also resulted in identities that transcend specific ethnic backgrounds, reflecting national affiliations or the interactions of diverse populations. It is within this space that I center my study. I will interrogate the contemporary rural space in Kenya, focusing on Migori, a multi-ethnic county in Kenya. I intend to illustrate how local and foreign exchanges reshape rural boundaries, propelling the re-creation and production of diverse music genres and identities. By engaging with local musicians, I will explore how intercultural interactions influence indigenous and foreign traditions, producing new musical forms. Consequently, I will speak to the music practice in Migori County and rationalize the flux in modern rural Kenya.

ABSTRACT. The last decade has seen more young adults pursuing careers in the creative arts. In Africa, this is notable in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, the DRC Congo, and Zimbabwe, among others. With the widespread development of music education in African schooling systems, music training is more accessible to students from all backgrounds at all levels of education. However, while more avenues have been created for music education development and accessibility, there are unequal economic opportunities for the growing numbers of artists in these African music industries.

Additionally, the quality of artists produced by developing African higher education systems such as the University of Cape Town and Kenyatta University is not reflected in the economic impacts. The effects of the development of music education in higher institutions are evidenced by the knowledge, skills, and quality of work produced by young and upcoming artists. By contrast, the number of unemployed musicians in Africa is quickly rising, which limits the economic potential of their music industries. This illustrates a gap in the outcomes of music education in developing the music industry economy, deeming the education systems in place unsustainable.

This research paper aims to explore these gaps in African higher music education systems and their impacts on the development of musicians and African music industry economies. The research will analyse responses from an online questionnaire filled out by musicians from different African nationalities with a background in higher music education (spanning 10 years). Through a comprehensive examination of prevailing scholarly literature recommending the promotion of entrepreneurship among music students, this study aims to identify areas of deficiency and put forth potential remedies to empower music professionals and bolster economic stability. This research aims to make a valuable contribution to the ongoing debates surrounding the development of African music industry economies through music education.

ABSTRACT. Digital Humanities offers a set of tools to help humanists, ethno/musicologists, ethnographers, and our students to tell stories in compelling new ways that are accessible not only to the public but, with careful design, can also be collaborative, responsive and accessible to the communities with whom we work. By incorporating multimodalities, multimedia, and diverse ways of visualizing and representing data, Digital Humanities offer greater capacity to center the voices, quite literally, of the performers, audiences, and people we work with. And, equally important, it helps put sound and performative practices at the center of the stories. This workshop explores and questions the dominant modes of representing ethnographic knowledge, arguing that the Digital Humanities help us radically reimagine the ways knowledge is constructed and shared. Not only can multimedia become integral to the project, but digital platforms offer flexibility in modeling the vernacular epistemologies of the sonic, visual, and spatial worlds we investigate, allowing users more proximate access to “the source of knowledge” (Hsu 2013; c.f. Feld & Brenneis 2004).

Many people are interested in the capacity of the Digital Humanities but don’t know where to start. A seasoned Digital Humanist offers a hands-on approach to the process, taking participants behind the scenes to see the moving parts, scalability features, and best practices in designing a digital humanities project. We will explore the merits and limitations of several digital platforms as storytelling tools for student and faculty projects, including Scalar, WordPress, ArcGIS StoryMaps, Omeka, and TimelineJS. We will also discuss the ways in which DH might be evaluated and celebrated both within academic processes of tenure and promotion and within relevant scholarly societies. Ultimately, participants will leave with the hope that the Digital Humanities are a viable and creative platform for knowledge production in 2025.

ABSTRACT. Aotearoa, New Zealand has been home to Pasifika from across Te Moana Nui a Kiwa for generations. “We are the Ocean” (Hau’ofa, 2008) and the Pacific Ocean is our connector. Our island ancestors have navigated and voyaged through these waters for millenia. Mobility brought our families to Aotearoa, along with our arts, our music and our dance, our languages and our ways of thinking and doing. Like Te Moana, there are many aspects of our cultures that unite our island peoples as Pasifika and these include cultural values such as reciprocation and the importance of community and connection.

In early 2022, we formed an arts collective consisting of twenty Pasifika creatives living in Ōtepoti, Te Wai Pounamu. The Ōtepoti Pasifika Arts Collective (ŌPAC) is an innovative, community-led initiative that is spearheading positive change for Pāsifika creatives. The collective supports the development of a wide range of rich and meaningful arts projects and is engaged in significant local, national and international collaborations. We are from Tokelau, Cooks Islands, Niue, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji. We are from Te Moananui a Kiwa. Our artists are leaders, mentors and experts connected to numerous visual and performance arts groups in Ōtepoti and in our wider Otago and Aotearoa communities.

Collectively, ŌPAC has many objectives – as an incubator for innovation, creativity, and design, as a way to create more sustainable opportunities that uplift artists, to encourage greater equity and visibility, and to support education and career pathways in the creative sector through meaningful workshops and mentoring. ŌPAC is privileged to lead an ICTMD workshop inspired by our Indigenous ways of teaching and learning and our southern Pasifika experiences. Expect music, movement, art and performance.

ABSTRACT. The ancient Kazakh performing art combined dance, music and puppetry named Orteke, in 2022, was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Kazakh Orteke is a musical puppetry using a wooden figurine of a Tauteke mountain goat, tied with a single thread to the musician-puppeteer. In our time, this ancient art of the Turks has a generally recognized status of puppet and musical, since here there is a synthesis of several types of artistic creativity: decorative and applied arts, music, dance, and the art of driving puppets. This is not just a dance, but a meditation as well as the children performance. Also, it is famous for the dombra performance, however it is used by sherter, shankobyz and other Kazakh musical instruments. Since Orteke is not intended for large stages, it has become a form of entertainment offered mainly to small audiences. It is considered a rarely performed genre performance. Even though, in 1935, the famous Kazakh scientist Akhmet Zhubanov firstly underlined: “Orteke is the beginning of the Kazakh puppet theater,” it first began to be promoted only in 1984. Currently, it is positioned as a Kazakh ethnocultural brand. The results of research would be interesting for both musicologists and amateurs as well.

ABSTRACT. Dances and their accompanying music take different roles in folk culture and their usage also varies. In general, folk dances have three main categories; dances which are to show joy and praise, dances which are to demonstrate mourning as the dead are being buried, and dances which are used at war or hunting times. The concept and application of such dances have not changed much through the passage of time but martial dances’ practical usage has transformed into a symbolic, philosophical or mystical one and its music reproduces concepts such as fighting with evil and sensualities. In the past these dances were accompanied by Sorna, Dozaleh and Dohol and did not exist in Tanbour music repertoires. Two great masters, Ostad Nour Ali Elahi (1895-1974) from Sahneh county in Kermanshah province and Imam Gholi Imami (1879-1974) from Delfan county in Lorestan province recreated these dances for Tanbour due to their great skills of playing aerophones (such as Sorna) and Tanbour, their phenomenal playing techniques, and not being prejudiced about performing dance pieces in the spiritual Tanbour music. In this article, fifteen dance pieces in Tanbour repertoires will be analyzed of which written and audio records are available. Their characteristics in terms of function (praise, martial and mourning), spiritual concepts, musical texture, musical phrasing and melody structure, rhythmic cycle, modal structure and music structure are also to be studied.

ABSTRACT. A brief review of the twentieth- and twenty-first-century history of Tajikistan highlights the ways in which the Soviet culture and nationalities politics and post-Soviet, globally-oriented modernist strategies facilitated the conditions for the distortion of indigenous, traditional musical practices and, at times, their elimination from the public sphere. The Soviet culture policies that were developed in the course of the Soviet Union’s more-than-seven-decade rule continue to impact the cultural principles and strategies of the nominally independent republic of Tajikistan. Advancing a secular agenda lay at the core of the Soviet Union’s aggressive approach towards Islamic traditions in Central Asia. In the post-Soviet presidential republics of Tajikistan, Islam has gained a more formidable force in shaping the populations of Central Asia as Muslim nations and in informing their various cultural practices. A secular Islamic nationalism, which has come to define the politics of the post-Soviet government of Tajikistan since its independence in 1991, has not completely broken away from the policies that once shaped the Soviet culture and nationalities politics. In my ethnographic account of Tajik musicians, I demonstrate that the secular Islamic government of Tajikistan has carried on with Soviet strategies that distort, sideline, or remove traditions and performance practices that do not readily comply with or oppose this country’s secular Islamic, nationalist agenda. The Tajik government often does so by capitalizing on the legacy of the Soviet culture policies and by employing substantive nationalist agendas in different domains of society. By highlighting the life and musical career of the Tajik Shashmaqom master musician Abduvali Abdurashidov, who embarked on revitalizing the pre-Soviet traditional practices by establishing the Academy of Maqom and training a generation of virtuosic academic musicians, I demonstrate how his endeavor entails remnants of the Soviet imperial formations and conforms to Tajikistan’s post-Soviet nationalist trends.

ABSTRACT. The traditional musical culture of the Indigenous peoples of Central Asia, geographically covering the vast Eurasian region from the Caspian Sea to the Urals and Siberia, from the Pamirs and Tien Shan to the Altai Mountains, and including most of the Great Silk Road, represents a unique musical civilisation characterised by a diversity of folkloric tradition and professional oral musical art. In Central Asian countries, over more than 100 years, a huge number of audio and video recordings of traditional music have been collected and recorded in various archives. However, in recent years, military conflicts and political upheavals at the local and global level pose a significant real threat to the preservation of the musical heritage of the indigenous peoples of Central Asia. In this paper, I will present a selection of audio-visual and written sources from Central Asian official archives, the Volga and Ural regions and neighbouring areas. We will also examine historical audio collections of Central Asian music stored in the Vienna, Paris, Berlin and St Petersburg Phonogram Archives, including the earliest field recordings made in Kazakhstan and East Turkestan. I will also focus on the situation of postcolonial state archives in Central Asian countries, outlining the main characteristics of national audio collections and documents, and analyse the current state of decolonisation within the ethnomusicological archives framework. In conclusion, we will emphasise the significance of the necessary measures to protect and preserve the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Central Asia, the need for more comprehensive research, new joint projects, that have paramount scientific, cultural and socio-political importance, especially in the context of military and political upheavals, both for the growing scientific interest in the music and dance of the Central Asian indigenous peoples, and for the accessibility of music archives to the international scientific community.

ABSTRACT. This paper aims to analyze the Lip-Sync phenomenon within the TikTok application, specifically a lexical variations in Mexico City known as “cantadita”, trying to answer the question: How can we understand from ethnomusicology a network of interrelationships continuously mediatized that restructures the understanding of preferences and social relationship as mediatized action and the user in the TikTok application? How can we understand the audio and its preponderant vocal content within this circulation of ideas and emotions filtered and driven by the cell phone? From a digital ethnography carried out since 2021 in which the dynamics of content creation, publication and relationship building are introduced, attention is focused on the behavior of the body-cellular link and adopting the role of the creator of continuous exposure as a methodological tool in order to visualize the possibilities of reaction, understand the digital practice and concretize connections with possible interlocutors. We found that the reactions and the construction of social relations extends to the possibilities of creation, and this is mediated and strongly impelled. There is a community that consumes, creates synchronicities and feels identified with the "cantadita" way of speaking, with the aesthetics, with the speeches and messages. The reaction and the construction of more publications linked to discourses, ideas and emotions are incentivized in different ways. Synchronization responds to a logic of possibility of response to what is seen with a complex symbolic meaning. The notion of preferences is reconfigured under the dynamics of the cell pone and the app. From this work, questions and necessary questions arise to carry out research within these digital phenomena, reconfiguring notions and methods of data construction, Ethnomusicology must rethink its tools to study multidisciplinary sonorus problems.

ABSTRACT. I open my laptop and put on one of my go-to café music YouTube streams, transforming my apartment into a cozy place with an ambiance that supports productivity. The soundscape invites me to stay awhile as I write with the accompaniment of an instrumental “chill out jazz” arrangement of Taylor Swift’s “cardigan.” Popular music cultures, the music industry, and social movements using sound are increasingly intertwined with the internet. From fan reception to original creative production, heated online debates to meme creation, individual listening to communal identity formation, the web permeates everyday musical activity. This presentation attends to internet spaces and what they sound like. By attending to the ambient soundscaping of virtual platform environments (e.g., viscous synth-saturated aquariums and rainy lo-fi virtual coffee shop YouTube streams), I examine the kinds of ubiquitous activities and practices of digital listening users perform online. Considering the distinct affordances and platform logics of the YouTube, I listen to the lo-fi popular music aesthetics of 1) virtual coffee shop streams and simulators and 2) aquarium livestream radio, attending to the ways spatiality and digital sense-making are presented audio-visually on YouTube and the aesthetic strategies used to extend short-form video platforms into expansive audiovisual environments that speaks to larger tendencies in twenty-first-century auditory culture. Coffee shop simulation streams and in-game coffee shops are just a few examples of the sonic convergence of playing and working along to the clattering ceramic cups, burring coffee grinders, and ambient lo-fi beats, while delicate translucent jellyfish pulsate, drift, and throb to chillwave, bringing aquarium habitats into our homes. While YouTube is well known as a platform that promotes the rapid circulation and virality of videos posted by users, YouTube is also instrumentalized to shape the atmospheres of the everyday, interleaving public and private spaces, actual and virtual sites.

ABSTRACT. Recent ecomusicological literature has considered the auralities of extractive industry (Veeraraghavan 2024) as well as the ways that musicians articulate environmental ontologies in the face of ecological crises (Galloway 2020; Dirksen 2023). What happens when the music industry is the driver of environmental extraction, however? In this talk, I examine city initiatives proposed in 2023 in Austin, TX geared towards accommodating the rapidly expanding festival-based music industry. Conflict surrounding the use of space in the ecologically sensitive Edwards Aquifer caused widespread public outcry and pitted environmentalists against music corporation Live Nation. Based on interviews with musicians, scientists, and members of the Save Our Springs Coalition, I consider the role of the music industry in urban development as well as the ways that individual musicians have worked against its totalizing effects. Drawing from Kyle Devine’s concept of “musicology without music” (2019, 21), I claim that the for-profit structure of the commercial music industry contributes to forms of environmental extraction that disadvantage at-risk species such as the Barton Springs Salamander, impact water quality, and contribute to broader issues associated with urbanization and gentrification. Such claims call into question the tendency to position music as a universal good within ethnomusicological study.

ABSTRACT. Viet Nam is a multi-ethnic country with 54 ethnic groups coexisting for centuries. Indigenous ethnic groups in Viet Nam possess the rich and profound spiritual lives and belief systems. There are many different types of beliefs existing in the lives of Vietnamese people, from primitive beliefs such as totemism, animism, or the worship of the Rice Mother Goddess and the nature deities, to the later beliefs as the worship of the ancestors, the deities, and popular religions as known as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Brahmanism. Besides, there are also a numerous customary rituals of ethnic groups living in different regions, include rites following the life cycle from birth to death. Therefore, ritual activities are regularly practiced by Vietnamese people as an indispensable part of their life. In those rituals, music is used as an effective means to support ritual activities as well as to strengthen the sacredness and the capacity to connect to the gods. It can be said that in Viet Nam, the oldest genre of music to appear was ritual music, which is also numerous and diverse. Furthermore, it also is the kind of music that has been existing and developing most sustainably in the spiritual lives of ethnic groups. This panel will introduce the diversity of ritual music of some indigenous ethnic groups in Viet Nam through three papers:

1. Music in the Then ritual of the Tày, Nùng, Thái ethnic groups and in the funeral rituals of the Mông people in the Northern mountainous region of Viet Nam" 2. Some music genres practiced in rituals of the Kinh people in the Northern Delta of Viet Nam 3. Music in community festivals and in some rituals of the Chăm people in Ninh Thuận province

Music in the Then ritual of the Tày, Nùng, Thái ethnic groups and in the funeral rituals of the Mông people in the Northern mountainous region of Viet Nam

The Tày, Nùng, Thái, and Mông ethnic groups are prominent communities with large populations in the Northern mountainous region of Viet Nam. They possess diverse and distinctive traditional music, especially the ritual music. This paper will introduce two kinds of music practiced in the rituals of these ethnic groups. Those are the Then music in Then ritual of the Tày, Nùng, Thái people and the Kềnh musical instrument in the funeral rituals of the Mông people. According to the traditional belief of the Tày, Nùng, and Thái people, the spiritual world of Then is a world of multiple deities. It is believed that by practicing Then rituals, the deities will help fulfill the wishes of humans. Therefore, Then rituals are organized for various purposes such as seeking blessings, solving problems, wishing for longevity, praying for good harvests, healing, etc. The Then music includes chanting, singing, accompanied with the đàn tính (a kind of luth) and percussion instruments, which are unique elements leading every Then ritual. In the funeral rituals of the Mông people, the Kềnh is an essential musical instrument which is used to lead the deceased to the otherworld. During the funeral process, the sound of the Kềnh accompanied with the sounds of drums, is used to express the infinite sorrow for the deceased Through the Then music of the Tày, Nùng, Thái ethnic groups, and the music in the funeral rituals of the Mông people, we can understand more about the spiritual beliefs and the ancestral connections of these ethnic groups. This helps us appreciate and preserve the unique cultural heritage of these musical traditions.

Some music genres practiced in rituals of the Kinh people in the Northern Delta of Viet Nam

The Kinh people are not only the majority ethnic group but also the indigenous inhabitants of Viet Nam. The Northern Delta region is considered the birthplace of ancient culture of the Kinh people, where many traces of traditional culture, including a system of religious and customary rituals are preserved and maintained in practice for thousands of years. There are various kinds of music associated with these rituals. Today, some ancient performances practiced in agricultural rituals are still found here, such as the Trò Trám festival in Phú Thọ province. In the ritual music, there are some genres are practiced only in religious rituals, such as Hát Xoan performed in rituals those are associated with the worship of the Hùng Kings in Phú Thọ, or Hát Chèo Tàu in ritual worshipping of the Hai Bà Trưng - the national heroes of Viet Nam. However, there are also the music genres which are practiced not only in rituals but also in other different occasions in community life. Eventhough they become the distinctive musical activities of the community, such as Quan Họ singing in Bắc Ninh province. This paper will introduce some music genres that have been practiced for a long time in the religious rituals of the Kinh people in the Northern Delta of Viet Nam.

Music in community festivals and in some rituals of the Chăm people in Ninh Thuận, Vietnam

The Chăm is the one of ethnic groups belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian language group in Viet Nam. They mainly reside in Ninh Thuận province in the South Central region of Viet Nam. The Chăm people have the most diverse system of festivals and rituals in Viet Nam, including community festivals held at temples; agricultural rituals, Rija rituals for seeking blessings, health, and luck; rituals of lineages, and ceremonies associated with the person’s life cycle. For the Chăm people, music is an important and essential element in festivals and rituals. It’s played to connect to deities and to promote the connection among the community, the lineage, and the family. Music is practiced throughout the rituals, the festivals, consists of songs and musical pieces supporting ritual activities and processions; storytelling songs about the worshipped deities. Music in Chăm rituals often includes ritual songs accompanied by a musical instrument and pieces of musical ensembles. Many distinctive cultural elements of the Chăm people, especially the Tano-Binai philosophy (masculine-feminine, yin-yang) and the traces of agricultural and fertility beliefs, are clearly reflected in Chăm ritual music. This paper will present about the music in some festivals and rituals of the Chăm people in Ninh Thuận province and their prominent features.

ABSTRACT. For over a thousand years, the Carpathian region in Central Europe has been home to various ethnic groups. This has resulted in a unique cultural coexistence that is reflected in architecture, mentalities, food, and traditional music. Before the 20th century, this region was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which was made up of various ethnicities and religious denominations. During this time, the elites developed a keen interest in interethnic research, particularly in documenting various ethnographic aspects and traditional music. Béla Bartók was a pioneer in this field and a leading figure in ethnomusicological research in the region. Despite the rise of ethno-nationalism in the 1920s, Bartók's approach to interethnic research continued to serve as a model.

This panel aims to explore how different political agendas influenced interethnic research in ethnomusicology during the 20th century in this shared space. The panel will address the following questions: What is Béla Bartók's legacy in conducting interethnic research? To what extent was ethnomusicological research influenced by national/nationalist and communist propaganda?

Paper 1: In Exile – Traditional Methods in Folk Music Research

It was one hundred years ago, when Béla Bartók published the monograph about Hungarian folk music in 1924 (A magyar népdal; English version: Hungarian Folk Music, 1931). Bartók categorized the whole Hungarian corpus according to musical characteristics, parameters in A, B, C classes. Later he systematized Slovak and Romanian folk music (peasant music, as he called it, and mainly his collections) also based on musical criteria as well. Bartók was one of the first leading figures of comparative studies. As he wrote about this: “a comparison must be made of the material of the different areas in order to determine what is common and what is different; that is, the descriptive musical folklore is followed by the comparative musical folklore.” The most important and exciting part of folk music research comes after the latter, according to Bartók, the pragmatic music folklore. It is due, on the one hand, to this concept of comparative research that Hungarian ethnomusicology could reveal the connections of the Hungarian musical tradition both horizontally, that is in geographic context, and vertically, that is from a historical point of view. On the other hand, the classification of a huge material according to the criteria of musical analysis also contributed to the result. Nevertheless the aesthetic qualities represented by folk music were also emphasized by Bartók, Kodály and their successors. During the 20th century, Hungarian folk music research was mostly conducted by composers and musicians, and this circumstance explains why they were mainly concerned with the essence, characteristics, and interrelationships of music. In addition, they made serious efforts during their fieldwork to observe and describe the function of music in the community, the musical instruments, the customs, and the emic names. Undoubtedly, it was through systematizations based on musical criteria, comparative historical and ethnic studies that Hungarian research had become one of the leading workshops of international ethnomusicology from the second half of the 1950s and the 1960s. The value-centred assessment of music, including folk music, can be observed throughout the twentieth century in Hungarian folk music research. This is possibly one of the main reasons why the weight, importance, and presence of it declined in the international arena of the discipline during the last third of the century. As the dominant anthropological approach refused to deal with the content of music, any reference to quality, let alone artistic value, became obsolete, superfluous, and – in some situations – undesirable. (NB. Some scholars judged the classification of folk songs by Bartók as a strong argument for Hungarian nationalism.) Do we really banish the music itself, and musical analysis, comparison from ethnomusicology? Some relevant examples give the answer.

Paper 2: Interpreting Bartók’s interethnic Research Through His 1914 Transylvanian Field Journey

In April 1914, Bartók visited the Hungarian and Romanian villages of the Transylvanian county of Maros-Torda with his wife, Márta Ziegler. Of all his field journeys, this is certainly the most exciting in terms of the inter-ethnic connections of the instrumental tune stock. His earlier collections, often took place in a homogeneous ethnic environment, although he sometimes recorded material from several ethnic groups on a single journey. The route taken in the spring of 1914, however, drew on both Hungarian and Romanian material in abundance: from the Romanian-populated areas of the Upper Maros/Mureș region, it led through the Romanian-Hungarian linguistic-ethnic border, to the Hungarian-populated areas of the Nyárád/Niraj valley of Marosszék, Székelyföld. Bartók was thus able to create a rich documentation of homogeneous Hungarian and Romanian areas and villages in the cultural contact zone between the two ethnicities. The tunes recorded in the 1914 journey to Maros-Torda County appears in several of Bartók's works, as the composer was greatly influenced by this material, the last snapshot of the folk music of pre-World War Transylvania. This journey had a fateful impact on Bartók himself, on his image of folk music, and his arrangements of folk music. Without his experiences in Maros-Torda County, we would certainly know a different oeuvre of him, perhaps a more incomplete one. With my paper, I attempt to put this early research of inter-ethnic aspect into limelight. Looking back from over a century, Bartók's scholarly narrative and methods provide important consequences for the traditional research of music of long-time culturally coexisting ethnicities.

Paper 3: Beyond the National Lenses: Exploring the Musical Landscapes of Rural Transylvanian Communities

One knows Transylvania for its diverse ethnicity and culture, making it one of the richest regions in Europe in this regard. Transylvania is indeed a complex blend of ethnicities and religious denominations that generated different traditional cultures. Each of these main ethnic groups such as Romanians, Hungarians, Germans, and Roma (Gypsy), managed to preserve their specific traditional music resulting in many musical dialects. However, there are also numerous transethnic common features regarding repertoires, musical structures, and motifs as well as the instruments. Despite this, Romanian, Hungarian, and German scholars carried out most of the existing research on traditional music in Transylvania during the 20th century separately. Romanians focused just on the Romanian regions, Hungarians just on the Hungarian ones, resulting in different views and configurations of Transylvanian traditional music. Not least, few ethnomusicologists preferred a more interethnic view. A leading figure in this category was Béla Bartók, who was also a pioneer of ethnomusicological research in this region. The present paper wants to explore the research methods used by the scholars who studied traditional music during the 20th century in Transylvania. Why does Béla Bartók's legacy remain marginal? To what extent was ethnomusicological research influenced by national/nationalist and communist propaganda?

ABSTRACT. Sacred Connections: Corporealising Intangibilities

This panel forefronts three papers that centre different movement physicalities in maritime Southeast Asia. The sacred plays an integral role in many maritime Southeast Asian cultures. The authors in this panel expand the sacred (beyond its usual association to the religious/spiritualities) to a wider scope and consider the varying ways in which it has manifested through gestural and movement languages. The sacred through movement acknowledges the multi-faceted ways in which enactors of movements move and the cultural affiliations it produces and is produced from. Thus, these papers are more focused on the enactors of movements, paying close attention to their impetuses, impulses and imagination.

The papers are arranged in a manner that reveals the spectrum of the religious to the secular: acknowledging how enactors of movements from similar cultural affinities (Singapore & Malaysia) position themselves quite fluidly along the lines of permissibility, innovation and obligation. These papers, when juxtaposed with each other, allows for a critical discussion on how the sacred is corporealised within each community of practice. At times, the sacred is both intrinsic and extrinsic, invoking movements that evoke a liminal space to connect with a higher source. In others, the sacred is the curation of movement in tandem with the philosophy of harmonious connection to nature, manifesting as symbolic gestures and dance interpretations.

The panel hopes that through the interrelated theme of corporealising the sacred, there is better awareness of the diverse movement physicalities in maritime Southeast Asia. In bringing to the fore how enactors of movement philosophise their corporealities, there can be further critical discussions about the sacred practices and how movement enactors renegotiate and adapt.

PAPER 1: The Intersection-Contestation of Zauq and Movement as the Embodiment of Sufi Spirituality in Malaysia

This paper attempts to delve into the state of zauq in Sufi or Tasawwuf tariqa (Sufi order) practices. It is a spiritual condition when a person loses the awareness of self (wajd), immersed in an altered state of consciousness while performing the dhikr (devotional remembrance) or singing songs/poems in praise of the Prophet Muhammad (mawlid). Dhikr, the remembrance of God through repetitive utterance of praise accompanied by rhythmic movements would often induce a person into the state of zauq. This experience is believed to signify closeness or connection with the divine and manifested through intensified bodily gestures or aural expressions. Sufis consider this as beyond sensorial experience, an extraordinary feeling (rasa) that is difficult to comprehend and describe. However, this embodiment of spirituality is not without contestations among Muslims in Malaysia. There are differences among scholars as to the permissibility of dance, music and excessive bodily movements while doing the dhikr leading to the state of zauq and wajd. Despite the controversy, Sufi tariqas continue to perform dhikr and mawlid, sometimes involving foreign Sheikhs and with the support of certain state religious authorities. Drawing upon Sufi texts, interviews and observations, this paper looks into current tariqa spiritual expressions, the zauq experience and how negotiations are made by Sufis to maintain their esoteric practices.

Paper 2: Embodying Extrinsic – Intrinsic Perception of Movement and Gesture in Zapin Dance

This paper attempts to present the paradigmatic perception of Performative Sufism embodying extrinsic and intrinsic sensorial perception of body movements and gestures of specific tariqat (Sufi orders) in the Zapin dance in Peninsula Malaysia. Performed with zikir or dhikr (performative remembrance through repetitive utterance glorifying God), Zapin as a culture specific structured movement system becomes the crucible for the communion/embracement with God through the perceived extrinsic and intrinsic sensorial sensory perception of emotive and physical stimulations. These are shaped by body movement and gesture, embodying the processes of hearing (sama') and moving the Zapin dance with zikir/dhikr. The notion of spirituality and performative Sufism within the religious corporeal surroundings are both extrinsically and intrinsically represented at two levels; an inclusive performative social dance genre and an exclusive spiritual/mystical order of Sufis through muted dhikr. This paper focuses on the dichotomies of inclusivity and exclusivity of performative Sufism and how Zapin performers perceive their world of spirituality as an active process of interpretating movement and gesture in musicking Zapin, a process that will continue to evolve around an inward contemplation of God's existence.

Paper 3: Water Bodies as Inspiration: Zapin Creativity in Singapore

Zapin is one of five folk Malay music-dance genres practiced in Singapore. It is one of the prominent forms that is frequently popularized and choreographers would embed relevant symbolisms that are related to natural and cultural elements. This paper will analyze three Singaporean iconic works, Zapin Sungai Kallang, Zapin Gemersik Ombak and Zapin Gelombang which were created during the turn of the millennium by Malay dance practitioners. In this paper, close attention will be given to the moving bodies enacting movement systems, specifically the corporealities and gestures that are inspired by bodies of water. It will attempt to acknowledge water as the connector of the archipelagic and the core of Malay geographic philosophy by considering the choreographic strategies to embody water’s different characteristics inherent in the dances. With the inclusion of my perspective as an active dancer trained primarily in traditional Malay dance in Singapore, imbued with a deep understanding of its contexts, histories and philosophies, this paper employs (auto)ethnography and dance analysis as methods of analysis. It will show how these Zapin dance creations are inherently cultural processes that can create an awareness of (i) spatialities, (ii) liminalities, (iii) materialities and (iv) modalities. It is hoped that with more acknowledgment of such works as cultural application of knowledge, practitioners and scholars can further recognise Malay dance’s capacity and capability as contemporary critical responses to indigenous and minority people’s circumstances in the nation-state.

ABSTRACT. Hong Kong and Shanghai are two Chinese societies always described as Twin Cities. Scholars compare the two cities’ economic, political, and societal developments because of their similar backgrounds (ruled or controlled by foreign countries, multicultural, coastal cities, having foreign trades, etc.) and roles in modern Chinese societies (as financial and cultural centres). Additionally, Hong Kong served as a temporary resting place for many Chinese people during the wars and unstable political periods in the twentieth century. Many tycoons from Shanghai chose to move their business to Hong Kong after 1949, which helped Hong Kong’s economy rapidly develop in the 1950s-60s and multiplised the domestic culture. That is also one of the reasons why scholars such as Leo Lee argue that the 1960s Hong Kong and the 1930s Shanghai are like a mirror to each other. When studying their contemporary music and dance performances, we can find similar phenomena happening in both cities, such as an expression of nostalgia, a sense of emotional liberation, and an awareness of self-consciousness.

This panel explores the construction of their identity in both cities in different periods. The first paper studies concerns several cover songs created since the 2019 pro-democracy protests to investigate issues of colonial nostalgia and domestic consciousness that reemerged in recent Hong Kong. The second paper explores the relationship between the popularity of Cuban salsa dance and the restoration of urban lifestyles in Shanghai. It studies how participants liberated themselves from social and emotional restrictions and rebuilt their self-consciousness through practices and performances. The third paper studies three Hong Kong Cantopop songs from the 1970s and 1980s to address the changes in the relationship between Hong Kong and mainland China and explore how Hong Kong people gradually constructed their identity and confidence with the economic and social development.

Paper 1: “Happiness in Suffering: Parody Cover Songs, Nostalgia, Unisonance in Post-2019 Hong Kong” Covering—the act of rearranging preexisting songs or rewriting lyrics for preexisting melodies—has been a common practice in popular music in postwar Hong Kong. This paper is a study of several cover songs created since the 2019 pro-democracy protests. Produced by both professional and amateur musicians, these cover songs have been circulated by Hong Kong netizens on popular online platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and LIHKG. Most of the songs I discuss in this paper are the cover versions of Cantopop songs from the 1980s to early 2000s with newly written social and political satire lyrics. I examine these recent cover songs beyond the role of an outlet for liberal voices when the freedom of expression and assembly is increasingly of concern. By looking into the song choices, lyrics, musical characteristics, and re-interpretation, I suggest that these cover songs are also an expression of colonial nostalgia as well as a less confrontational call for cross-generational participation in the nation-building of Hong Kong.

Paper 2: “Performing Contradiction of Cuban Salsa in Shanghai” “Baila Asi” is a Spanish phrase for dance like this and is used as the name of a Shanghai Cuban salsa dance school. The cosmopolitan salsa and ballroom dance scene is popular in the current urban space of Shanghai because of its implied globalisation, cosmopolitanism, exoticism, and class-based identity. Cuban salsa was brought to China around the 2010s by a Chinese salsero, whose salsa pedagogy has been institutionalised in salsa schools in major cities of China. Through teaching, learning, and dancing salsa, Baila Asi can be seen as a form of localised salsa and “restored behaviour” for Shanghai’s urbanites (Schechner 2002). This paper focuses on the Shanghai Cuban salsa school Baila Asi, its dance practice, performance, and salsa practitioners’ bodily performance and their reception to the dancing body of salsa. Borrowing insights from Waxer’s studies of salsa’s transnational circulation (Waxer 2002), gender performativity on music and body (Butler 1990), and Bigenho’s (2012) concept of intimate distance. I explore the circulation, commodification, style, and embodiment of Cuban salsa dance in Shanghai. By studying the voice of local subjectivities (Feld 2012), I bring attention to this specific intercultural context of the Cuban teacher in Shanghai and the local significance and meanings of salsa. I suggest that Shanghai salsa practitioners’ desire to be close to the cultural other opens new cultural boundaries and liberates the disciplined and gendered Confusion body by engaging in salsa practice. I argue that their participation turns Shanghai Cuban salsa into a site that allows them to perform contradiction through exotic dance moves (Fiske 1989). For those who live under Confucianism and a modern socialist lifestyle, salsa dancing liberates them from the restrictions of current social norms. It allows them to perform “wildness,” cosmopolitanism, a sense of emotional liberation, and exoticised narratives of ethnic others through the stereotype of salsa.

Paper 3: “From Refugee, Co-builder to Dream-maker: the Identity Construction in Hong Kong Cantopop Songs (1970s - early 80s)” It is a study of three Hong Kong Cantopop songs released in the 1970s and 1980s. These songs reflected the changes in the relationship between Hong Kong and mainland China and the construction of Hong Kong’s identity. The Hong Kong Cantopop music industry blossomed in the 1970s and 1980s, accompanied by the rapid development of the economy in Hong Kong. Especially after the first free TV company was established in 1968 and watching TV became an essential daily activity, the demand for Cantopop songs increased for musical programmes and as theme songs of TV dramas. Local musicians and lyricists emerged to create songs reflecting social and political status and public sentiments. The paper focuses on three songs, “Below the Lion Rock” 獅子山下 (1972), “Selection” 抉擇 (1979), and “China’s Dream” 中國夢 (1983), written by James Wong 黃霑 (1941-2004), a prominent lyricist and writer. It investigates Hong Kong people’s psychological changes from mainland China refugees to Hong Kong co-builders and dream-makers of imaginary China. The first two songs, the theme songs of TV dramas popular in the 1970s, express the hardship and bitterness experienced by people who escaped from China and rebuilt a new home in Hong Kong, echoing the political and societal situations between Hong Kong and China, where was still in the Cultural Revolution when the first song was released. The third one, written before the signing of the Sino-Anglo Joint Declaration in 1984, showed Hong Kong people’s hope for a better China where people enjoy freedom and happiness. The paper explores the construction of Hong Kong’s identity in the 1970s and early 1980s by studying the lyrics and music arrangement.

ABSTRACT. Within Mexico, mistranslation and appropriation have been clear hegemonic tools employed to facilitate cultural erasure, religious conversion, and hybridization of native epistemologies with Hispanic Catholicism for the last 500 years. This paper, in part, serves as a historiography of materials produced by Nahua scribes under the Catholic church’s supervision, including Fray Bernardino de Sahagún's project, "Historia General de las cosas de nueva España" (1577), commonly known as the "Florentine Codex". I focus on "Book XII'' of this twelve book Historia, its production, and the malicious influence of the mistranslation from the Nahuatl narrative to the lingua francha. This is demonstrated through the exploration of strategic omissions and the dissection of misunderstood keywords that hold distinctive cultural and cosmological connotations for the Mexica. Through comparative analysis, the post-revolutionary cultural appropriations enacted by composer Carlos Chavez in his 1936 orchestral work, "Sinfonía India" will be explored as an alternative form of mistranslation and as a reverberation of colonialism in a post-colonial moment. The sociopolitical context of Chavez's music will be analyzed to understand its complicity and advancement of nationalism, colonization, and the eradication of indigenous voices. My work builds on the scholarship of Nahuatl speakers in academia, including Kevin Terraciano, Louise Burkhart, Miguel León-Portilla, and James Lockhart, as well as indigenous intellectuals, including Victor Ángel Linares, who have traditionally been excluded from academia through a de-facto system of subordination. By examining the syncretic cultural documents and expressions through a lens of bifocality and cognitive dissonance, this paper attends to unheard, hidden transcripts from the subaltern that challenge the colonial hegemony sustained by these lexical mistranslations and analogous appropriations.

ABSTRACT. An ethno-linguistic group widely known as the lowland Gaddangs situated inside a commercial town in Nueva Vizcaya adopted a musical tradition that has been passed down to them since the early 1960s. This study on the emergence of brass bands in Solano and the loss of knowledge and utilization of indigenous traditional instruments calls for another ethnomusicological perspective, especially since the ethnography shows how the brass instruments were transformed by the Gaddangs into mechanical agencies of social cohesion. Guided by the Maussian concept of the gift, the research problem seeks to answer the economic implications, social contribution, and the moral exchange Gaddang musical performances facilitate in the community. Immersion in daily rehearsals captured the zeal of the younger ones in honing their theoretical knowledge and skills in music for a sense of accomplishment and mainly for economic sustainability. Participation in made kontrata (contracts) gave first-hand information about how the folk songs included in their predominantly Western repertoire represented constructs of kinship, the flora, and the land. The degree of giving in the Gaddangs of Solano is observed to be binallay - Gaddang word for equally divided - reciprocally fair in the way of organizing people, fees, and even some musical arrangements for the band. The continuance of this peripheral activity manifests the town’s moral need to satisfy its aesthetic hunger through musicians who do not consider the option to stop because, for the Gaddangs, to disband would be to stop giving.

ABSTRACT. True Echoes was both an international research project and a cultural heritage reconnection programme, working with some of the earliest ethnographic wax cylinder collections at the British Library, recorded between 1898 and 1924 in the Torres Strait Islands (Australia), Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Working in collaboration with international cultural institutions and Traditional Knowledge Communities in Oceania, museums and archives in the UK and a network of international researchers to undertake research and cultural heritage reconnection across an area of vast linguistic and cultural diversity.

The project combined historical research based on the recordings with participatory research, conducted by our international partners with the communities whose cultures these recordings represent. Recordings were used not only as data collection tools but also as a source of information and dialogue between researchers and participants and as a means to disseminate research results, validating the hypothesis that sound recordings are a particularly appropriate means to reconnect communities with oral traditions and raise the profile of indigenous knowledge. The True Echoes website - presents this research in dual pathways which link the voices of the past and present together, creating a more balanced perspective of Oceanic cultural histories, and releasing the voice of many cultural ancestors back into circulation for cultural heritage communities and researchers to enjoy.

The panel’s structure will be based around 4 presentations of 15 minutes, illustrating different perspectives on the True Echoes project. Including an introduction to the project, the framework, and the website, with further country and international institution specific findings within the larger umbrella of a collaborative project. The panel will deliberate whether this is a model that could be used to 'reconnect' more historical collections through international co-operation between institutions, whilst bringing ‘community voices’ to the foreground in the dual pathway that the website allows.

ABSTRACT. From the early twentieth century, throughout the island of Ireland, the two-row button accordion has largely been associated with Irish traditional music. The partition of Ireland in 1921 divided the province of Ulster constitutionally, with six of the nine Ulster counties forming Northern Ireland, a constituent country within the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland is divided politically and religiously, which resulted in thirty years of conflict known as ‘The Troubles’ (1968-1998). Music plays an important role in the communication of identity in Northern Ireland; Irish traditional music is often associated with a Catholic and Nationalist community, while marching bands and parading are most associated with Protestantism and Loyalism. Much focus has concentrated on the fife and drum bands, with little attention been paid to accordion bands.

The button accordion’s adaption and popularity in Ireland was significantly influenced by the national organisation Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ) and its competitive structures leading to Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. Despite this, the number of competitors in accordion band competitions organised by CCÉ remains low. While CCÉ has a strong nationalist history, the Ulster Bands Forum, a free webzine for members and supporters of Marching Bands and the Loyal Orders, includes photographs of several unionist political leaning accordion bands. Membership of the non-sectarian North of Ireland Bands Association includes two accordion bands. The Northern Ireland Open Accordion Championships state that membership of marching accordion bands has surged twenty percent in the last five years.

Through an examination of the parades, marching band events, newspaper articles, and archival research, this paper will investigate accordion marching bands and their positionality within Ulster. It seeks to broaden an understanding of the role of music in the expression of political identity and the awareness of non-political engagement in musicking in a politically charged society.

ABSTRACT. “Oh, Pong Lang Kalasin!” was one of the more common responses I received when explaining to people in Thailand that I studied the Northeastern Thai popular/folk pong lang ensemble—a statement tying the pong lang genre and the instrument from which it gets its name to the Northeastern province that is recognized as the instrument’s birthplace. A staple at Northeastern Thai festivals and cultural events, ethnomusicologists Terry Miller and Priwan Nanongkham have described as the pong lang ensemble as the “most prominent symbol of old-time Isan [Northeastern Thai] musical culture” and “the most important musical symbol of ‘Isan traditional music’” (Miller 2005, 104; Priwan 2011, 540). Pong lang performances feature songs, props, costumes, instruments, and framing discourse all making reference to various and overlapping place identities in the area. Instruments with associations to different provinces, songs making reference to specific towns and local customs, and massive set pieces replicate regional cultural attractions all coexist and overlap within and between individual pieces.

Drawing from what religious studies scholar Justin McDaniel (2021) describes as “thin description”—an avoidance of searching for deeper meaning and embracing of surface-level meaning and contradictions, I argue that the multiple, shallow, and overlapping associations between pong lang, place, and identity function as a major factor in pong lang’s signifying power and continued relevance and an important site of investigation into the uses and meanings that people ascribe to music.

ABSTRACT. Hearing and sounding are ways of acoustically knowing a place (Feld 1996). Each place affords specific types of sounding/hearing behaviors, as its sonic, material, biological, and socio-political elements deeply affect interactions between them and human beings. This paper examines how Balinese gamelan performances, during both rehearsals and rituals, are sounded and heard as socially meaningful sound as a part of places. How do people understand, react to, and manage the interconnected place-sounds? To explore this question, I will describe several different types of places (e.g., homes, community halls, public roads, and temples) incorporating specific sounds from human and non-human sources (including animals, plants, TVs, cars, rain, etc.) whether contingently or intentionally, together with those of gamelan. Examining why and how a specific sound becomes acceptable or unacceptable in each place, I will clarify how people negotiate with each other, as well as with their environment, to create or maintain the socio-cultural place. Further, I will focus on the permeability of space and sound as a distinctive feature of Balinese acoustemology. Besides creating, demarcating, and transforming the space (Born 2015), sound transcends borders. Due to the physical structure of instruments, the spatial designs of architecture, and socio-cultural habits constituting musical activities in Bali, gamelan often sounds as a part of cacophonies as a result of their mutually permeable coexistence, and as a mixture and interference of various kinds of sounds in a place which might be heard either positively or negatively. I will argue that, in both cases, sonic and spatial permeabilities provide specific ways for social interactions, embodying their aesthetics, ethics, and cosmology.

ABSTRACT. Emerging from the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the song "Yu Yen Pen Suk Na Salaya" (Living Well at Salaya) stands as a testament to the resilience and shared aspirations of the Salaya community in Thailand. The song's title encapsulates the Thai ethos of well-being, a balance of happiness and contentment. This concept, deeply rooted in Thai culture, reflects the community's unwavering pursuit of a fulfilling life despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. The song's creation involved a collaborative process that brought together the researcher, the composer, the vocalist, and members of the Salaya community. Through a thorough study of the community's rich cultural heritage and active participation in local events, the team embraced the principles of Relational Aesthetics and collaborative creativity. These approaches ensured that the song's lyrics and melody resonated authentically with the community's lived experiences. Luk thung, a popular form of Thai folk and traditional music, provides the musical style for the song. The song's instrumentation features a blend of traditional Thai instruments, such as the ranad ek, and Western instruments, including trumpets, trombones, and a soprano saxophone. This fusion reflects the community's openness to embracing diverse influences while maintaining its cultural identity. Since its creation, "Yu Yen Pen Suk Na Salaya" has become an integral part of the Salaya community's cultural landscape. It continues to be performed at various community events, including annual festivals, Songkran celebrations, Loy Krathong celebrations, cooking competitions, dance performances, and radio broadcasts. The song's enduring popularity underscores its ability to capture the essence of community spirit and resilience, offering a source of solace and inspiration during challenging times. The song's significance extends beyond its role as a cultural artifact. It serves as a testament to the power of music to foster unity, promote well-being, and provide a platform for collective expression.

ABSTRACT. The Water Festival (Ri Long Poye) is an ancient tradition of the Marma Community, a vibrant and diverse ethnic group. It heralds the arrival of the summer season and inaugurates the new year as per their lunar calendar. Historically, it has been celebrated as part of the Sangrai Festival (New Year celebration). Splashing is a symbolic act where people happily splash each other with water to show blessings and goodwill. The festival is celebrated in several parts during the day. In the early hours of the day, they doused the Buddha statue in the monastery and the elderly with water. Adolescent single boys and girls specifically compete in a water festival competition that features traditional kinds of music and dances. Despite its rich cultural heritage and significance, in contemporary times, media influence and widespread popularity have led many young people to embrace Western, Hindi, or Bengali music. Deforestation, pollution, and altered weather patterns affect the quantity and quality of water available for the festival. Political unrest and conflict in the region have also created barriers. However, we looked into the Rajsthali Upazila, Rangamati district, Bangladesh. By understanding and documenting the rituals, music, and dance associated with the festival, we can contribute to the preservation and appreciation of Marma indigeneity, fostering cross-cultural understanding and appreciation. To increase public awareness of the value of sustainable practices and river conservation, this study will emphasise the difficulties the Marma community faces due to environmental degradation. The research examines the facts by conducting interviews and close observation of the festivals, and it discusses steps that can be taken to address the crisis.

ABSTRACT. Japanese Gagaku, inscribed on UNESCO’s “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” and still transmitted by the Imperial Household Agency, developed from ancient court music and is well-known today as one of the oldest instrumental ensembles worldwide. Focusing on its performance aboard decorated floating stages, this paper describes its performance, its sound, and its impact on ancient court society. Examples are drawn principally from descriptions in diaries of executive government officers from the eleventh to the thirteenth century and thus rely heavily on earlier studies in philological history. The special pair of boats used for this musical performance were called “dragon and fowl heads” because of the beautiful sculpture of these imaginary creatures on the bow of each. Music was played not only on the water but also on land, and the contrast and integration of performances on both sides produced a temporal-spacial magnificence in a garden of rustic charm. The occasions for which “dragon and fowl heads” were used, the pieces played, the performers aboard and on land, and the resulting visual and audible effects will be described. Consideration of the social impact of these events in the highly class-conscious court is also significant. This paper demonstrates the theatrical and social effects of the floating-moving performance as well as the great opportunities available in application of historical-philological studies to the ethnomusicological area.

ABSTRACT. Quγur-un Üliger is a type of talking and singing music from the eastern region of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. Quγur-un means Si Hu, a kind of four-stringed bowed instrument, and Üliger means story. Together, it means telling a story with a Si Hu accompaniment. The person who performs Quγur-un Üliger is called Quγurči, which means the person who plays the Si Hu. Quγurči talks and sings Quγur-un Üliger in Mongolian dialect. In the study of Kun Qi and Burentaogetao, it is noted that there are many factors that form the differences in the style of Quγur-un Üliger schools, such as the voice, melody and rhythm formed by the singing method. Through analysis, we found that these are surface factors. Through the analysis of the phonology and semantics of different schools of words for singing, we find that the layout of them in Quγur-un Üliger is the deep factor that constitutes the style difference of the schools. Preserving the continued existence of a form of talking and singing music undoubtedly requires protecting the language in which it is expressed, and dialects in the languages of China's ethnic minorities constitute an important factor in the diversity of musical genres. Therefore, the protection of minority languages, especially minority language dialects, is the basis for the sustainable development of minority music in China.

ABSTRACT. The phenomenon of interactive improvisation in performance has received increasing attention in Ethnomusicology. The reciprocal energy cycle among performers and their interaction with the audience generates new music through emotional improvisation within the performance context. All performances are different, and the audience craves the unique personality of each performance. Martin Clayton describes the "feedback loop" as the interaction between performers or between performers and the audience through musical and physical behavior and feedback. The author takes Pansori of the Dongchao-as the research object, studying its history, norms and genre inheritance from the perspective of participating observer to a learning performer. In the process, the author found significant differences in the interactive behavior of performers between the transnational context and the traditional context. Therefore, by examining the performance interaction cycle involving the singer, the drummer and the audience, this paper analyzes the performance generation behavior and aesthetic emotion model of Pansori in the transnational context of Shanghai. It also discusses the conceptual framework model of "pre-understanding", reflecting on the relationship between emotion and music in Pansori's performance, and how the performers adjust to different audiences based on personal understanding and traditional genre emotion in the transnational context.The author focuses on, how the performers constructs the roles within the genre norms by adhering to sound norms and physical habits, how the performers utilize their body to generate interactions between people and music, and how the performers constantly adapt and change dialogues across multiple levels in the performance field.

ABSTRACT. In rural Hungarian dance events in Transylvania, dancers and musicians interact within a form in which acceleration and turn-taking provide the energy for an ever-intensifying experience. Hired, mainly Roma, musicians create a framework in which villagers can show their talents and invention and interact with each other and with their partners. This presentation takes apart the structure of each part, revealing larger form, accepted building blocks, and points of invention for both musicians and dancers. It is mainly concerned with the relationship between music and dance, how patterns in each mirror and respond to each other, mutually shaping community events in which each part builds itself through the improvised manipulation of basic materials. While I will mainly talk about how a dance is constructed, many aspects of this conference introduce essential elements affecting choices, including intergenerational transmission and renewal, the intersection of rural and urban, location in place, dance language and dialect concepts, and embodiment. Discontinuous lines of transmission and new urban spaces and participants have created different manners of learning and patterns of understanding that sometimes conflict with original relationships. Partnering and women’s role in the dance have long been neglected in focusing on the leader within a pair. This presentation will use interviews with musicians and dancers, video of dance events, and ethnographic films to explore important structural elements and improvisation, as well as the personal contributions of many dancers and musicians. Others, particularly Quigley and Varga, offer insights into musician/dancer interactions, and I will reference my many years within this world as a dancer, musician, and ethnographer.

ABSTRACT. This study is based on the contemporary healing ritual performance called "Kuveni Yakkama" which I developed. It focuses on the role of a female dancer in a patriarchal society, referencing historical resources and focusing on Kuveni. Kuveni is depicted as one of the powerful spiritual indigenous women found in local rituals. She is known for using her curse after her husband king Vijaya abandoned her and her children. The Indian prince Vijaya became the king with the help of Kuveni, made children with her and later, chased them away. Literature review and the foundational origin myth showed how the character of Kuveni is ignored and Vijaya is celebrated as it connects to Sinhala nationalism. Another source of evidence comes from the Kohomba kankariya, which is considered a reenactment of a ritual performed to heal king Panduvasdev the successor of king Vijaya who got affected by the curse of Kuveni. The study argues that Kuveni’s identity as an indigenous woman and her curse has been received by society, but society has forgotten Vijaya’s inhumane reaction to her contribution to womanhood. This study aims to open up a discourse on the space for indigenous women's knowledge using ‘Kuveni Yakkama’ through ritual performance. It is an experimental work that can be called “practice as research”. The study is based on using dance as a method of incorporating auto-ethnography as a methodology. It involves embodied knowledge, improvisation, and body consciousness of the researcher. The findings of this research help to explore a new approach to healing by drawing on the lives of Kuveni and finding ways to build mental and physical strength of people to resist the challenges of contemporary society.

ABSTRACT. As one of the vital forms, the Bhawaiya song has been predominantly practiced in the Northern part of Bangladesh and North-Eastern region of India for centuries. This performance style signifies a collective human spirit of agrarian-diasporic people and the feminine solitude and heart-rending cry through a unique way of singing that articulates a dialect and texture of tune socio-aesthetically informed by the neighbouring indigenous languages within the sphere of standardised Bengali. This research aims to explore the distinguished musical genre in an anthropological understanding positing a question of how a collective entity is formed through a musical practice that symbolises their world-vision through a distinctive way of living. This research concentrates on the biomechanical characteristics of Bhawaiya’s tune that expresses the analogy between the arhythmic movement of buffalo-carts on rugged roads and the ups-and-downs of the lives of singers who drive the carts. In addition to the movement of rugged roads defining the fast rhythm, this style interiorises the diverse tempos including the wavy movement of torrent river that represents the idiosyncratic tune of slow rhythm symbolising the sufferings caused by destined calamities. This paper, therefore, focuses on the genre as an epistemic gap employing the method of fieldwork to collect primary data aiming to create a reimagined performance of Bhawaiya which will be presented along with a critical review.

ABSTRACT. Dulanga Gunarathna I.R.Sampath dulangag@kln.ac.lk 0704354276 University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka The origin of dance has different perspective, and it is a complex and multifaceted topic that spans across cultures, societies, and historical periods. It has been an integral part of human expression and social interaction throughout history. Masculinity is the key fact which is influenced to build up the gender base dance format and the expression of dancers who are expertise in dance all around the world. In ancient communities can be identified the specific gender features and movements that are deeply embedded in cultural norms and rituals. Sri Lankan Kandyan dance is communicated therapeutic and entertaining dynamic approach. Based on gender, the expression of the movements has showcased significant features. In this study explore that how the movement, gesture, and embodiments are portrayed in the Kandyan dance based on gender perspective. Kandyan dance can be identified as an indigenous art which was expressed the beliefs of prehistoric era. Impact of political and the cultural identification of colonial era, this dance was used for different perspectives, and it was performed as mode of healing and mode of entertaining art. Although it has shown the identity of transformation, gender-based masculinity dance embodiment has not changed yet. Both traditional and the modern dancers who has been learning and performing the Kandyan dance is used to follow up the movement, expression, gestures and keep up their embodiment according to the techniques which were introduced by the ancestors. Based on following research question I will explore my research. Why and how masculinity, make the significant features, movements, gestures, and embodiments of the Kandyan Dance in Sri Lanka? After analyzing the historical evidence, interviews and dance performance and personal experience I will emphasize that masculine features of Kandyan dance forms in Sri Lanka.

ABSTRACT. This presentation explores the fusion of death metal music and Buddhist culture in Taiwan as exemplified by the band Dharma. Established in 2018, Dharma has remained popular with diverse audiences, The members come from Taiwan and Canada, including Venerable Mioben, drummer Jack, bassist Bull, vocalist Joe, guitarist Jon, and Andy, all of whom are Buddhist disciples who have taken refuge in the Three Jewels.Recently increased their profile with the release of their first album in 2021. The intense sounds of death metal might seem to be in conflict with the peaceful teachings of Buddhism, but the Dharma band has merged these elements to create a novel musical experience. While the fast rhythms and roaring vocals resonate with the protective and wrathful elements of Buddhism, the lyrics, draw from scriptures, aim to alleviate suffering and illuminate the path to enlightenment. Commentators have observed the potential alignment between death metal's exploration of existence themes, such as the impermanence of the body, and Buddhist doctrines of transcendence and impermanence, as well as the sonic and physical experience involved in the reception of the music. This cultural phenomenon of Dharma and their music raises critical questions about how religious experiences are enacted through sound, and also how an awareness of the sacred is conveyed through popular genres, such as metal. Based on my current PhD research about Buddhist music in Taiwan, this presentation will examine how Dharma challenges traditional cultural boundaries in Taiwan regarding ritualistic practice and communal experience, and it will discuss how musicians adapt Buddhist ideas to contemporary settings.

ABSTRACT. "Syndaskrynkel" is an old Swedish derogatory term for the accordion, translating to "wrinkle of sin," reflecting its societal association with a leisurely, sinful lifestyle. Bohman (2007) have discussed how it was connected to the archetype of a young, careless, unmarried farmhand, a dräng. In Nordic cultures, the accordion has lost its rebellious connotations, becoming linked instead to an aging population and perceived unsophistication. The musical genre associated with the accordion in Sweden, "Gammeldans", has been despised by classically trained listeners as well as from within the folk music movement itself. The accordion is today often seen as an instrument for old people, vaguely associated with ideals of nature and the countryside (Bohman 2007).

Yet, these very associations allowed the accordion to carve out an unexpected niche in modern metal music. This paper explores how metal bands have creatively employed the accordion to craft unique sonic landscapes, challenge genre boundaries, and expand thematic horizons. By analyzing case studies, from folk metal to avant-garde metal, and conducting qualitative research, including interviews with accordionists, this study elucidates the instrument's role in diversifying metal compositions.

Additionally, it investigates how the accordion navigates complex ideological positions, from notions of homeland to cultural universality (Fredriksson 2021). The aim of the study is to deepen our understanding of musical hybridity, cultural negotiation, and the transformative potential of unconventional instrumentation in contemporary music. It underscores the accordion's ability to defy expectations, broaden artistic horizons, and introduce new modes of expression in the ever-evolving landscape of metal music.

Bohman, S., Lundberg, D. & Ternhag, G. (red.) (2007). Musikinstrument berättar: instrumentforskning idag. Hedemora: Gidlund. Fredriksson, D. (2021). ‘Not Folk Metal, but...’ [Elektronisk resurs] Online intercultural musicking in ‘the Grove’. Svenska samfundet för musikforskning.

ABSTRACT. Doom metal is a sub-genre of extreme metal that has been characterised sonically by its low tones, moaning vocals, and often extreme slowness. Of course, Doom Metal is not only marked by its sonic aspects but also by the discourses and aesthetic concepts associated with this sub-genre. In this sense, terms such as melancholy, suffering, despair, monotony, and isolation are common in Doom Metal, as are other concepts such as contemplation, spiritual connection, calm, completeness, and joy. Some recent studies have proposed understanding Doom Metal as a particular musical "world" (Yavuz 2017) or "constellation" (Coggins 2016), thus acknowledging both the conventions and expectations and the plurality of uses and understandings that intersect in Doom Metal listening.

I propose in the presentation to focus on the Doom Metal "world" in Chile, to date understudied, and to examine how mysticism, a category that has been relatively well explored in other doom metal scenes (Coggins 2016; 2019), converges with the idea of southness and the local indigenous imaginary. On the one hand, southness is a widespread concept in the Chilean scene, either because of the self-identification of the bands and the audience with the geographical situation or also because of the idea of an end of the world, which correlates this geographical situation with metaphorical and historical notions such as the end of the world and the doomsday. The latter notions, precisely, bring up the mystical facet of doom metal in Chile and a certain indigenous imaginary, in which references to Mapuche, Kaweskar, and Selk'nam spirituality and culture emerge. The hypothesis I propose is that, unlike other experiences of Chilean metal, which through musical practice seek the vindication, empowerment, or rescue of the indigenous (Koplow 2022), Chilean doom metal connects the indigenous imaginary, rather, with the feeling of an irremediable loss and a desolate perspective of the end of the world.

References - Coggins, Owen. 2016. “Transforming Detail into Myth. Indescribable Experience and Mystical Discourse in Drone Metal”. In Global Metal Music and Culture. Current Directions in Metal Studies, edited by Andy R. Brown, Karl Spracklen, Keith Kahn-Harris, & Niall W.R. Scott, 311–29. New York: Routledge. - Coggins, Owen. 2019. Mysticism, Ritual and Religion in Drone Metal. Bloomsbury: Bloomsbury. - Koplow, Jan. 2022. “Aproximación a la relación entre la escena metalera chilena y los pueblos originarios Mapuche, Selk’nam y Kawésqar. Contrapulso 4 (2): 78-93 - Yavuz, M. Selim. 2017. “‘Delightfully depressing’: Death/doom Metal Music World and the Emotional Responses of the Fan”. Metal Music Studies 3 (2): 201–18.

ABSTRACT. This research is a new approach in the area of applied ethnomusicology and creative collaborative research. The project focuses on new guitar works inspired by Thai Isan traditional instruments by collaborating with local musicians and four Thai composers. Isan is the north-eastern region of Thailand and Isan people are mostly associated with Thai-Lao culture - a mix of Buddhism, animism, and Hinduism. Isan music is known for being light-hearted, energetic, and uplifting, a musical character distinct from the folk music in other parts of Thailand. The project’s research methods are informed by two concepts: 1) reinterpreting folk music for the guitar in the form of technique samples, which forms the materials for the collaboration with composers, and 2) collaboration between the researcher and the composers, including a process of negotiating the editing and arranging of the works. Rather than solely arranging existing traditional melodies, this project creates new pieces that take into account the idioms and playing styles of Isan folk instruments, such as khaen (bamboo mouth organ), ponglang (wooden xylophone), phīn (Thai mandolin), and wot (circular pan flute). The new pieces will bridge the gap between musical traditions and the cultural world that encompasses Thai music in the modern era. The presentation will include a discussion with scores and performance of the following: 1) new tunings for the guitar 2) Isan instrumental techniques transferred to the guitar 3) Parts of new pieces from the collaborations by the four composers.

ABSTRACT. This research aims to go through unexplored manuscripts of the early 12th-century CE encyclopedic treatise, Mānasollāsa (by Someśvara III), to reconstruct the lost musical genres and example compositions found therein. Someśvara offers descriptions and example compositions in languages Sanskrit, Prakrit and others for creating a wide variety of structured musical compositions known as "Prabandhas". The Mānasollāsa is possibly the only source for providing example pieces for some formats, especially for genres of prabandha such as ‘Elā’, which are not found elsewhere, making it invaluable from a perspective of Historical Musicology. These reconstructed compositions have all the potential to establish a link to the musical traditions of ancient India. Due to widespread scribal errors in handwritten manuscripts, the current printed editions of these compositions provide very little guidance, making it hard to understand and appreciate them. Damaged manuscripts, incorrect readings, missing portions, absence of structural divisions, and ambiguous terminology are a few of the challenges our project has encountered. To overcome this, we have acquired previously unexplored palm-leaf and paper manuscripts of Mānasollāsa from various parts of India that span several historical periods to restore lost information. Retrieving information from the manuscripts, examining variant readings, interpreting descriptive data from the Mānasollāsa and other musicological works, and creating a critically edited version based on definitions, rules, and Paninian grammar are all steps in our reconstruction process. Despite these constraints, our research has successfully reconstructed several compositions, which we will discuss alongside the procedures and challenges encountered. Our goal is to enrich our understanding of this musical heritage by fostering a revival and appreciation of extinct genres within Indian music.

ABSTRACT. Music makes people move in spontaneous ways. Whether dancing with friends, or attending a concert, the urge to move to music is a characteristic shared by many musical cultures.

The manner in which someone moves freely to music is determined by intersecting endogenous, exogenous, and contextual factors. Exogenous factors might include musical features such as rhythm or genre. Endogenous factors are internally motivated, and might include dancer’s personalty traits or current mood. Contextual factors are related to space and/or cultural aspects, such as the place the activity takes place (dance club, religious meeting) as well as social influences such as other people taking part in the activity.

In this presentation, we will review various studies within the embodied music cognition framework carried out within our research group that have investigated the relationships between dance and individual traits, with a focus on music’s role in developing social bonds.

A main tool used in our research has been optical motion capture. Optical motion capture analysis offers a comprehensive and precise approach to studying human movement. Across various studies, we have used motion capture to compute features related to dancers’ movement speed, acceleration and joint angle measurement. Through interdisciplinary collaboration across music cognition, psychology, and technology, our research elucidates the intricate relationship between music, movement, and technology.

At the conference we will present latest findings of a study currently in progress that explores how dancing together mediates the development of social bonds within adolescent pairs. We will also examine current trends in music and movement research, which uses marklerless motion capture, and wearable sensing technology. Such technology is more immersive and ideal for studying music and movement in more ecological settings and ideal for field work.

ABSTRACT. This panel discusses Brazilian fandango caiçara music, the traditional music of the Caiçaras. Caiçara is an occupational-geographic term referring to the southeastern coastal groups that have traditionally worked with fishing and subsistence agriculture. Over the past several decades many Caiçara communities have seen their populations diminish alarmingly, due to economic, political and environmental pressures. Real estate development and speculation as well as government regulations have disrupted the traditional ways of living in what de Castro calls an “implicit eviction process” (2017, translated by author). Furthermore, several parts of the Caiçara territory have been converted into conservation areas, making it virtually impossible for indivuduals to access the raw materials to build instruments, boats, houses, and other material goods. Nonetheless, in the context of fear and anxiety about cultural loss, Caiçaras, both in traditional communities and urban areas, have revived fandango caiçara out of an interest in sustaining traditional practices and passing on traditional knowledge to future generations. Thus, this genre has become an important tool for Caiçaras to reclaim their cultural relevance and access to their territory. Three speakers in this Round Table are culture bearers who have participated in the revival process of Caiçara traditions. They work to sustain caiçara traditions and fandango caiçara, through music performances, construction of instruments, education and writing, and the establishment of cultural organizations that support caiçara cultural practices. These speakers will describe their work, and share their views on the connections between music, resistance, natural environment and traditional territories, as well as the ways that music can help individuals and communities reclaim a sense of identity and belonging in contexts of displacement and cultural disruption. The fourth speaker will share his ongoing ethnomusicological research that focuses on the importance of fandango caiçara and Caiçara cultural heritage in creating a sustainable future for Caiçaras.

ABSTRACT. Syntax is inextricably linked to dance because it involves possibility within constraints. It is present in dance improvisation and in the variations in which different bodies interpret and perform a dance. The purpose of this panel is to explain why syntax is important, to propose a method to undertake the syntax of a dance practice systematically, and to discuss problems and considerations related to the study of syntax.

The first paper presents a critical review of the method for structural analysis developed in the 1970s by the IFMC/ICTMD, focusing on the need to study improvisation using a non-temporal theoretical framework. In the case of tango, non-temporal elements include the vertical axes of the dancers, the ball of the foot and the center of gravity of the dancing couple, which determine their possibilities for improvisation. Moreover, the fluent uttering and interpretation of bodily signs between the dance partners is key for interaction, and hence for the dance syntax to unfold.

The second paper defines dance syntax as the set of principles that rule the combination of discrete movement elements. Next, it discusses the application of the method of finite-state automata (borrowed from computer science) to the Cumbia Cienaguera as practiced by the San Felipe Apóstol group in Cali, Colombia, studying how the differently abled bodies of the dancers perform the same motif in different ways.

The third paper discusses some of the strengths and limitations of the method of finite-state automata to approach dance syntax, and proposes an Aristotelian hylomorphic framework as a general way to construe variation and possibility in dance. In this way, syntax can also be construed as operations that dancers perform individually and jointly on their bodies to achieve a common dance form.