Seminar: Sound Archiving in Ethnomusicology

University of Washington, Winter 2010, Music 512 A (3 credits)
Tuesdays, 1:30-3:50, Music Bldg. 27

Laurel Sercombe (julius@uw.edu) and John Vallier (vallier@uw.edu), co-instructors
Office Hours: By appointment
Class dates: Jan. 5, 12, 19, 26; Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23; March 2, 9
Final project due – Monday, March 15, 4:00 p.m. (Music 28B)

Documents

• Class syllabus
• Final Paper Ideas
• Sound Archiving Concepts and Terminology
• Glossary of Terms for Sound Archiving and Digitization
• Cataloing Terms
  
• Description Presentation

The development of sound recording technology in the 1890s revolutionized scholarly research in music. With the establishment of the first sound archives at the turn of the 20th century, the link between the comparative study of the world’s music and sound archiving was firmly established. This link is the starting point for an exploration of the principles and practice of sound archiving in historical and contemporary contexts. Topics to be covered include:

- archival principles, functions, and activities
- the history of sound recording
- the historical relationship between Ethnomusicology and sound archiving
- copyright and ethics
- digital access and preservation: standards, best practices
- the “green” archive
- global perspectives on sound archiving in the digital age