The Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology

1. The Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology A Progress Report Richard Parncutt Tallinn, 14 August 2007

2. The Problem: Fragmentation historical systematic ethnological 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000

3. Narrow definition of “musicology” • music history of Western cultural elites • sources: historical documents • associated methods and techniques • tradition since 19th Century

4. Methods and epistemologies Source: Jonathan Stock , Current Musicology, 1998.

5. Institutionalisation of subdisciplines Usually within “musicology”: • music theory/analysis • music history • ethnomusicology Often elsewhere: • music acoustics • music psychology • music physiology • music computing  Musicology under one roof?

6. Power structures in musicology • Visible and invisible • definition of “musicology” in Grove, MGG etc. • use of “musicology” in conferences journals, societies • Humanities in 21st-Century academe • generally: • too little power (culture is important!) • in musicology: • too much power (sciences and practice are important!)

7. The solution: Integration Unity in diversity through interdisciplinary collaboration • expertise and quality control • teamwork and collegiality • balance of power

8. Integration at CIM Promote • minority disciplines • generally: humanities • in musicology: sciences, musical practice • minority researchers • women • non-Westerners Aims • productivity: quality and quantity • relevance

9. Definitions “Conference” “Discipline” “Interdisciplinarity” “Musicology” “Musicologist”

10. “Conference” • interest, relevance • diversity, novelty • quality, criticism • enthusiasm, motivation

11. “Discipline” Category boundaries • fuzzy, fluid • top-down, bottom-up Interrelationships • hierarchies • networks Size • expertise takes 10 years or 10 000 hours (Ericsson) Criteria • unified theme • methods • qualifications • experts • conferences, societies, journals • quality

12. “Interdisciplinarity” • continuous parameter • matter of expert opinion • distance ~ difficulty • epistemology • methodology quality?  collaborate!

13. “Musicology” • all music • all relevant disciplines • humanities, (natural) sciences, practice • unity in diversity • quality  efficiency • social relevance

14. “Musicologist” • specialisation in one subdiscipline • acquaintance with all subdisciplines • interdisciplinary collaboration An ethnomusicologist is both ethnologist and musicologist A music acoustician is both musicologist and acoustician

15. Aims of CIM Promote musicology • unity in diversity • quality and relevance Promote music and culture • general values • emotion and rationality • interculturality: peace & productivity • quality of life

16. Methods of CIM Content • background • aims • synergy • implications Peer review • expert • interdisciplinary • objective • anonymous • constructive • transparent

17. CIMs Themes  bottom-up unification of musicology Next abstract deadline: 30 November 2007

18. Problems of CIM • definition and use of „musicology“ • acceptance by different disciplines • relationship aims ↔ procedures • balance humanities, sciences, practice

19. Collegiality in interdisciplinary research teams • common goals • research question • excellence • democracy • equal value and rights of team members • mutual respect • transparency • clear statement of aims • openness to evaluation • quality control • evaluation within disciplines • realistic appraisal of individual strengths, weaknesses • mutual constructive criticism

20. Promotion of collegiality • Examples and guidelines • not regulations • Research • concepts of collegiality in different subdisciplines • strategies to overcome differences

21. Acknowledgments In Tallinn: • Jaan Ross • Kaire Maimets-Volt • Tarmo Pajusaar In Graz: • Manuela Marin • Christian Tschinkel