RAI RESEARCH SEMINAR

SEMINAR SERIES AT THE ROYAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE

Musical Instruments and Material Culture

Professor Kevin Dawe, University of Kent

Wednesday 25 November at 5.30 pm

The seminal Handbook of Material Culture (2006) provides a broad introduction to its field of study and demonstrates how well material culture studies is embedded and established within anthropology. For this ethnomusicologist though it is disappointing to find little mention of musical instruments within that tome. Perhaps their importance has been underestimated? Or perhaps it is up to ethnomusicologists to demonstrate the need for their inclusion? We have much to learn from such publications as the Handbook of Material Culture, which challenge us to reconceptualise and study in greater depth ‘musical instruments’ (a project proposed by Margaret Kartomi in 1990). What progress has been made? In trying to provide an update, the speaker will draw from his own work on the cultures of the guitar and the lyra of Crete.

Kartomi, Margaret. (1990) On Concepts and Classifications of Musical Instruments. Chicago: Chicago University Press.
Tilley, Chris et al. (2006) Handbook of Material Culture. London: Sage.

This event is free, but tickets must be booked. To book tickets please go to http://kevindawe.eventbrite.co.uk