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Re: Some prescient words from Murray Schafer

Subject: Re: Some prescient words from Murray Schafer
From: "ffs" brainsci001
Date: Mon Apr 19, 2010 1:58 pm ((PDT))
I would presume we would rather have an idiot strapped with microphones if =
it led to a recording, of whatever technical merit, if the alternative is t=
o be no record at all.

However, I think the original context is important - I do not take it to me=
an that 'idiots' cannot produce historically valuable documents - but that =
it may happen almost inadvertently. In the context of the world listening p=
roject, where perhaps this is the goal - one should aim for more. If the re=
cording works at cross-purposes to the intended goal, then an "idiot" perha=
ps I should be labeled.

Although I must say, I regard with suspicion the idea that an individual ha=
s any good sense when it comes to what will be seen as of 'historically val=
uable' and I think this represents the modern approach: record everything a=
nd let future historians/anthropologists/etc. sort it out" - twitter in the=
 LOC anyone?

paul



--- In  Aaron Ximm <> wrote:
>
> On Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 11:48 AM, Bernie Krause <> wrote:
> > Murray concluded that, "Technology has made it easy to record. Any
> > idiot can do it and produce an interesting document. But to produce a
> > historical recording of value takes time and patience. Many recordists
> > are merely tourists in the soundscape=97unfortunately."
>
> As a frequent tourist and self-described idiot who has produced
> interesting documents, I take issue with the generalization.
>
> In fact I reject it outright, and with all due respect to RMS for whom
> I have the greatest respect, I think it inadvertently reveals a set of
> assumptions about how good investigative and documentary work can and
> should be done that are rapidly becoming antiquated.
>
> For one thing, I think there are other reasons that data-gathering to
> make recordings ~ in particular, aesthetic ones. And there is a great
> deal of potential nuance within that domain. Much of my own work is
> explicitly about the experience of being out of one's depth when
> traveling outside of one's comfort zone -- regardless of location.
> There is much that I might (and do at times) record within blocks of
> my home that is rich with cultural (not to mention, biophonetic)
> intricacies I am totally ignorant of.
>
> For my money there is great value in capturing high-quality documents
> of those things, even in the absence of my own understanding --
> precisely because I anticipate (and have indeed experienced numerous
> times first-hand) that within them others will, years later, find much
> they value -- and can explain.
>
> Small example: I recorded a private ritual taking place in the Bayon
> temple in the Angkor complex one afternoon. Sad to say I understood no
> Khmer, so the words -- both ritual and casual -- that the small
> collection of people gathered were saying were opaque to me.
> Nonetheless I thought that particular recording captured a moment
> worth listening to...
>
> Years later, finding it on my website, someone of Cambodian ancestry
> wrote me up to tell me how moved they were by the recording, and
> translated every word in it for me.
>
> To have value like this, though, recordings must be shared ~ they must
> be accessible. For me, that is the great worth of the 'net and our
> progress towards lowering the cost of sharing large quantities of our
> work freely with as many people as possible. This is not to downplay
> the legitimate question (I know this has been a challenge for you
> Bernie) of how to make a living out of one's life-work...
>
> ...but it is to say that the inter-connectedness the 'net allows means
> that it is not as Schafer contends necessary for every individual to
> acquire expertise in order to make recordings of value. To make a
> contribution, in other words.
>
> The point in sum being that expertise is not longer required to reside
> in each individual, but within the network of those with ready access
> to the network's resources -- of which raw recordings and domain
> expertise are just two examples.
>
> This list itself is a perfect demonstration of my point... :)
>
> For some of us it should be enough to be good recordists. We will miss
> what is most of interest to certain experts, but as long as we are
> diligent in at least noting what where and when we recorded, who knows
> what gems we may inadvertently uncover...
>
> aaron
>
> --
>   
>   quietamerican.org
>   oneminutevacation.org
>
>   83% happy
>    9% disgusted
>    6% fearful
>    2% angry
>








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