The Role of Sound Archives in Ethnomusicology Today

T his paper discusses the perceived, actual, and potential roles of sound archives in ethnomusicology. Although their numbers are increasing and their holdings are swelling, strong reservations have been voiced about the importance, functioning, and potential of sound archives. These issues must be addressed, not only to clarify the roles of archives in the final decades of the Twentieth Century, but also to clarify the roles ethnomusicologists play in their creation, enhancement, and future directions. Following a discussion of sound archives in general, this paper makes some concrete suggestions that would benefit sound archives, the individuals and groups we record, and ethnomusicology as a whole. The roles of archives should be of concern not only to ethnomusicologists, but also to those folklorists, anthropologists, and linguists who make sound or video recordings as part of their field research. Field recordings are usually unique and often systematic; their content is unconstrained by commercial markets or paying audiences; their use is unregulated by international copyright law; and they are usually an integral part of a research strategy. Field collections are, therefore, an especially valuable part of any archive. They are also problematic, and raise issues that affect the discipline as a whole in a way that justifies their discussion in an academic journal.2