Communities of Engaged Performance: Investigating Soundscapes and the Sonorous Past

Summary

The relationship between individuals and urban soundscapes can tell us about the personhood and sonic practices of people in the past. To reconstruct the interaction between a musician and audience in archaeological contexts, I introduce a novel theoretical framework called ‘communities of engaged performance’ (CEP). CEP is defined as the transmission of knowledge through performance resulting in variable group-specific sound practices. CEP is derived and builds upon theories of ‘communities of practice’ and is identifiable in the archaeological record as intentional modifications to both space and sound-related artefacts. CEP is especially pertinent to the discussion of multicultural social organization, because it denotes group identity based on consistencies within practices rather than by ethnic origin. For example, variation in instrument design, playing of a musical instrument (gestures, finger positions, etc.), or in soundscapes might suggest the presence of several distinct communities of engaged musical performance. On the other hand, consistency or shared practices across groups might reflect the development of a single performance community. A case study from Central America will explore these different aspects of CEP in a multi-ethnic landscape.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21836