Organization - University of the Philippines Center for Ethnomusicology

The Center has the following functions/objectives:

• to develop, organize, manage, and conduct music research with focus on the development of new theories of music and music creation, to do ethnomusicological survey of the Philippines and the world, maintain and upkeep archive holdings and music instruments, utilize the collection in the study of the fundamentals binding the musics of Asia and the relationship of languages to music structure, and to foster interdisciplinary as well as international collaboration in conducting music research;
• to serve as a source of teaching and research materials, and house them including all musical instruments in appropriate spaces;
• to publish and disseminate research of the Center;
• to conduct dialogues, trainings, conferences, and other activities in the interest of furthering musical knowledge relative to its primary functions; and,
• to receive and manage funds contributed by public and private persons and entities.

The name, “UP Center for Ethnomusicology“, is an outcome of its former appellation, the “U.P. Ethnomusicology Archives”. Established in June 16, 1997 by the U.P. Board of Regents in recognition of Professor Jose Maceda’s visionary work and authorship of putting together an ethnomusicological collection of about 2500 hours of recorded music in open reel and cassette tapes, field notes, music transcriptions, song texts, photographs, music instruments, music compositions, personal files, about 2000 books and journals, all of which he personally initiated and developed as a unified institutional resource for music research.

The U.P. Center for Ethnomusicology aims to serve as a leading research institution in the region, perpetuating and harnessing the Jose Maceda Collection and generate musical and music-related knowledge and materials from an interdisciplinary perspective for academic study, pedagogy, artistic production and other applications. The Center and its collection exists to assist scholars (representing disciplines in the humanities and social sciences), composers, and serious artists and pedagogues in music.

The primary missions of the Center are to:

• Complete, organize, preserve, and make accessible a representative ethnomusicological survey of the Philippines;
• Provide primary information on the musical traditions in the Philippines to Filipinos as well as the international community of scholars;
• Encourage local and international scholars and artists to utilize the collection in advancing knowledge of musical cultures in the Philippines vis-à-vis the larger Southeast Asian community through comparative studies and exchanges; and,
• Search for new theories of music and contemporary musical expressions through the studies of the materials in the collection.

Preservation

The UPCE embarks on a continuous effort to preserve its holdings, employing the most up-to-date techniques, processes, best practices, and policies in preservation, conservation, and restoration of materials. The UPCE makes sure to employ the best personnel and technology in implementing its preservation program. In addition, the Center holds periodic inventory and evaluation of its library, archive, and instrumentarium holdings.

Data Collection and Dissemination

The UPCE continuously and periodically visits and re-visits selected research areas to update, correct, add, and enrich its collection through qualitative research. Documented data are summarized, reported, and disseminated or published through print, AV, and its web presence, with proper acknowledgement to the community and the granting institutions. The Center maintains responsibility in releasing or withholding any privileged information as requested by the informants, the community, or granting institutions in the dissemination and publication of data. The UPCE occasionally conducts cooperative field data collection and resource sharing with similar institutions both locally and internationally.

Repatriation

Upon finalization of data processing, format transfer (if needed), and metadata encoding, the UPCE packages research data to be repatriated to the appropriate community. The Center endeavors to repatriate field recordings in their entirety whilst ensuring its integrity and authenticity. Repatriation of data are channeled through the local government and the appropriate national government agency (i.e. National Commission for Indigenous Peoples [NCIP]).

Publications

The UPCE periodically releases quality and timely publications in print (such as academic journals, books, annual reports, project terminal reports, manuals, etc.) and/or non-print (audio, video, AV, web articles, ebooks, etc.). 

Dialogues and Fora

The Center conducts conferences, seminars, workshops, dialogues, meetings, and fora relevant to its mission and functions. The UPCE also occasionally conducts events in cooperation with other units in the University and similar institutions both locally and internationally.

Concerts and Exhibits

The Center hosts concerts and exhibits relevant to its collection and its mission and functions. These events are conducted in cooperation with other units in the University and similar institutions both locally and internationally.