There are no doubts that the analog recording, editing and storing technology of sound is over. Although  the input and the final output of any sound  still has to be analog,  when we use the term digital, we refer to everything which happens after the A/D conversion. Hypothetically we can assume that these two last residues of the analog communication will disappear in the future, i.e. all audio events will happen entirely in the digital virtual reality. We could also assume that the experiments with the location of the centers for auditive pleasure could open a possibility of direct stimulation and simulation of acoustic events, and consequently enable further reduction of the analog segments.

     The expectation that future cultural communication in all areas including music, will be predominantly organized through  electronic and computer media, emphasizes the need for structural changes in the creative processes and the processes of transfer and communication. We do not advocate an idea of disappearance of any of the traditional communication forms; we only envisage changes in the participation ratio in favor of the electronic and computer media.

    Being aware of these changes and the needs to restructure the strategic goals of UKIM SM   (University "Sts. Kiril and Metodij" School of Music),  we defined the basic segments of our future mission -  the digital promotion and archiving of Macedonian music culture.
These two segments overlap to a certain level because : to promote music digitally, we should record it (archivate it), and archiving means promotion in a wider sense, as it allows future  use of the recorded materials. By digitisation archiving gains quality.  Being digital means long life, digital longa vita brevis.
    In fact we realized that the major issue is not the format of the sound carrier, but digitisation. Standards and formats are changing with accelerating speed and at the moment it is impossible to define a sound carrier which will be in use even longer than 5 years. That is why we accepted the new concept of data migration as crucial for any future strategy. Because only digitised materials could migrate quickly among the carriers, we come again to the digitisation as conditio sine qua non for any future action.

    In order to accomplish our strategic goals we defined the two major areas of activities:

- training
- archiving.

    The rare training programs or total  absence of courses for digital sound technology not only at UKIM SM but also, in the all other Balkan schools of music, conservatories, academies etc., results in a lack of specialists, and in a large sense, a lack of awareness on the consequences of the digital music era.

    The archiving of music in digital format mainly relates to the most recent music products.  When we take into consideration  the quantity of human and technical resources which  should be involved in the process of analog to digital conversion of music cultural heritage, we become seriously concerned with the time constraints, because most of the sound carriers could be soon or in the nearest future unusable and unreadable.

     The urgency of these issues motivated UKIM SM  to apply for a Tempus grant with a major objective -  Development of Electronic Music and Audio Recording Courses in the undergraduate program of UKIM SM. This objective was further elaborated as: harmonization of the educational programs with the programs of other European music education institutions, training of composers for use of the new electronic media, training of other professionals to take position in the audio recording area in broadcasting media, and use of the equipment for recording and archiving of music cultural heritage.

     The project received Tempus support (TEMPUS JEP 13567/1998) and was accomplished with the cooperation of the
Trinity College of Music from London and Koninklijk Conservatorium from Den Haag.

     The direct result of the project was the opening of the sonology program as a unit at the Department for theory and composition at UKIM SM. The goals and the tasks of this program were defined as:
- training composers for use of electronic and computer means for composition;
- training students from the theory and pedagogy department for use of electronic and computer means in theory and education;
- training students for recording;
- recording and archiving of music.

     We have also built one electronic music studio based on  Macintosh computers (G3 and G4), digital mixing console Yamaha O2R, DAT and ADAT machines, Logic Audio and Pro Tools audio recording software, Capybara, and other analog and digital multi-purpose equipment .
 Although the limited size of the studio room and the capacity of the equipment did not allow a greater number of participants in the program, during the two semesters of 2000/2001, we enrolled two groups: one undergraduate (junior and senior,  i.e. III and IV year students)  and one graduate group. The considerably high interest for the program resulted in a large number of applications which was over our capacity. This  confirmed our main intention - spreading the awareness of the importance of the new technology,  particularly among young music professionals. On the other hand, the program attracted the attention of the much wider audience,  and had a significant multiplier effect  beyond the immediate target group.

     Encouraged by the results of the first project, the same consortium of institutions prepared another application: Development of IRAM - Institute for Research and Archiving of Music. The project was approved (TEMPUS CD_JEP15019-2000) and we are already concerned with the tasks from the first of the three planned years.

    In addition to the educational goals (extended and continuous forms of education),  we wanted to move further in the accomplishment of our mission - promotion and archiving of Macedonian music cultural heritage in digital format. We also introduced the research component to  develop  and support research activities, especially in the area of music creativity (both composition and performance) and creation of innovative artistic products in local culture.

    Nevertheless, the central task of the project was to create the multi-media database for music cultural heritage in digital format. After the formation, this database should be available both on-line and through digital sound carriers. The project did not limit  the archiving to any specific genre, i.e. it covered all extant genres and forms of music, or music culture in general.

    Having in mind that the problem of digital archiving and documentation of folk music becomes crucial for the preservation of cultural heritage, we developed additional project "Research and Digital Archiving of Macedonian Music Folklore" (with Musikethnologisches Archiv der Universitat Zurich, granted by SCOPES program of Swiss National Science Foundation ? SNF, for the years 2000-2003). Most of the extremely valuable folk music materials were recorded decades ago, mainly on perishable sound carriers (such as tapes for instance) and some of them are already in very poor condition or inaccessible for playback. Also, the quantity of these recordings, stored in institutions such as ethnomusicological institute, radio stations etc.,  or individual homes, presents major problem. Until now, we have not heard about any larger initiative launched by these institutions or individuals which could contribute  towards systematic conversion and preservation in digital form.

    The main objective of this 30 month project is the digital storage of the analog folk music audio materials and related video, graphic and textual data. In order to accomplish this goal, we had to start with the definition and the development of  methodology for digital archiving, and the testing of the methodology through samples, i.e. pilot database.
The theoretical, methodological and practical problems we have just spoken about, are reflected in the papers of the seven young musicologists and ethnomusicologists included in this brochure. They were presented at the conference “Reflections on Macedonian Music” which was also the first official and public activity of IRAM.  It was designed to promote IRAM, but also to promote the seven young researchers, graduate and doctoral students at UKIM SM.

    We could not find better, more representative and suitable place for our conference than Trinity College of Music in London. The offer to host the conference also reflects the long-standing cooperation between UKIM SM and Trinity, which has resulted in several other important projects (exchange of students, professors,  programs,  conferences etc.).

    The papers and the audio examples presented during this conference will be also available online at www.mmc.edu.mk , where a special section for the activities of IRAM will be linked. Thus, the main idea digital promotion and archiving  of music will find its most appropriate  and prominent place  - Internet.
 
 
 

(Electronic music studios at UKIM  SM)

(Electronic music studios at UKIM SM)

(The first  group of undergraduate students enrolled in sonology program in 2000/2001)
 
 
 

Other papers by Dr. Buzarovski at IRAM page:

       Musicology and ethnomusicology in the digital era