Megan Rancier

Title: “The real Kazakh is a dombyra”? Musical Instruments and Nation-Branding in 21st Century Kazakhstan

Abstract:
The Kazakh writer and aqyn (bard) Kadyr Myrzaliev (1935-2011) famously stated, “The real Kazakh is not a Kazakh, the real Kazakh is a dombyra.” This oft-repeated quotation is only one example of the deep and enduring relationship that exists between this Kazakh traditional instrument and perceptions, understanding, expressions, and representations of Kazakh culture, traditions, and ethno-national identity.

Like the Kazakh two-stringed horsehair fiddle qyl-qobyz, the dombyra captures a wide (yet specific) range of meanings and associations, and indeed serves as a “national archive” of Kazakh cultural history and nationalism. Although both are considered “Kazakh national instruments” and possess strong ties to the nomadic heritage of the Kazakhs, they express and reinforce narratives about Kazakh cultural history and identity that are unique to each instrument. While the dombyra has come to signify a more outward-facing, widely accessible, and state supported musical representation of Kazakh-ness, the national symbolism of the mysterious and complicated qyl-qobyz remains more elusive.

This presentation will explore the characteristics that have come to define the dombyra and qyl-qobyz in the Kazakh national imagination, and the ways that musical instruments can either reinforce a desirable image of a nation-state – an example of “nation-branding” (Marat 2009) – or complicate that image, as well as the national identity discourses behind it.

Christopher Witulski

Title: The World Music Textbook: a public textbook for the public good

Abstract:   
The World Music Textbook project represents a collaborative effort to embrace the benefits of Open Educational Resources (OER) within a flexible model of academic publishing. Two co-editors and I launched the project in 2020 with the aim to provide high-quality content for undergraduates and a broad readership while elevating the underappreciated pedagogical writing that is often either marginalized in conventional publishing or associated with high textbook costs.

In this presentation, I highlight some of the project’s unique attributes, including the active role that editors take to facilitate non-standard submissions for successful peer review; our prioritization of open access, accessible, and sustainable practices; and the ways in which the online platform offers additional opportunities for interactivity, as demonstrated by my own contribution on rhythm and expectation. Furthermore, my bespoke open source software design is implemented with the intention to serve as a potential model for similar projects.                                                                                                                                                                                
Importantly, the World Music Textbook aims to create value for contributors and recognize their labor through a double-blind review process—uncommon for pedagogical work—and the honoraria we offer thanks to a $15,000 grant from the state of California for OER development. Future plans involve offering sample course modules to support educators in integrating the project into their curriculum design.