Influential Music Eco-Advocate Scheduled for Regents' Guest Lecture
Acclaimed music scholar Huib Schippers has taken up a new position at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, where he is currently sharing his research on cultural sustainability, the music industry, and music education with students.
Before his appointment at UCLA, Schippers was the Director and Curator of the Smithsonian Folkways label and the Director of the Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre in Brisbane, Australia. His extensive work in the field has also seen him instrumental in opening world music schools in Amsterdam and collaborating with conservatories in the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and the United Kingdom.
Schippers' research has been collected in two volumes edited by Oxford University Press: "Sustainable Futures for Music Cultures" (2016) and "Music, Communities, and Sustainability: Developing Policies and Practices" (2022). A Mandarin version of his 2010 monograph, "Facing the Music: Shaping Music Education from a Global Perspective," will be published next month.
In his forthcoming lecture at UCLA, titled "Sound Futures: Why Some Music Practices Thrive, Many Struggle, and Others Disappear," Schippers will delve into the complexities of global music cultures, examining them as ecosystems. He will also discuss the tensions between safeguarding efforts promoted by UNESCO and the dynamic, lived realities of intangible cultural heritage communities.
Schippers holds a critical stance on the 2003 UNESCO Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. He highlights challenges faced by traditional music and ritual practices under the Convention's framework, such as the marginalization of ongoing living traditions due to oversimplification or unintended consequences. He also questions the integration or neglect of ethnographic research and nuanced understanding of such intangible heritage under the Convention’s regime.
The lecture will be held in Schoenberg Hall on November 7, 2022, and is free and open to the public, with a livestream available. Schippers has written over 100 articles in scholarly journals and high-profile publications, and his work continues to challenge readers to abandon cultural biases and rethink music education in a diverse world.
Prior to his academic career, Schippers ran a record shop in Amsterdam, worked as a music journalist, and founded a music specialist magazine. His unique perspective and extensive experience make him an invaluable asset to the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
In his academic career, Huib Schippers has delved into the intersection of education and self-development, penning over 100 articles that challenge readers to rethink music education in a diverse world. Meanwhile, his upcoming lecture at UCLA, "Sound Futures: Why Some Music Practices Thrive, Many Struggle, and Others Disappear," promises to be a thought-provoking event blending entertainment and music, as he explores the complexities of global music cultures.
