Hitting the right note: developing an archival appraisal strategy for musicking in Manitoba

Abstract

Musicking is to take part in the creation of music, as defined by musicologist Christopher Small. Whether by performing, listening, producing, or organizing, musicking encompasses all of the activities that surround making music. This shift to addressing the activities of music-making, and not the music itself, is similar to the modern approach to archival appraisal where it is not the records themselves that are appraised, but rather the activities of their creator. By applying Small’s term to making music, a wider lens in which to evaluate the archival value of music records is established. Through that lens this thesis identifies the functions of musicking to be considered when appraising and acquiring archival records, places those functions within the larger Canadian society for context, and examines particular archival collections in Manitoba as a case study to begin developing a strategy in which Manitoba’s musicking records can be preserved for future generations.