Conclusion
In this research-creation process, I have questioned the process of composing hybrid, transcultural music through the lens of the ethics. In investigating three research questions around cultural appropriation and plagiarism in the context of transcultural composition, three main ethical questions came up from examining my own composition Pierrot et le Guerre in detail. First, the question of cultural appropriation, in the case of using, or rather “quoting”, two rhythmic cells originating from the Afro-Brazilian maracatu musical tradition. Second, the question of cultural appropriation in an “internal colonialism” context, whereby I question whether I may have appropriated the singing tradition of Pyrénées gasconnes, in South-West Occitania, France. Last, I have opened the (subjective) debate around imitating the style of another band or an existing piece, and how the result can be seen as a “bland copy” of an “original”, or a well inspired original piece.
The main conclusion I draw from this study is that, as a composer, I constantly need to question myself and my process. There are no clear borders, guidelines, or rules to follow yet, and there might never be, if those borders are as fluid as cultures are.
A few reflections come to mind that I now want to share in this conclusion. First, I think that, as composers, we need to question our sources of inspirations, and in case those belong to other musical traditions, to learn about the origins of that culture to better understand what is it that one has used. This part may be obvious to some, but it seems useful to state, nonetheless.
Second, we need to read and get better informed and educated around the notion of cultural appropriation vs. cultural appreciation. There is a large body of academic literature on the topic, to the point that it is hard to find one’s way through it, and I have felt very underequipped to deal with this subject, despite it being so central in our department. If I am to deal with transcultural composition on a daily basis, I feel the need to be at the forefront of the discussion and know what we are talking about.
Third, we need to be well aware of our positionality, in terms of the global social power dynamics that exist around us, but also in the world in general. And to question our own privileges with respect to the cultures we enter in contact with, physically or virtually, be it related to class, gender, ethnicity, or any other mean that has been used for domination and discrimination. Even if I, individually, value another culture as “my equal”, it does not mean that I am on equal footing with people who belong to that culture, in the place where I evolve (live, work, perform, etc), and in the world in general. Being better aware of my position, in that sense, can help guide the discussion around cultural appropriation.
Fourth, we need to question and discuss (more) with each other: colleagues, peers, students, teachers, and whenever possible, people who belong to the traditions that have been used, borrowed or quoted. While commercial exploitation is usually easy to debunk, the notion of misappropriation or misrepresentation is somehow trickier and accessing more viewpoints than the single composer’s one is essential to uncover the possible complexities of certain situations.
Last, we need to acknowledge, credit, and cultivate this gratitude that Ogle writes about the cultures that we have received wisdom from. If we are to turn appropriation into appreciation, we need to know about their stories, their history, their meanings, their context, and their purposes.
In this conclusion I also want to open a bit about another question around hybridity, transculturality, and third space. While I think that most music I compose lately is, at least, intercultural almost “by nature”, due to my own identity unbound to any single identifiable culture or musical tradition, the question is whether I can talk about transculturality and third space, in the hybridisation process. At the start of the project, I wanted to include a collaborative dimension to the composing and arranging process, but the various time constraints and the general availability of band members did not make it possible in practice. Hence there is a lack, in my taste, of co-construction, of musical negotiation, of reciprocity in the process.
I am sometimes under the impression that, in this frenetic world, most people are either too busy or not interested enough, to devote time to create together. It takes time to sit, discuss, try, negotiate, re-try, re-negotiate. Most often, my fellow musicians prefer to be told what to do very precisely, so that they can spend a minimal amount of time learning how to perform their part (to a sufficient degree of accuracy).
To push the investigations further, a next-level version of this project could take the form of a weekly ensemble, integrated into the studies. The peripheral aspect of my Bachelor project, with respect to the everyday work for most band members, has led to the composition process being very monodic, whereas I think it would be more interesting to create together, thereby navigating hybridity in a different manner, and bringing more reciprocity into the equation.
Also, by lack of time and direct connection, I have not been able to discuss directly with cultural bearers of the traditions I have evoked in this thesis, or with the band San Salvador. These could be future directions to follow, to examine better the questions I have raised and maybe get a deeper insight into the appropriation issues, and how they are seen on the “appropriated” side.
Finally, through this study, I have proposed my contribution to answering the initial research questions around ethical issues of transcultural composing. The auto-ethnography and subsequent analysis reflects the questions that a composer may have to ask themselves, and proposes a process through which they could navigate ethical issues such as cultural appropriation. Pending further works and discussions on the subject, it lays a first stone for building further robust processes and guidelines for the students of the Global Music department, and for global musicians at large.