Building an Info-Forum Museum for Musical Instruments
Research period: April 2016 – March 2018 / Project for Database Improvement (project period: max. 2 years)
Coordinator FUKUOKA Shota
Outline
Objectives
This project is designed to build an Info-Forum Museum for musical instruments that will allow research institutes for music, researchers, musical instrument users and others to contribute information jointly to share and deepen knowledge. The database will relate the data on musical instruments to data on visual, audio and other materials owned by Minpaku. Classification codes are added to that collection of musical instruments following the Sachs–Hornbostel system of musical instrument classification and the Outline of World Cultures (OWC), a systematic listing of the cultures of the world. We shall try to share information systematically by relating musical instruments owned by various institutions and individuals from both culture-specific and cross-cultural perspectives with the two types of classification codes. Furthermore, we shall attempt to understand music cultures from a comprehensive perspective by integrating data associated with different materials, such as visual and audio materials, accumulated through studies of world music.
Description
(1) Development of musical instrument data that become the basis of the Info-Forum Museum
We have decided to borrow the world musical instrument collection of Mr. Masahiko Tatsuta, a Kobe resident, as a model case of adding information to musical instrument collection using the system built in this project and with the cooperation of experts both inside and outside the museum. The majority of this collection was transported to Minpaku in 2016. By this process, we discovered that the collection was much larger than we had initially expected. Therefore, we shall specifically examine the addition of basic information to this instrument collection. The total number of exhibits might exceed 1,000, which includes a number of small instruments like whistles and dolls playing the instruments and the like. We expect to achieve the following: 1, attach reference numbers; 2, take photographs; and 3, create material data (instrument classification numbers, classification titles, estimated regions in which the instruments are played, dimensions, etc.) and combine such data with the musical instrument data held by Minpaku to produce basic data for our database system developed in 2016. We also expect to borrow 70 items from the musical instrument collection of the late Mr. Naoaki Onishi in Nara, which will be transported to Minpaku in March 2017. For this collection, too, we shall organize and develop the same type of data as those of Mr. Tatsuta’s collection. We propose the acceptance of donations by Minpaku when basic data have been attached to these two collections.
(2) Design and development of database
In fiscal 2016, we designed and developed a database system for musical instrument materials based on Minpaku’s artifact database. This system, which includes musical instrument classification codes, classification titles, and other items in addition to the artifact data of Minpaku, is equipped with an interface to support online discussions and similar activities. During fiscal 2017, we shall make improvements through operation of this system. By linking it with the audio-visual recording database of music and performing arts and other databases released in Minpaku, we shall strive to design and develop a system that can connect musical instrument data and visual and audio data.
(3) Attempt to develop musical instrument data through collaboration
With the cooperation of parties related to the collections, researchers, and other people, we will improve our musical instrument data for the instrument materials described in the paragraph above (1) using the system of the Info-Forum Museum. We expect to receive information related to how the collectors obtained instruments from the parties related to the collections including, particularly, Ms. Nozomi Muraoka, who is a niece of Mr. Masahiko Tatsuta, and Ms. Yuriko Onishi, a daughter of the late Naoaki Onishi, with information related to musical instruments from researchers based on their knowledge of social, cultural, and musical background.
Expected results
Note: Results also reveal what kind of database it would be.
The musical instrument database to be compiled through this project has the following features: 1) by attaching musical instrument classification and OWC codes, relations between musical instruments can be explored from two perspectives; 2) by relating musical instrument data to audio–visual data, music that the musical instrument produces can be learned as well; 3) by dealing with musical instrument data owned by different institutions and others in an integrated manner and by allowing the data to be added jointly, data can be mutually enhanced. Although Minpaku has one of Japan’s largest musical instrument collections, it was difficult to learn systematically about musical instruments around the world from the musical instrument collection of Minpaku because of the absence of classification based on instrument studies, etc. This project is expected to increase the significance of the musical instrument collection dramatically and to facilitate better understanding of the world’s music culture while contributing to the improvement of information related to musical instruments held at other institutions. Additionally, by sharing information related to musical instruments held at research institutions, museums, and other facilities, we hope to achieve research and exhibitions that would be difficult for a single organization to perform.
Annual Report
Outcomes from 2017
1. The state of the implementation of this year’s research
We conducted the following activities to share musical instrument collection data with other research institutions and to augment and improve the data jointly with them.
(1) Development of musical instrument data that have become the basis of the Info-Forum Museum
We developed data of two musical instrument collections that are expected to be donated in the near future. We have been conducting the following activities: 1, attachment of reference numbers; 2, taking of photographs; and 3, creation of material data (instrument classification numbers, classification titles, local names, estimated regions in which the instruments are played, dimensions, etc.) for a collection of 75 items of the late Mr. Naoaki Onishi in Nara and the collection of approximately 1,300 items of Mr. Masahiko Tatsuta, a Kobe resident. Both of these collections, however, were not made by researchers. They lack research data at the time of collection. We plan to continue to improve the data with the cooperation of experts after the completion of the project using the system developed in the project.
(2) Design and development of database
We plan to develop an interface that allows online data input before the end of fiscal year 2017 to enable data creation through the collaboration of multiple researchers and others in and outside Minpaku. We are currently preparing the final specifications.
(3) Attempt to develop musical instrument data through collaboration
We have requested that the collectors and their families organize the data of the above Onishi and Tatsuta collections to enhance the data. We will use this system also to organize data for the thematic exhibition of string instruments from South Asia, scheduled to be held at Minpaku in the Fall of 2018 and to improve the data with the cooperation of the relevant parties. For all of these databases, we will start the online data input using the forum function when the interface described in paragraph (2) above is completed.
2. Overview of the research results (achievements of the research objects)
For this project, we have enabled systematic search of data of musical instruments by developing a musical instrument database, to which instrument classification codes were added following the Sachs–Hornbostel system. Furthermore, OWC (Outline of World Culture) codes were added for the collection of musical instruments owned by Minpaku. This work supports the comprehensive research of musical instruments in a certain region or ethnic group and facilitates the investigation of the spread of musical instruments of the same type. It has significantly increased the potential for the use of Minpaku’s collection for studies of music culture.
Furthermore, development of an interface for researchers and others to input data in cooperation on the internet using the forum function allows the accumulation of the knowledge of many researchers and others in the database. This development is likely to encourage comparative studies from various perspectives such as distribution and relations of musical instruments and playing methods to enhance the research of musical instruments further and to engender the use of knowledge of researchers and others for exhibition activities, and the preservation and management of materials.
3. Records disclosing achievements (publications, public symposia, sectional meetings of academic conferences, electronic media, etc.)
“Attempt to Build Info-Forum Museum for Musical Instrument Collections” the 88th Annual Conference of the Society for Research in Asiatic Music. Classroom 303, Tonokura Campus, Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts (November 12, 2017)
“New century Museum: Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments” Gekkan Minpaku [Minpaku Monthly] 41 (11): 16-17 (November 1, 2017)
“Categories of Musical Instruments and Database Development” Minpaku Tsushin [Minpaku News Letter] Nov. 158:10-11 (September 29, 2017)
Outcomes from 2016
1. The state of the implementation of this year’s research
We went ahead with the following work so as to share the data on musical instrument collections among research institutions for addition and correction of the data as joint work.
(1) Development of a system to share the data and to jointly add and/or correct the data
We are working on the development of a system that allows sharing the data on the website and exchanging information among the registered users. The development of the system will be completed within FY 2016.
(2) Preparation of the data on musical instruments collected by the National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku)
For the approximately 5,400 musical instrument materials owned by Minpaku, we have transferred the data on classification codes from the musical instrument database established previously. We are now assigning names (Japanese and English) according to the musical instrument classification. In addition, we will assign codes to approximately 800 musical instrument materials having no classification codes. This will be completed within FY 2016.
(3) Cooperation with relevant research institutions
We have established a cooperative relationship with the Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments for data sharing, and the addition and correction of the data as collaborative work. For the presentation of our achievements at the International Council of Museums, to be held in September 2019, we have decided to request cooperation from other institutions.
(4) Research and transportation of musical instrument materials to be donated
Regarding the collection of musical instruments owned by Mr. Masahiko TATSUTA, of Kobe City, as a model case to share information among institutions and to provide data, we discussed the acceptance of his donation as a goal and surveyed the musical instruments. Since it is a large collection, we have decided to transport them to Minpaku and use the Info-Forum Museum system for listing and data-provision.
2. Overview of the research results (achievements of the research objects)
We are working on the development of a system to share the musical instrument data and provide data jointly with other institutions. The core system will be completed within this fiscal year. Among the data to be shared, that on musical instruments owned by Minpaku is being prepared smoothly. Sharing of the musical instrument data possessed by other institutions remains a challenge to be settled, since only a few institutions construct and disclose their musical instrument databases. We will continue to collect information and call for cooperation. As for joint data-giving, the amount of musical instrument collection as a model is larger than initially envisaged. Therefore, we will divide them into two and transport the first half in this fiscal year, and we will start the work from the beginning of the second fiscal year after beginning operation of the base system. A system to prepare a collection of musical instrument data according to a certain theme and relate visual and audio materials with them will be developed in the second fiscal year. However, this plan may be changed since the acceptance and data preparation of the above-mentioned musical instrument collection requires far more resources than was estimated initially.
3. Records disclosing achievements (publications, public symposia, sectional meetings of academic conferences, electronic media, etc.)
None in particular.