The congress will be held in its newly acquired state-of-the-art facilities in Building 22.
SASRIM originated in 2006 as a result of the merger of the Musicological and Ethnomusicological societies. The focus of this organisation is to foster a culture of research and promote scholarship in all aspects of music. Although the society's members are predominantly based in South Africa, collaborations and research into music in its broader Southern African, African and international contexts are fostered and encouraged.
"This conference aims to stimulate discourse on a range of themes about and related to music, including research that extends across traditional boundaries," says Dr. Chats Devroop, a senior lecturer at the Department of Performing Arts at TUT and a member of the organising committee. "Given the recent furore in the arts over a painting displayed at the Goodman Gallery, aspects of ethics and aesthetics will also be given a platform. A highlight at this event will be the keynote address by and presence of eminent African ethnomusicologist and composer, Professor Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia of Ghana. Prof Nketia has often been referred to as the most published and best-known authority on African music and aesthetics in the world," says Dr. Devroop.
"As a newcomer in the music research arena, TUT has volunteered to host this conference in order to encourage and promote scholarship. We are extremely grateful to our more established partners, the University of South Africa and the University of the North-West who will be guiding us in this process," adds Dr. Devroop.
Musicology has been taught at Unisa as a distinct discipline since the late 1960s. The School of Music and Conservatory at NWU, by contrast, offers exceptional instruction in Western classical music, jazz and African music. It continuously strives to be one of the pre-eminent institutions for music instruction and research in South Africa.
