LOST MUSIC & LANGUAGE

Series

Lost Music & Language Series

In many parts of the world, music and language are passed down to generations through oral tradition. There are countless tribes, communities, and families who have never recorded these traditions. For some, it's the explorers and anthropologists that have brought violence to their lands and way of life. For others, it’s not having access to the technology or tools to preserve it. Many families don’t teach their own children these traditions for fear of lack of work and ongoing violence. For these reasons, these arts are quickly disappearing as the newer generations are assimilating into tourism and Western culture to survive.

We will trace the origins and histories of these quickly disappearing musical traditions and languages (in N. America alone, 100+ languages are now extinct). Time is of the essence to tell stories as the last of the culture, music and language carriers pass- sometimes they are one and the same since languages and histories are often passed down through generations in song.

Through exploration and preservation of music and language, we explore sonic and ancestral landscapes, and observe what makes each culture unique and also what brings us all together.