Music and Otherness
International Multidisciplinary Symposium and Concert of the Cultural  
and Ethnomusicological Society Folk Slovenia

Ljubljana, 28.–29. 8. 2014

The symposium and concert were part of the festival “Nights in Ljubljana Old Town” (Noči v stari Ljubljani), a yearly event which every summer features both local and international performers. The theme of the festival was “A Different Slovenia”. A myriad of diverse performances focussing on alternative musical practices, took place in ten outdoor venues located in the picturesque old quarter of Ljubljana.
Ljubljana, the current base of the ICTM Secretariat, is described by Svanibor Pettan, conference organizer and ICTM general secretary as a territory in which a large number of different music and dance expressions and their carriers meet and negotiate their cultural, ethnic, social, religious, economic, and other identities through their artistic expressions.
The symposium and concert “Music and Otherness” brought together the results of the most recent research from various scholarly disciplines and exemplify the current state of some selected musical practices. Special attention was given to musical activities of people with special needs, immigrants, elderly people, and carriers of unusual vocal and instrumental expressions.
As this theme was perfectly matching the expertise of our Institute, two contributions supplemented the conference program.
Ursula Hemetek was giving a keynote speech titled “Music of Minorities: ‘The Others from Within’?”. PhD Student Wei-Ya Lin presented a paper with the title “‘Their God is better!’: the Practices of Traditional Singing and Church Hymns in the Society of Tao”.
The Institute demonstrated and consolidated its international significance within the study of music and otherness and a vivid and prolific interchange of ideas took place.
 
Note: Parts of the text are based on Svanibor Pettans introduction in the symposiums abstract booklet.