Dr Brian Diettrich, who specialises in music of Micronesia, has worked closely with University of Hawai’i Emeritus Professor Barbara B. Smith to digitally transfer her collection and master recordings, as well as produce detailed documentation of the materials.
Emeritus Professor Smith’s collection comprises recordings she made in 1963 and includes examples of traditional performance genres rarely practiced in Micronesia today.
Historical sound recordings of speech, music, and performances often represent treasured cultural resources for communities, says Dr Diettrich.
“From a global perspective recordings provide invaluable information on language, musical genres, and cultural practices.
“From a local perspective, they also offer the voices of ancestors heard across time for future generations.”
Later this month, Dr Diettrich will meet with Emeritus Professor Smith and staff at the University of Hawai‘i’s Mānoa Library which holds the original materials. He will then transport the digital collection and materials to archives at two tertiary institutions in Micronesia.
The establishment of the collection in Micronesia will allow for local access to the recordings for education and research. While in Micronesia later this month, Dr Diettrich will meet with educators, cultural, and governmental representatives about the significance of the collection.
“The recordings include chant and song by prominent elders and cultural leaders from the mid twentieth century and are a window into the cultural and colonial landscape in the region during the post-war period.
“Part of the recordings from the islands of Chuuk include singing at a requiem mass after the assassination of American President John F Kennedy, whose administration played a significant role in the islands under the United States.”