On 13 October 2007, with the supports of the Central Teachers’ University of Arts’ Leaders and pursuant to the context of Document No 15/TCVH of the Literary Magazine dated 09 October 2007, a talk on ethnomusicology was delivered by Pro. Dr. Nguyen Thuyet Phong in the University’s concert hall. Participants of the talk consist of Dr. Sc Pham Le Hoa - Party Committee Secretary and Rector of the University, both university-level students of K1 and college-level students of K36 as well as teachers of the faculty of Music Education and many other cards, teachers of the University who are interested in the topic.
Born in the family which was rich in traditions of both non-professional music and Nam Bo ceremonial music, Nguyen Thuyet Phong can play 15 national musical instruments. He is also very good at singing many songs under various types of traditional music. Gaining a Doctor Degree of Music and Ethnology in France, he is now a teacher of ethnomusicology of Kent University in the United States. As an ethnomusicologist, Pro.Dr. Nguyen Thuyet Phong was awarded American National Heritage in 1997 and recorded in New Grove - the World Dictionary of Music.
At the talk, Pro. Dr. Nguyen Thuyet Phong, with his special style and manner, delivered to attendances the "world music penetration". This is also the aim of ethnomusicology.
In his opinion, ethnomusicology is the science which covers all the studies on the music traditions of all nations over the world. This is contrary to some wrong ideas which argue that it simply refers the studies on the music of ethnic minorities only. Ethnomusicology is constituted of three fundamental elements or stages namely: music ideas, music actions and finally music practices. This means that ethnomusicologists view music as not only a piece of music; they view the ethnomusicology as a process of three stages from the appearance of music ideas to the music practices. In which, the study on music ideas should consist of: music theory (this explains that why there are differences of music among countries), national history, history of geographical development, and languages (whether or not it influences the way of singing of singers). In other words, the ethnomusicology requires the study on every thing relating human and music.
Especially, participants of the talk had a chance to enjoy the unique sounds of various musical instruments which were recorded by Pro. Dr. Nguyen Thuyet Phong when he did his researches in many places worldwide.
Attending the talk, people not only can understand more about national music all over the world but also access to some useful research methods for the new subject - ethnomusicology including: the combination of practices and theory, the review and examination of plenty of unique contributions of music of nations through out the world.
AT