Memories, stories, and the power of archives

Archives are powerful places. They hold our history, preserve memories, and shape our understanding of the past. But they’re also complicated. Archives aren’t neutral collections—they reflect choices made by the people who create them, influencing how stories are told and remembered. Music archives in particular raise questions about whose voices and experiences are heard, preserved, or forgotten.

In this module, we’ll explore how archives impact the stories we tell about music, culture, and history. We’ll consider what gets collected, who makes those decisions, and the ways archives can either empower communities or freeze dynamic musical practices into static “official” versions of tradition.

You’ll engage with digital archives directly, reflecting on how they shape your understanding of music, memory, and power.

Required reading and viewing

Our main reading comes from Ryan Koons, who addresses the complexities of music archives and how power and control shape what we remember—or forget. As you read, think carefully about:

• Who creates archives, and whose interests do they serve?
• How do archives make choices about what to preserve, and what are the consequences of these choices?
• How might archives reinforce particular narratives about culture, tradition, and authenticity?

This reading provides foundational ideas that you’ll apply when exploring digital music archives later in the assignment.

Ryan Koons, “Music and archives”

In addition to Koons’s introduction, you’ll read two short case studies highlighting specific musical traditions and archival practices:

1. Ol Woman Blong Wota (The Women of the Water) explores musical traditions and storytelling among women in Vanuatu, a Pacific Island nation. This essay highlights community-based archives, oral tradition, and questions about whose stories get remembered.
2. Stories of Cambodian Angkuoch: Documenting a Rare Musical Instrument, its Makers and Players shows how documentation and archival practices influence our understanding of Cambodian music, culture, and heritage.

As you read these examples, consider:

• How do archives help communities preserve their identities?
• What happens when oral traditions are documented in archives? What is preserved, and what might be lost?
• How do archives shape—or even create—the narratives we accept as history or tradition?

Assignment: Exploring digital archives

For this discussion, you’ll explore musical archives hosted by institutions like the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, or other digital collections of your choice. Your goal is to examine how archives shape our knowledge of music, history, and culture.

Choose a digital music archive (suggestions below). Spend some time browsing and listening carefully to examples from its collections. Pay close attention to:

• What kind of music and musicians are represented (or not)?
• How do archives present these musical practices? What information is provided, and how does this context influence your understanding?
• How might this archival presentation reinforce certain ideas about what music is “official,” “authentic,” or “correct”?

Reflect on issues of power: Who creates, manages, and controls this archive? What impact might these choices have on how music is remembered or forgotten?

Potential archives to explore

• Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
• Library of Congress National Jukebox (This is one of many sound- and music-oriented collections at the Library of Congress. You are welcome to look at others as well.)
• Association for Cultural Equity (Alan Lomax Archives) (The “Exhibits” link might be a good place to start.)
• Other institutions also have online archival materials. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio and the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee are two examples that you can easily search for. Both usually have “exhibits” that rotate and serve as excellent examples for the purpose of this assignment.

Directions

In your short essay (300 words), discuss your archival exploration. Use specifics from the archive you explored, such as particular recordings, musicians, or collection descriptions. Reflect on how the archival context shapes your experience of the music and the culture it represents. Clearly connect your thoughts to ideas from this module’s readings (Koons and the case studies).

Some guiding questions (you don’t need to answer them all!):

• What struck you as meaningful or surprising about how music is presented in your chosen archive?
• What voices or perspectives seem prominent or missing?
• How does the archival format influence how you listen, learn, and remember?
• What does the archive say (explicitly or implicitly) about “correct” ways to perform or preserve musical tradition?

An important note

In responding to your classmates, compare your archival experiences. Were there similarities or significant differences in what you found? Engage with each other’s reflections on how archives shape memory, identity, and power.

Clearly connect your insights to the readings. Without explicit references to the readings, you won’t be able to get full credit. Review the discussion grading rubrics for details, and don’t hesitate to ask if you need any clarification!