CURRENT MEŞK PRACTICES IN TURKISH MAKAM MUSIC: ITU TMDK PERFORMANCE DEPARTMENT EXAMPLE
TÜRK MAKAM MÜZİĞİ’NDE GÜNCEL “MEŞK” UYGULAMALARI: İTÜ TMDK ÇALGI BÖLÜMÜ ÖRNEĞİ

Author : Atilla Coşkun TOKSOY
Number of pages : 181-194

Abstract

The cultures which continue music education depending on verbal transfer have been frequently examined within informal education definitions. However ethnomusicological studies showed that music text dependent music education and audial transfer dependent music education are found together but on the other hand some examples that can be evaluated as informal music education develop as very complex and systematic structures within the cultural context. Merriam also emphasized that the complexity is mostly originated from western education and teaching concepts and that the inexistence of settled institutions does not mean that education is not performed or does not exist. In line of this opinion, music education which is a part of socialization process is continued within the family or depending on master-apprentice relationship. The simplest and most prevalent learning method at this point depends on imitation. Meşk, is an imitation based education method where Turkish makam music is transferred within master-apprentice relationship through a common memory from past to present instead of written documents. Turkish makam music was transferred from generation to generation through chains of meşk for 500 years. Due to the effects of westernization movements transfer of music to text and its distribution by printed materials started to become prevalent starting from the middle of 19th century. After the establishment of ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory in 1976, Arel-Ezgi-Uzdilek system started to be used in Turkish makam music education, it became prevalent and was accepted nationwide. Music text is one of the basic components of this system. On the other hand when especially modal expression is in question, the place of learning and playing from memory in education is frequently emphasized by the master performers of today. Today Turkish Music State Conservatories constitute the universe of Turkish makam music education institutions. In this research Turkish Music State Conservatory Instrument Education Division was taken as a sample of this universe. The basic aim of the research is to determine how the meşk concept in Turkish makam music instrument education is perceived by educators and students and what its meşk are. The research belongs to field studies group. The research data collected by using observation and narrative interview methods and the content analysis of the data performed.

Keywords

Turkish Makam Music, Meşk, Instrument Education, Informal Music Education, Instrument Education in V

Read: 1,340

Download: 486