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INFORMATIONAuthor(s): Naomi SharpSource: Fontes Artis Musicae, Vol. 43, No. 2 (April-June 1996), pp. 218-220Published by: International Association of Music Libraries, Archives, and Documentation Centres(IAML)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23508643 .
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INFORMATION
Help Needed in Cambodia
Joachim Jaenecke, IAML Vice-President with responsibility for outreach activities,
has forwarded an appeal for assistance from
Phnom Penh, Cambodia to all national
branches of IAML. We reproduce below a
letter from Ms. Naomi Sharp sent to IAML
Secretary-General Alison Hall in September
1995, together with a brief history and de
scription of the Department of Western Mu
sic at the Royal University of Fine Arts in
Phnom Penh prepared by Alex McLean in
consultation with Mr. Ven Path, Dean of the
Faculty of Music in Phnom Penh.
Dr. Jaenecke reports that material may
safely be sent to Cambodia by post, and that
he would be happy to assist members who
wish to donate material for the music library in any way in which he can. IAML also main
tains an Outreach Fund intended to help with
postal and customs charges for such dona
tions; those wishing to apply for this help should send details to IAML Treasurer Pam
Thompson.
The current priority of needs for the
Cambodian music library are 1) solo pieces at an intermediate or advanced level for all
instruments, but especially for flute, clari
net, saxophone, viola, and double bass; 2)
orchestral sets (beginner upwards); 3) min
iature scores; 4) chamber sets.
Dear Ms. Hall,
I have recently returned to the U.K.
from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where I have
been working for the last year under the
auspices of Overseas Missionary Fellowship as a music teacher. I teach at the Royal
University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh in the Western Music Department. The title sug
gests a rather grand establishment, but in
actual fact this is the equivalent of a High
School, and although it is the music school
in Cambodia, it is way behind its interna tional counterparts. The school flourished
in the 1960s, but had to begin again from
scratch after the Khmer Rouge regime of
the 1970s and might now be comparable in
standard to a good British state school, mu
sically speaking.
218
Together with two other volunteer
teachers from the U.K. I have begun setting
up a school music library. During my time at
home, I therefore went to get advice from
Mr. John Wagstaff, the music librarian at
Oxford University where I studied. He sug
gested that I contact you to enquire about
the IAML Outreach Initiative, and whether
any branch of IAML might be able to help us
out in Cambodia. Do you think this is a possibility?
Our most urgent needs at the moment
are for music for wind instruments, and or
chestral music of an intermediate standard;
after this, miniature scores of orchestral mu
sic, music for string instruments, and sets of
chamber music. We have not yet managed to
arrange listening facilities (there is no per manent power supply) but cassette record
ings are a future need. For the long term, text books in music history, theory and anal
ysis will be a need, but as yet only a few of
the Cambodian staff and none of the students
have the English to use such material. Eng lish is however the language which students
are mostly learning now.
My address in Cambodia is: OMF Box 570, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I will be happy to answer any questions that you might
have, and I look forward to hearing from
you.
Yours sincerely, Naomi Sharp
The Department of Western Music
at the Royal University of Fine Arts, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
In 1959 a School of Music was founded by the Royal government of Cambodia in re
sponse to the rapidly growing popularity of
Western music in the country. In 1964 the
School of Khmer National Music moved its premises to the Western Music campus, and the two united to become the Faculty of Music, Royal University of Fine Arts. By this time the Department of Western
Music had sufficient musicians to maintain
a small symphony orchestra, a wind band, and a chamber ensemble. By 1975 the
Department had 200 students and over 50
teachers.
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INFORMATION 219
During the Khmer Rouge regime of are music history, theory, harmony, ear
1975-79, the University was closed, and the training, and traditional Cambodian music,
staff, alongside all educated people, were There is an orchestra, a wind band, a choir,
singled out for persecution and slaughter. a junior string orchestra, and a variety of
The University re-opened in 1980, barely smaller chamber ensembles,
a year after the overthrow of the Khmer Following graduation, students have the
Rouge by the Vietnamese army. The dere- opportunity to return to the department as
liction of the Faculty during 1975-79 re- "student-teachers." From this year the or
sulted in the loss and decay of buildings, chestra will retain its most talented mem
instruments, and other equipment. The bers after their graduation, thus maintaining
seven remaining teachers of Western music the momentum of this ensemble's rapidly
had to cobble together instruments from improving standards,
what was left in order to re-open their de- The high standards achieved at the De
partment—for example, cannibalizing three partaient of Western Music are the result of
broken pianos to assemble one playable in- the dedication and hard work of the staff and
strument. Resources were so scarce it was students. This is despite a daily struggle
not unusual for one violin to be shared by with the serious shortage of resources. In
five students. Sheet music was in desper- struments are low-quality and many are be
ately short supply, and replacing spare yond serious attempts at repair. Reeds,
parts, such as worn-out reeds and broken strings, and other spare parts are in short
strings, was difficult and sometimes impos- supply. The library has only a limited stock
sible. of sheet music, much of which is in very poor
Since these difficult times, the situation condition and inappropriate to the needs of
has steadily improved. More resources have the students. The collection of recorded mu
been made available, provided by the Royal sic (cassettes) is small, and there is no audio
Cambodian Government and foreign donors. equipment on which to play them. Basic fur
For example, the majority of students now niture such as chairs and music stands is also
have sole use of an instrument, although needed.
these are often of extremely poor quality. The University is funded by the Ministry
Foreign teachers have been boosting the of Culture whose own resources are seri
ranks of the Cambodian staff since 1981, and ously overstretched, despite the recognition students who have graduated from the Fac- by the Royal Government of the vital role
ulty are now returning as teachers them- cultural activities play in Cambodia's struggle
selves. In addition, a considerable number for peace and development. The Depart
of students took advantage of scholarships ment receives aid, in the form of funds and
abroad that were available during the 1980s, donated equipment, from foreign agencies,
and most have since returned to teach in the but this is limited and sporadic. The enthu
Department. siasm of staff and students result in a lively
The Department of Western Music now department, but can only partly counter the
has over 150 students and 30 teachers. It limitations on study imposed by this lack of
provides specialist music training in the access to resources and equipment,
mornings, and students receive a general
secondary education in the afternoons. Ad- MLA Presents Awards
mission is by audition, and instruments are
provided by the Department. At its 65th annual meeting, held in Seattle
The music curriculum is broad-based, February 7-11,1996, the Music Library As
with a strong emphasis on performance and sociation presented awards recognizing gen
practical musicianship. Students receive two eral achievement and specific projects. An
hours individual tuition per week on their MLA Citation, the highest award the Asso chosen instrument. Other subjects studied ciation gives, was presented to former MLA
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220 FONTES ARTIS MUSICAE 43/2
and IAML President, Don Roberts. The MLA's quarterly journal Notes, went to
handsome framed certificate describes Don Stephen Miles for a review of Wireless Imag
as "a dedicated and devoted leader of the ination: Sound, Radio, and the Avant-Garde
world community of music librarians," add- appearing in the September issue (51:65—
ing, "his generous and broadly inclusive vi- 68). In its report the Publications Awards
sion of musical life serves as an inspiration Committee wrote "Critiquing a collection
for all of us." Members of IAML will want to he describes as 'brilliantly excessive and
join in the sentiment and congratulate Don flawed,' Miles skillfully weaves commentary
on his honor. on a variety of essays into a unified discus
At the same time, MLA also presented sion of musical modernism in the throes of
a Distinguished Service Award to John its struggle with early sound technology."
Howard, music librarian at Harvard Univer- MLA also recognizes on-going scholar
sity. Given for extraordinary achievement in ship and research in its framework of
a particular project, the award recognized awards. The first Dena Epstein Award for
Howard's work with the RISM Center in the Archival and Library Research in American
USA, particularly his path-breaking develop- Music was given to Dr. Norm Cohen who is
ment of electronic programming to make compiling a checklist of pocket songsters
data from the United States compatible with published in the United States between 1860
systems at the international RISM Center in and 1899. The grant of $1,000, made possi
Frankfurt. ble through the generosity of long time MLA
Annual awards for publications appearing member and American music scholar Dena
in 1994 were also given. The Vincent Duck- Epstein and her husband Morton, will enable
les Award recognizing the best book-length Dr. Cohen to examine collections of song
bibliography or research tool of the year sters in California, Tennessee, and Washing
went to A Catalogue of Handel's Musical ton, D.C.
Autographs, by Donald Burrows and Martha
Ronish and published by Oxford University
Press. "This richly detailed study serves Musik-Almanach 1996/97
as a powerful demonstration of what can
be learned from watermarks and rastra A comprehensive yearbook and directory
measurements when considered in the con- documenting all facets of musical life in
text of a large and coherent repertory of Germany is a joint publication of Bären
sources," remarked the recommending reiter and Bosse in Kassel. Sponsored by
committee. the Deutsche Musikrat (German Music
Barry Kernfeld and Howard Rye were Council), the Musik-Almanach 1996/97 in
the recipients of the Richard S. Hill Award eludes statistical information, extensive di
for the best article of a music-bibliographic rectory listings, and articles on the current
nature, "Comprehensive Discographies of state of such subjects as publishing and the
Jazz, Blues, and Gospel," which appeared in music industry, broadcasting, amateur music
MLA Notes 51:501-47, 865-91 (1994). "In making, popular music, and musicology. this masterly double article, two eminent Joachim Jaenecke contributes a survey of
authorities have provided non-specialists current music information and documenta
with a thorough and lucid guide to an impor- tion sources, while Marion Sommerfield is
tant but very confusing area of music bibli- responsible for listing public and research
ography," said the committee. music libraries. Weighing in at a hefty 1,146 The Eva Judd O'Meara Award, which pages, this invaluable reference work is
recognizes the best review published in priced at 72 DM.
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