The Vernacular Music Center at

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sy ...

in Lubbock, Texas, is a center for in-depth and comparative research, study, teaching and advocacy on behalf of the world's vernacular musics and dance. The Center was founded at Texas Tech in the Fall of 2000 under Executive Director Dr Christopher J Smith. The VMC states that it "engages with

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

traditional music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...

and dance from around the world:

vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

idioms that are learned, taught, shared, and passed-on by ear and in the memory."http://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/what-we-do.html The term "

" is employed in its title in order to allude to "

vernacular languages A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

"—those languages used for commonplace communication—and in order to avoid potentially limiting terms such as "folk," "traditional," or "non-Western." The VMC offers a range of programs, partnerships, scholarships, certificates and activities and events for students, educators and the public.

History, naming and purpose

The Vernacular Music Center was founded at

in the winter of 2000 under Executive Director Dr Christopher J Smith.http://www.rootsmusicinstitute.com/director.html Retrieved July 2013http://symposium.music.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=8922:holding-the-lotus-to-the-rock-creating-vernacular-music-communitys-in-red-state-america&Itemid=133 Retrieved July 2013 Professor Roger Landes of the TTU School of Music became Associate Director in 2014. The VMC is a center for in-depth and comparative research, study, teaching and advocacy on behalf of the world's vernacular musics and dance. The VMC states that it "engages with

and dance from around the world:

idioms that are learned, taught, shared, and passed-on by ear and in the memory." The Center was founded on the model of the

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

br>Latin American Music Center
an
Early Music Institute
and considers its peer institutions to include the

Sibelius Academy The Sibelius Academy ( fi, Taideyliopiston Sibelius-Akatemia, sv, Sibelius-Akademin vid Konstuniversitetet) is part of the University of the Arts Helsinki and a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It al ...

(Helsinki), the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance (Limerick), and the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including performanc ...

(Glasgow). The term "

" is employed in its title in order to explicitly, directly allude to "

"—those languages used for commonplace communication—and in order to avoid potentially limiting terms such as "folk," "traditional," or "non-Western." The Center partners with campus and community groups on the local, regional, national, and international level. These include: Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, the Country Dance and Song Society,http://www.cdss.org/member_details/items/371.html Retrieved July 2013 the Bay Area Country Dance Society, and others.http://www.nfaonline.org/Publications/Convention-Program-Books/2007ProgramBook.pdf 35th Annual Convention of The National Flute Association Albuquerque, New Mexico Retrieved July 2013

Programs for students

For students: The VMC sponsors a range of activities—courses,http://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/courses.html courses Retrieved July 2013 ensembles,http://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/ensembles.html ensembles Retrieved July 2013 sponsored organizations,http://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/sponsored-groups.html Retrieved July 2013 scholarships, study abroad,http://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/study-abroad.html Retrieved July 2013 summer courses, and others. The VMC's faculty and affiliate faculty offer a range of courses cross-listed under musicology, ethnomusicology, music theory,

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...

, and other fine arts & humanities disciplines. The VMC sponsors The Tech Irish Set-Dancers (Participatory social dance from Ireland) Caprock Morris (Ritual dance from the Welsh Borders) Dancers with Soul: Texas Tech Hip-Hop Team, Mind freak!, The Caprock Ceili Band (Irish dance music) Caprock English Country Dancers (Social dance from Jane Austen, the BBC, and the Brontes), and The Playford Band (Instrumental dance music) http://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/sponsored-groups.html Retrieved July 2013 The VMC sponsors students engaged in vernacular music and dance studies. These include a scholarship program http://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/the-vmc-scholarship.html Retrieved July 2013 VMC Scholarship and an "Outreach Scholar" program http://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/outreach-scholars.html Retrieved July 2013 Outreach Scholars program In addition to serving on the TTU Study Abroad Competitive Scholarship committee, VMC faculty also lead study abroad experiences in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, and the

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

, with expanded program offerings in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

and

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

on the horizon.http://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/study-abroad-partnerships.html The VMC also offers certificates in Early Music, World Music and Community Arts Entrepreneurship http://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/certificates.html Certificates

Programs for educators

The VMC provides a range of presentations, consultation, in-service professional development resources for Fine Arts specialists: locally, regionally, and across the country. VMC teaching staff and affiliates include expert pedagogues specializing in folk and traditional music and dance from: northern and eastern Europe; northern, western, and southern Africa; the Americas; the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

; and

Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...

, in addition to film music and a very wide range of popular and vernacular musics from the USA.

Programs for the general public

The VMC welcomes participation by members of the community and general public across a wide range of its ensembles, sponsored groups, and activities, but has also developed and partnered with initiatives specifically designed to facilitate community participation.http://www.dailytoreador.com/lavida/article_d1edf492-7730-11e2-a218-0019bb30f31a.html ''Students dance in regency ball'' By Nikki Culver Staff writer Daily Toreador February 14, 2013 Retrieved July 2013

Events

The VMC offers a range of monthly, weekly, and annual events. Most are musical, vocal and dance performances.http://lubbockonline.com/node/97293/photos Lubbock Avalanche-Journal By Stephen Spillman Retrieved July 2013http://lubbockonline.com/go/music/2012-07-16/musical-summer-block-party-benefit-texas-tech-vernacular-music-center#.UfZ-Lqyt8Ro ''Musical summer block party to benefit Texas Tech Vernacular Music Center'' Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Retrieved July 2013 Almost all open to the general public.

Funding structure

The VMC depends for funding (for guest artists, scholarships, young-professional training, event-production costs, ensemble travel, and all other programming) upon a network of supporters. All guest artist concerts and master-classes are free & open to the campus and community. Receipts from ticketed events are 100% allocated to support of VMC programming.

Alumni

VMC alumni have gone on to graduate programs, internships, and professional appointments in a range of situations, including university programs, arts series, and the private sector. VMC alumni have matriculated into programs including: Claremont Graduate School, the University of Memphis, the University of Oregon, Indiana University, and others. VMC alumni have held internships at the Smithsonian Institution and the St Paul Chamber Orchestra, among others.

Staff

Vernacular Music Center staff includes:http://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/staff.html Staff Retrieved July 2013 * Dr Christopher J Smith, executive directorhttp://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/journal_of_american_folklore/v125/125.497.smith.pdf Retrieved July 2013 Retrieved July 2013 * Professor Roger Landes, associate director

References & notes

External links

Official siteFacebook pageSchool of MusicTexas Tech UniversityTedX talk by Dr Smith "The Old Ways"Google Plus
{{DEFAULTSORT:TTU Vernacular Music Center Music schools in Texas Texas Tech University 2000 establishments in Texas