Sound futures: Exploring the Ecology of Music Sustainablity

Abstract

This chapter explores the concept of the ecology of music cultures to come to a greater understanding of the phenomenon of music sustainability and its mechanics. It also provides a basis for making these insights available to communities to assist them in forging musical futures on their terms. It does so by first exploring the emergence of ecology in (applied) ethnomusicological discourse, tracing its origins in biology and its translation into contemporary musical thought. Next, it critically investigates the relationship between intangible cultural heritage, ecology, and sustainability in music. It identifies five domains of forces impacting on sustainability.