Nathan Miller
Williams College
Project
Creative Spaces: Exploring Artistic Processes in Folk Music Culture
Zimbabwe, Serbia, Indonesia, Japan
For my Watson year I will travel to rural communities in Zimbabwe, Serbia, Indonesia, and Japan to explore the creative process through the traditional music of these countries. Music from different parts of the world varies greatly in structure, rhythm, harmony, and performance, but there is an equally profound difference in the artistic approaches that engender these variations. I am eager to explore the practices and philosophies of making music, how these ideals shape a musician’s identity, and the responsibility of these musicians to both preserve and appropriate tradition.