Vernacular Music Center

The Vernacular Music Center was founded at Texas Tech University in the winter of 2000 under Executive Director Dr Christopher J Smith.{{Cite web |title=Director |url=http://www.rootsmusicinstitute.com/director.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=The Roots Music Institute}}{{Cite web |date=2013-10-04 |title=Holding the Lotus to the Rock: Creating Vernacular Music Community(s) in Red-State America - College Music Symposium |url=http://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 |access-date=2024-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004221204/http://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 |archive-date=2013-10-04 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.ttu.edu/profiles/profile.php?id%3D21 |title=Texas Tech University :: TTU Profiles :: Christopher J. Smith |access-date=July 29, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130805035551/http://www.ttu.edu/profiles/profile.php?id=21 |archive-date=August 5, 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 folk music, traditional music and dance from around the world: vernacular 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 [http://music.indiana.edu/lamc/home/ Latin American Music Center] and [http://www.music.indiana.edu/departments/academic/early-music/ Early Music Institute] and considers its peer institutions to include the Sibelius Academy (Helsinki), the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance (Limerick), and the Royal College of Music (Glasgow). The term "vernacular" is employed in its title in order to explicitly, directly allude to "vernacular languages"—those languages used for commonplace communication—and in order to avoid potentially limiting terms such as "folk," "traditional," or "non-Western."{{Cite web |title=Dictionary.com {{!}} Meanings & Definitions of English Words |url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/vernacular |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Dictionary.com |language=en}}

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,{{cite web|url=http://blog.cdss.org/2012/08/rima-at-camp-part-6-english-american-week-at-pinewoods-and-more/ |title=Rima at Camp—part 6: English & American Week at Pinewoods, and more! |access-date=July 19, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906061311/http://blog.cdss.org/2012/08/rima-at-camp-part-6-english-american-week-at-pinewoods-and-more/ |archive-date=September 6, 2015 }} Retrieved July 2013http://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

For students: The VMC sponsors a range of activities—courses,{{Cite web |title=Courses |url=https://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/courses.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=The Vernacular Music Center |language=en}} ensembles,{{Cite web |title=Ensembles |url=https://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/ensembles.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=The Vernacular Music Center |language=en}} sponsored organizations,http://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/sponsored-groups.html Retrieved July 2013 scholarships,{{Cite web|url=https://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/scholarships.html|title=Scholarships|website=The Vernacular Music Center}} study abroad,{{Cite web |title=Study Abroad |url=https://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/study-abroad.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=The Vernacular Music Center |language=en}} summer courses, and others.

The VMC's faculty and affiliate faculty offer a range of courses cross-listed under musicology, ethnomusicology, music theory, folklore, anthropology, 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, England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and the Low Countries, with expanded program offerings in Kenya and Zimbabwe on the horizon.{{Cite web |date=2018-10-01 |title=Study Abroad partnerships - The Vernacular Music Center |url=https://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/study-abroad-partnerships.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001190703/https://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/study-abroad-partnerships.html |archive-date=2018-10-01 }}

The VMC also offers certificates in Early Music, World Music and Community Arts Entrepreneurship {{Cite web |title=Certificates |url=https://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/certificates.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=The Vernacular Music Center |language=en}}

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

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.{{Cite web |last=Writer |first=Nikki Culver Staff |date=2013-02-14 |title=Students dance in regency ball |url=https://www.dailytoreador.com/lavida/students-dance-in-regency-ball/article_d1edf492-7730-11e2-a218-0019bb30f31a.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=The Daily Toreador |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Gulick |first=Joe |title=Irish music and dancing livens up a northwest Lubbock neighborhood Tuesday |url=https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/local/2012/07/18/irish-music-and-dancing-livens-northwest-lubbock-neighborhood-tuesday/15143399007/ |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal |language=en-US}}

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 2013{{Cite web |author=Staff Writer |title=Musical summer block party to benefit Texas Tech Vernacular Music Center |url=https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/entertainment/music/2012/07/16/musical-summer-block-party-benefit-texas-tech-vernacular-music-center/15143582007/ |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal |language=en-US}} Almost all open to the general public.{{Cite web |last=Walden |first=Ariel|date=2013-01-24 |title=Texas Tech Vernacular Music Center And Moonlight Musicals To Host World Premiere Show "Dancing at the Crossroads" [AUDIO] |url=https://kfyo.com/texas-tech-vernacular-music-center-and-moonlight-musicals-to-host-world-premiere-show-dancing-at-the-crossroads-audio/ |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=News/Talk 95.1 & 790 KFYO |language=en}}

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.

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.

Vernacular Music Center staff includes:{{Cite web |title=Staff |url=https://www.vernacularmusiccenter.org/staff.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=The Vernacular Music Center |language=en}}

• Dr Christopher J Smith, executive directorhttp://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/37nzk8md9780252037764.html Retrieved July 2013{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Christopher J. |title=Irish Traditional Music on Audio Recordings: A Core Historical Collection |journal=Journal of American Folklore |date=2012 |volume=125 |issue=497 |pages=343–358 |doi=10.5406/jamerfolk.125.497.0343 |id={{Project MUSE|487396}} }}{{cite web|url=http://www.depts.ttu.edu/music/Faculty/ChristopherSmith.asp |title=Texas Tech University School of Music: Christopher J. Smith |access-date=January 20, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101130211/http://www.depts.ttu.edu/music/Faculty/ChristopherSmith.asp |archive-date=January 1, 2013 }} Retrieved July 2013
• Professor Roger Landes, associate director

{{reflist|2}}

• [http://vernacularmusiccenter.org Official site]
• [https://www.facebook.com/vernacularmusiccenter Facebook page]
• [http://www.music.ttu.edu School of Music]
• [http://www.ttu.edu Texas Tech University]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpcEGA0WQH0 TedX talk by Dr Smith "The Old Ways"]
• [https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/117435291219036183639 Google Plus]

{{Texas Tech University}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:TTU Vernacular Music Center}}

Category:Music schools in Texas

Category:Texas Tech University

Category:2000 establishments in Texas