Music and Archival: Assessing the Cultural Conservation of Music in India by Public Institutions 

Abstract

Ethnomusicology is the study of music from cultural and social perspectives. This paper has determined that there is a coherent link between culture and music and that studying the music of different communities gives us valuable insights about their culture and engagement with other communities. Tracing these links between cultures and communities has been established as a useful means of promoting socio-cultural harmony both within and beyond national boundaries, which makes ethnomusicological research important in today's hostile and populist geopolitical environment. This paper has also explored the efforts made by the Indian government to facilitate the culturala conservation of music and conduct research surrounding it. Whilst efforts made by India surpass those made by other developing countries, it has been found that academia in this sphere has been dominated by 'upper caste' narratives at the cost of subaltern ones. The solution to this lies in expanding accessibility and scope of research of these institutions and centers with an aim of making research reflective of indigenous and subaltern cultures.