Grants:IdeaLab/Philippine Music Survey focusing on Cordillera Administrative Region
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Background
editThis idea was already submitted for a Individual Engagement Grant (IEG) last 2015 but was not selected in the round two decision of the IEG committee because of some issues. As suggested by the committee, the project team shares this idea here in IdeaLab to continue developing this idea. The project team also fine tuned the idea by addressing the issues of sustainability and original research.
Project idea
editWhat is the problem you're trying to solve?
editThe diverse indigenous musical instruments across the Philippine archipelago are scantily documented in Wikipedia, much less their technical descriptions, measurements and representative "sound bites." This project will endeavor to solve a systemic imbalance within Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons by improving and increasing content relating to indigenous Philippine musical instruments, specifically, from the Cordillera Administrative Region.
What is your solution?
editThe project team and its volunteers will document indigenous Philippine musical instruments in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the tribes where the instruments originate. We will seek to engage with the tribal practitioners and masters of their instruments among their respective tribes. The volunteers will also take pictures and draw illustrations of the instruments; and record sound bites and excerpts from the instrumentalists. The result of this photo and sound documentation will be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons. The project team will also create written articles for these instruments that may include Information about the instruments' dimensions and relative measurements, techniques, origins, local name, tribal masters and functional purposes (i.e. for rituals, marriages, harvest, etc). There are already readily-available reference materials for those musical instruments in CAR. To avoid original research, the project team will make use of those reference materials that are reliable sources for the write-up. The written works will then be saved to Wikipedia, primarily on English Wikipedia and Tagalog Wikipedia.
Project goals
editThis project aims to increase the coverage of indigenous Philippine musical instruments in Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, and improve their content. Despite much extensive research and documentation about indigenous Philippine music in the country’s academe, a freely accessible knowledge base of it must be made available to the world.
We will have to coordinate with the Local Government Units of CAR, such that we may be immersed unobtrusively with their respective tribal cultures and gather precise information organically. As such, this project will focus strictly on musical instruments originating from the Cordillera Administrative Region or CAR. For sustainability purposes and because there are indigenous people in practically all of the 18 regions of the Philippines, the project team chose only a single region. It was chosen due to the region's unique culture and importance to Philippine history.
Western musical instruments and sonorities have dominated popular Philippine music since the beginnings of Spanish and American colonization, causing the majority of Filipinos to dismiss the vast musical traditions and instrumental heritage of their native folk. CAR's culture has survived colonization of foreign entities. Their traditions are living yet endangered and must be cataloged, documented and made available freely to the whole world. Hopefully, this project will also dramatically contribute towards the preservation of folkloric musical culture in the Philippines for the benefit of future generations.
Optionally, the project team and the volunteers may also take note auxiliary information (i.e. beliefs and history) about the tribes themselves as related to their music and musical instruments.
Project plan
editActivities
editThe project team has sought the advice of the University of the Philippines Center for Ethnomusicology in this regard, as they continue their extensive research on indigenous Philippine music and their localities. The minimum headcount for the Volunteer Team will include two writers/editors, an illustrator, a photographer, a recordist, and a Local Government Unit (LGU) coordinator. A dedicated academic consultant and field researcher will provide training and administrative support. Coordination with appropriate government agencies, particularly the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), will be carried out before the survey commences.
Prior to the group expedition begins, the project leads will scout the intended tribal territories and conduct a thorough workshop on Wikipedia editing and Wikimedia Commons content uploading for those team volunteers who are new to Wikimedia online projects. There will also be a process orientation for team volunteers. The project team will meet at least two weeks after the field research phase finishes, in order to assess the previous event.
Here is a schedule of activities for this project phase:
- Preparations
- June 1 to 30, 2016:
- Coordination with LGUs and other government agencies and do the paper works
- One-day workshop about research and documentation for volunteers that will be given by the University of the Philippines Center for Ethnomusicology
- June 1 to 30, 2016:
- Actual survey
- July 9-11, 2016: Scouting of the tribal territories by the project leads
- July 23-28, 2016 – Expedition to CAR
- July 24, 2016 – Wikipedia orientation and editing workshop for the volunteers that will be held at University of Baguio
- Post-production
- July 29, 2016 - August 12, 2016 – Uploading photos to Commons and writing of articles in Wikipedia
- August 13, 2016 – Project team meeting to assess project
Budget
edit- Project budget table
- Exchange rate: 1 USD = 46.70 PHP
Number Item description Quantity and unit Cost per unit Total cost in PHP Total cost in USD Notes 1.0 Allowances of volunteers - - 140,000.00 2,997.86 This covers meals, transportation and incidentals. 1.1 Administration allowances (Project Leads) 2 10,000.00 20,000.00 428.27 Allowances for taking care of paper works 1.2 Fieldwork allowances (Project Leads) 2 25,000.00 50,000.00 1,070.66 Allowances for scouting and expedition works 1.3 Fieldwork allowances (Expert volunteers) 4 16,750.00 67,000.00 1,434.69 Allowances for expedition works 1.4 Fieldwork allowances (Student volunteers) 2 1,500.00 3,000.00 64.24 Allowances for expedition works 2.0 Other expenses - - 85,000.00 1,820.13 2.1 Government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) coordination - - 25,000.00 535.33 Payment of government fees such as permits for expedition 2.2 Vehicular rental - - 20,000.00 428.27 This could be provided by the LGUs or the project team could rent a van going to the tribal territories. 2.3 Habitat accommodation in tribes/academic resources - - 40,000.00 856.53 There is usually no hotels, inns, or other similar establishment in tribal territories. The project team and volunteers will most probably stay in huts or tents provided by the tribes. A token of appreciation in the monetary form shall be given in exchange for their hospitality. But in case there are nearby hotels, this line item will be utilized for the accommodation expenses. Part of this expense will also be used for academic resources such as guides and consultants. 3.0 Meetings - - 4,250.00 91.01 3.1 Wikipedia orientation and workshop meals 15 250.00 3,750.00 80.30 Meals for participants and facilitators of the Wikipedia workshop at University of Baguio 3.2 Meals for project team meeting 2 250.00 500.00 10.71 Meals for the post-survey assessment and planning meeting of the project team 4.0 Miscellaneous expenses - - 48,500.00 1,038.54 4.1 Professional fee for the draftsman 1 40,000.00 40,000.00 856.53 This is for the contracted services for the draftsman who will draw the instruments. 4.2 Supplies - - 5,000.00 107.07 For certificates of completion and other needed supplies for the whole duration of the project 4.3 Research materials - - 3,500.00 74.95 For books and other research materials that will be used as reference for the articles to be created in Wikipedia 5.0 Contingency - - 27,775.00 594.75 10% contingency for adjustment of prizes and unexpected expenses
- Total cost of project
- PHP 305,525.00 (USD 6,542.29)
- Total amount requested from the Individual Engagement Grants program
- PHP 305,525.00 (USD 6,542.29)
Community engagement
editWe notified and will eventually engage the respective communities about the project. The target communities notified and to be engaged are English wikipedia, Tagalog Wikipedia, Pangasinan Wikipedia community and the Ilokano Wikipedia community.
Sustainability
editAfter the end of this project, we expect that Wikipedia articles shall cover all indigenous musical instruments in the Cordillera Administrative Region. If this project proves to be successful, another region will be surveyed.
Measures of success
editNeed target-setting tips? Note: in addition to your project-specific measures of success, you will also be asked to report on some Global Metrics at the end of your final report. Please keep this in mind as you plan, and we'll support you as you begin your project.
This project will be considered a success if the following measures are met:
- There are at least 50 articles improved and added in Wikipedia.
- There are at least 400 media files uploaded to Commons.
- At least 15 persons recruited in the workshop.
Get involved
editExpand your idea
editWould a grant from the Wikimedia Foundation help make your idea happen? You can expand this idea into a grant proposal.