WANMA: The Western Australian New Music Archive

Abstract

In 2013, Edith Cowan University partnered with The State Library of Western Australia, The National Library of Australia, Western Australian music advocacy body Tura New Music, The National Library of Australia and ABC Classic FM on the Western Australian New Music Archive (WANMA), an online archive of Western Australian music from 1970 to the present day. This paper discusses the initial phases of the project and the challenges inherent in creating a digital archive that includes materials which reflect contemporary recognition of improvisation and sound art as composition, recordings as an alternative score, and video as an important documentation device for sound art and installations. Complex copyright and intellectual property issues are also being addressed, as is the future of the archive beyond its period of project funding

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