Translating Music

Lead Research Organisation: University of Roehampton
Department Name: Media, Culture and Language

Abstract

As a mode of artistic communication, music is translation by essence. It 'transmutates' aesthetics sensibilities (Jakobson), transcends and translates cultures, enabling interactions across communities. Yet the phenomenon of translation in music is complex. Does a famous song like Guantanamera, sung and translated in a wide range of languages, strongly evoke Cuba, or just exoticise it in the imagination of the listeners? Can Frank Sinatra's 'If you go away' be considered a translation of Jacques Brel's original song? Music from all countries and cultures can be listened to easily, but can it be understood? While the largest awards and music talent shows, largely driven by the US and UK who still hold more than 40% of the music market value, are still dominated by English, music featuring foreign languages is promoted through a range of sites (e.g. Music Alliance Pact), genres (opera, world music, film music) and platforms (radio, internet, digital juke-boxes, cinema, television, particularly music television channels, live performances). Yet the interconnections of translation and music have not been widely explored and verbal language, often part of musical texts, remains a barrier to social cohesion as words are frequently left untranslated or are poorly suited to a multimodal context.

This network brings together an interdisciplinary network of academics, music and translation professionals, and industry providers to foster new developments in the mediation of musical texts and engage in a debate on the complexities and the challenges of music mediation in the 21st century. Exploring the interpersonal, intercultural, intralinguistic and interlinguistic bridges on which music and translation intersect, it examines how words linked to music are currently translated. It will also map out current practices to identify how to improve the provision of such translation to make music more widely accessible, and multicultural forms of expression both more visible and more valued. In particular, contemporary translation and accessibility models provided for opera will be examined with the aim of considering them in other musical contexts. Opera houses, under criticism for being elitist and therefore under pressure to provide access to a wide public, are successful pioneers in the provision of intralinguistic and interlinguistic translation. They are also successful in adapting past works into representations that are meaningful to present audiences. Besides, opera and its contemporary new forms are offered in translation in several formats from film to radio broadcast or live performance and actively engage with new technologies in order to connect with audiences.

Translation strategies and technologies pioneered in opera, still the leader in successful translation provision, can be useful models for other musical forms and genres in film, television and multimedia. This network will chart the most important developments to be considered so that the art that 'hears cultures' (Erlman) can also translate them. A range of events to promote the development of the translation of musical texts will take place, fostering interaction between translators working in the field of music, translation and accessibility managers and different music providers. Partners with expertise in translating and making music accessible to contemporary audiences are keen to develop new technologies, undertake research in the mediation of music and exchange ideas across different sectors of the music industry. National accessibility organisations are also offering expertise and cooperation, involving end users to take part in applied research on accessibility and music.

When surtitles were introduced in opera, audiences unanimously claimed how much they enhanced their enjoyment of music. The ultimate role of this international network is to make similar enhancements possible across all musical audiences and performances.

Planned Impact

The impact of the 'Translating Music' network is to be visible in academia, in the music industry and in the third sector. The network will also generate results from which general public end users will benefit. Long-term impact will be interpersonal (as enjoyment of music and unknown cultures is enhanced), social (as cohesion is favoured through better communication and enjoyment of cultural differences) and economic (as translation and accessibility provision is boosted in the industry and in music institutions). Germany has recently overtaken the UK as the first music market in Europe and English as the exclusive lingua franca of Europe is decreasing (Ostler 2010). Björk, Enya, Enrique Iglesias are some of the many best-selling artists drawing audiences through the multilingualism (and often the translation) of their songs. The global music scene, although still dominated by English, is more multicultural than ever with internet and television channels widening their outputs, and with digital platforms (now 32% of the music market) facilitating international distribution. In addition, offering cultural products to the visually and hearing impaired is part of a growing trend. The UK is a leader in accessibility provision and can play a vital role in this area, underdeveloped in music except in opera. On the music scene, when translation and accessibility have been provided in the past, enthusiasm for more regular access has followed. This has been the case in opera, which has been revolutionised by surtitling, and is being made accessible to the blind through audiodescription. In other musical genres, workers in the third sector have been calling for more research and action in this respect (See attachments, Music and accessibility, Action for Hearing Loss and UICI).

In such a context, this network, promoting suitable mediation for musical texts, has a strong potential for impact. Enhancing relationships between academia, the music industry, music institutions and the third sector, it will:

1. Ensure wide advertising and dissemination of seminars, training sessions and activities provided, as well as dissemination of the knowledge collected throughout the network, in the form of publications and freely accessed resources (interactive website, experts interviews, training material bank).

2. Give international visibility to the project and promote it through online as well as UK and international events. This will generate interest with a wide range of participants which will become members of the network.

3. Generate interest in translation and accessibility provision. In the experience of the investigators, when such suitable provision is offered, music organisers and the public respond positively to further developments. It is hoped that through the work of the advisory group, more provision will be promoted on the music scene, but also that network participants will be enthused to develop translation projects in this area.

4. Impact the Translation Studies curriculum in highlighting a gap which can be filled, intially primarily in the UK but internationally in the longer term. This network's activities will stimulate the large group postgraduate students in translation to develop their skills in this area, and use them in the projects and placements which they undertake.

5. Draw from the UK leading expertise in accessibility provision and offer more opportunities to enjoy music to those who have some degree of impairment and rely on accessibility provision to connect fully with music. This concerns a wide section of the population: the blind, the deaf, but also a large percentage the public lose their hearing as they get older and benefit from the assistance of some form of translation that allows them to enjoy music.

6. Create more opportunities for communication across linguistic, social, generational and cultural barriers, allowing music to be perceived and shared globally and universally.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description This network project was instrumental in several respects:

1) Finding out the broad range of contexts in which the translation of musical texts is taking place, from opera houses to the film industry;

2) Mapping out the different texts types in which music translation is determinant;

3) Identifying key priorities for the visually impaired and the blind in accessing live music events;

4) Determining how music is able to translate the sense of other art forms;

5) Building a website with a wide variety of resources which has become the only substantial reference in this field.



The investigators have already submitted a number of articles and chapters on topics relating to the network. Most will be published at the end of 2014 or in 2015 and therefore cannot be entered at this stage on to the Outcomes section. They include:



AH/J012653/1 Helen Julia Minors, Book Chapter "Translating Music and Text: an intercultural new performance of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream", to be published in Pam Burnard, Elizabeth McKinley and Kimberley Powell (eds), The Routledge Handbook of Intercultural Arts Theory, Research and Practice. Routledge, London. Estimated date of publication October 2015



and



AH/J012653/1 Lucile Desblache Book Chapter "Animaux musicaux : apologie pour une histoire naturelle sonore" in Alain Romestaing (ed) Histoires Naturelles des animaux dans la littérature de langue française (XXe et XXIe siècles). Presses Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris. Estimated date of publication June 2015
Exploitation Route This network's aim was primarily to bring together academic researchers, third sector workers, members of the media industry and a wide range of audiences to raise awareness, discuss and cross-fertilize ideas about how music is, should and could be translated.



This network has offered twelve public events during it period of funding: 3 seminars, 1 symposium, 3 workshops, 1 touch tour for the blind, 1 touch tour for children, plenary meetings with third sector organisations and disabled audience members and 1 public concert.
In addition, it has offer 2 public events, after the period of funding, funded by the European Commission.



The wide ranging impact of this work is evidenced by the response of academic and non-academic participants asking to take part in this network. The network investigators have also been invited to give talks to universities in the UK (University of Cambridge, Imperial College, London, University College London, University of London, Cardiff University, Liverpool Hope University) , abroad (University of Paris III Sorbonne Nouvelle, Voldva University, Norway, University of the Basque Country, Victoria), to artistic institutions (Gallery Studio, Rose Theatre, Kingston), and at the European Commission (Lucile Desblache, plenary lecture for the annual Translation Forum given at the Directorate General for Translation in Brussels and Luxembourg in April 2014).

A number of accessible concerts and performances (with Helen Julia Minor's Soundpainting Ensemble for instance) have also taken place and generated further engagements for the future.



New material is still being added to the Translating Music website and their subscribers (to date around 700) are informed of these additions, which generate responses and further suggestions for the general public, from scholars and from various institutions (theatres, musical venues...).



Stepping stones for further work on how to broaden music accessibility have been laid, with strong links established with media multilingual content providers (such as Media Deluxe) and musical institutions (Royal Opera House) leading to plans to engage in further developments.
Sectors Creative Economy

Education

Leisure Activities

including Sports

Recreation and Tourism

Other

URL http://www.translatingmusic.com
 
Description The Translating Music Network is a reference network in the field and has established important communications internationally. COntacts and excahnges with international media content companies such as Deluxe Media have been built and cooperation engaged with them. The ongoing collaboration with the Macerata Opera festival has been constant since 2012
First Year Of Impact 2012
Sector Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections
Impact Types Cultural

Societal

 
Description Collaboration with Macerata Opera Festival 
Organisation Sferisterio the Macerata Opera Festival
Country Italy 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Macerata Opera Festival
Collaborator Contribution Since 2012, an ongoing collaboration with the Macerata Opera Festival regarding the development of accessibility services has been taking place. It is led by Dr Elena Di Giovanni
Impact Di Giovanni, E (2018) Audio description for live performances and audience participation. Jostrans The Journal of Specialised Translation 29, 189-211, http://www.jostrans.org/issue29/art_digiovanni.pdf
Start Year 2012
 
Description ILSA (Interlingual Live Subtitling for Access) 
Organisation University of Vigo
Country Spain 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Lucile Desblache is an associate researcher on the European funded project ILSA, coordinated by Dr Romero Fresco
Collaborator Contribution - Developmental researhc on interlingual live subtitling and contribution to the MAP ( Mulimedia Accessibility Platform) project
Impact Contribution to aspect of music and accessibility to the MAP project http://www.mapaccess.org/who-we-are
Start Year 2017
 
Description Transnational art 
Organisation University of Murcia, Spain
Country Spain 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Input of seminars on music and art across different disciplines: coordination and management of project
Collaborator Contribution Input of seminars on music and art across different disciplines: implementaiton
Impact This is a new collaboration, involving the universities of Roehampton (Translation), Murcia (Fine Arts), Valladolid (Philosophy) Palermo (Translation and Communication). We have joined the EVE Erasmus project in order to share teaching and research seminars.
Start Year 2018
 
Description Interviews of Prof Marta Mateo on musicals and translation and Pierre Schmitt on deaf peopel and music 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact These are two interviews on music and translation/accessibility published on JoSTrans, the Journal of Specialised Translation, http://www.jostrans.org/issue26/interviews.php
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://www.jostrans.org/issue26/interviews.php
 
Description Music translation: a modest tour 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Talk about the diverse way in which musical texts are translated given at the University of Cambridge (St JOhn's College)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/programmes/cambridge-conversations-in-translation
 
Description Short course on music and translation 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Workshop on music and translation.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.roehampton.ac.uk/professional-development-courses/song-translation/
 
Description Translating the non verbal 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Talk about the importance of translating the non verbal. Taken place in Palermo, Sicily.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Workshops given to European Commission translators and interpreters on music and translation in Brussels and Luxembourg in April 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Workshop on music and translation given by Lucile Desblache to professional translators and interpreters working for the European Commission.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014