Paper short abstract:

This paper maps out major digitization projects that selected Kenyan archives have carried out, and sheds light on digital archival processes in an effort to establish how these activities recreate a new learning space and opportunities that enhance access to indigenous music learning resources.

Paper long abstract:

The practice of archiving music materials has been taking place in various institutions in African countries. While some practices in these countries remain similar, others differ based on both geographical and historical contexts. It is noteworthy that archives are gradually evolving from basically being preservation sites to centers of knowledge production. Digital archival practices in Kenya keep on being reinvented in various institutions such as Permanent Presidential Music Commission (PPMC), Kenya Broadcasting Corporation(KBC) and KETEBUL studios. In this paper, we explore the many benefits that the advancement of these repositories pose to the music education sector in Kenya. It is notable that the PPMC has for a while acted as a link between the music industry in Kenya and the Kenyan music education field. This being the case, this paper elucidates the progress in archival practices, and the endless possibilities that PPMC and other selected archives present to the Kenyan music classroom. We start by mapping out major digitization projects that these institutions have carried out, and shedding light on digital archival processes in an effort to establish how these activities recreate a new learning space and opportunities that enhance access to indigenous music learning resources.

Key words: Music archives, Digital Archiving, Music Education, Digital Repositories