Performative Musicology and HIP as Rhetoric and Pedagogy for the Past in Present and Future

Abstract

In this chapter, I examine early music performance, musicology and music pedagogy in order to propose moving from what I argue to be an understanding of HIP (historically informed performance) as something analogous to a learning outcome, to the idea of utilising its potential as a pedagogical and rhetorical practice, providing a different context in which to develop its potential. First, I present a canvas on which HIP is delineated. Next, I engage in a logical exercise to unlock and explore HIP’s inner workings. Expanding on John Hillis Miller’s (2009) performativity sub one and sub two, I proceed to propose four different types of performativity (i.e., performativities0–3) centred on John Langshaw Austin, Jacques Derrida and Judith Butler respectively. Providing some foundation for this exercise is a survey based on 132 music research journal articles published over the last five years in six representative, refereed journals. This leads me to a first attempt at proposing a dedicated performative musicology. Here, I introduce a rhetorical perspective on the past in the present based on the work of Antonis Liakos and Mitsos Bilalis (2017), Rivers and Weber (2011) and Rueger (2011). This ultimately leads to a final perspective of regarding HIP as a pedagogical activity providing a space for future ethical concerns. Or, more descriptively phrased: a pedagogy for the past in the present and future.