PROMUSIKA: Jurnal Pengkajian, Penyajian, dan Penciptaan Musik
Vol 14, No 2 (2026): Oktober 2026 In Press

Etnomusikologi sebagai Praktik Artistik: Pendekatan Penelitian Artistik dalam Kajian Musik Tradisi

Hebert Lasrohadin Purba (Church Music Study Program, STT Harvest International, Tangerang, Indonesia)
Hery Budawan (Music Education Study Program, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
18 Aug 2026

Abstract

Penelitian ini mengkaji integrasi pendekatan penelitian artistik dalam etnomusikologi sebagai metode alternatif yang sah untuk memahami dan merepresentasikan musik tradisi secara kontekstual dan reflektif. Dalam konteks pergeseran paradigma penelitian budaya, pendekatan artistik menawarkan cara baru dalam membangun pengetahuan melalui praktik seni yang bersifat embodied, partisipatif, dan berakar pada pengalaman langsung. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi bagaimana praktik artistik seperti rekonstruksi musik ritual, kolaborasi lintas budaya, dan komposisi berbasis rekaman lapangan dapat berfungsi sebagai strategi ilmiah dalam kajian musik tradisional. Pendekatan yang digunakan bersifat kualitatif berbasis praktik (practice-based research), dengan praktik seni ditempatkan sebagai inti dari proses riset. Teknik pengumpulan data meliputi observasi partisipatif, wawancara mendalam, dokumentasi proses kreatif, serta refleksi kritis terhadap pengalaman artistik. Analisis dilakukan secara reflektif dan hermeneutik untuk menelusuri dimensi makna, simbolisme, serta interaksi budaya yang terwujud dalam praktik musik. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa praktik artistik tidak hanya berfungsi sebagai dokumentasi budaya, tetapi juga menciptakan bentuk pengetahuan yang transformatif. Rekonstruksi musik ritual Batak Toba (taganing, garantung, sarune, ogung, hesek) menghadirkan pemaknaan baru terhadap warisan leluhur; kolaborasi dengan komunitas Dayak Kenyah melalui permainan sape’ menghasilkan ekspresi kolektif yang memperkuat identitas budaya lokal; sedangkan komposisi berbasis rekaman lapangan di Flores melibatkan bunyi ombak, gong, burung, lonceng gereja, lamin adat, dan pasar menegaskan hubungan spiritual manusia dengan lingkungan bunyi. Peneliti bertindak sebagai komposer yang mengarahkan konsep kepada musisi tradisional dan komunitas lokal dengan dukungan tokoh budaya setempat. Penelitian ini menegaskan legitimasi epistemologis dan kontribusi metodologis pendekatan artistik dalam etnomusikologi, yang menjembatani teori dan praktik, akademisi dan seniman, serta pengetahuan diskursif dan pengalaman afektif, sehingga membuka peluang baru bagi pelestarian dan regenerasi musik tradisi secara kreatif.Ethnomusicology as Artistic Practice: Integrating Artistic Research Approaches in the Study of Traditional MusicAbstractThis study examines the integration of artistic research approaches within ethnomusicology as a legitimate alternative method for understanding and representing traditional music in context and reflection. Within the shifting paradigm of cultural research, the artistic approach offers new ways of generating knowledge through embodied, participatory, and experience-based artistic practice. The study aims to explore how artistic practices such as ritual music reconstruction, cross-cultural collaboration, and field-recording-based composition can serve as scientific strategies in the study of traditional music. Using a qualitative, practice-based approach, artistic practice is positioned at the core of the research process. Data collection techniques include participant observation, in-depth interviews, documentation of the creative process, and critical reflection on artistic experience. Analysis is carried out reflectively and hermeneutically to trace meanings, symbolism, and cultural interactions manifested in musical practices. The findings show that artistic practice not only documents culture but also produces transformative forms of knowledge. The reconstruction of Batak Toba ritual music (taganing, garantung, sarune, ogung, hesek) reveals new interpretations of ancestral heritage; collaboration with the Dayak Kenyah community through sape’ performance generates collective expressions that strengthen local cultural identity; while field-based compositions in Flores, incorporating natural sounds such as waves, gongs, birds, church bells, lamin adat, and market ambiance, affirm the spiritual connection between humans and their sonic environment. The researcher acted as a composer, guiding traditional musicians and local communities in realizing the conceptual framework with the support of cultural leaders. This study affirms the epistemological legitimacy and methodological contribution of artistic approaches in ethnomusicology, bridging theory and practice, academics and artists, and discursive and affective knowledge, while opening new pathways for the creative preservation and regeneration of traditional music.Keywords: ethnomusicology; artistic research; traditional music; practice-based research; cultural reconstruction; community collaboration; contextual composition

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Journal Info

Abbrev

promusika

Publisher

Subject

Arts

Description

PROMUSIKA: Jurnal Pengkajian, Penyajian, dan Penciptaan Musik, focuses on the results of studies in the field of music, that its topics scope encompasses: Western Music Studies; History of music; Music theory/ analysis; Choir; Orchestra/ Ensemble/ Chamber Music; Composition/ Arrangement; Music ...