Discussions on indigenous musical heritage, artificial intelligence, environmental responsibility, and DIY music cultures highlighted the increasingly multidisciplinary nature of music scholarship at the 20th Annual Conference of the
South African Society for Research in Music (SASRIM).
Hosted by the University of the Free State
Odeion School of Music, the conference brought together scholars, performers, educators, and practitioners to reflect on the evolving nature of music research and its relevance to contemporary society.
Held under the theme
Multidisciplinarity in (South) African Music Studies, the conference marked two decades of SASRIM while looking ahead to the future of music scholarship, practice, and pedagogy. Supported by the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies,
Prof Vasu Reddy, together with the
Directorate Research Development and international partners, the gathering created a space for dialogue across disciplines, traditions, and methodologies.
In his welcoming and opening remarks, Prof Reddy said, “We celebrate not only a conference, but a chorus of milestones: twenty years of SASRIM and eighty years of the Odeion School of Music. We gather at the intersection of memory and imagination, where heritage meets possibility and where scholarship meets sound. Music teaches us what universities often forget – that meaning is created not in isolation, but in relationship. Your conference is an act of attention to scholarship, to creativity, to the rich diversity of voices, and to the worlds that music helps us imagine.”
Reimagining musical heritage
A strong thread throughout the conference was the role of indigenous musical knowledge in contemporary music-making and scholarship.
In his keynote performance –
Where are we taking the bows? –
Emeritus Prof Dizu Plaatjies reflected on the social and musical histories of indigenous African musical bows, while asking delegates to consider their future place in research and performance.
"This keynote performance remembers and imagines through sound and story the social and musical lives of different musical bows ... Finally, I will ask where we are taking the bows, reflecting on future dialogues with these instruments that have so powerfully touched our past."
His presentation resonated with research by Rick Deja and Thabisa Dinga, who explored the revitalisation of Xhosa musical bows such as the umrhubhe and uhadi. Their work demonstrated how artistic innovation, personal expression, and socio-cultural dialogue can help sustain these traditions in contemporary contexts.
Music, culture, and social change
The conference also highlighted how music reflects and responds to broader social and environmental concerns.
In a presentation examining South African extreme metal,
Dr Suzanne Strauss and
Prof Léandi Steenkamp explored how musicians engage with questions of industrial exploitation, environmental degradation, and humanity's relationship with the natural world. Their research suggests that music can serve as a powerful space for critique, reflection, and alternative forms of imagining the future.
Rather than viewing extreme metal solely as a musical genre, their work considers how artists use sound, imagery, and performance to challenge dominant narratives around extraction and consumption. In doing so, they argue that music can encourage conversations about reconnection, reparation, and planetary care.
The presentation formed part of a broader conference discussion on the role of music in addressing contemporary social challenges. It demonstrated how artistic practice can contribute to wider debates about sustainability, justice, and collective responsibility.
A keynote address by Prof Andy Bennett similarly examined contemporary cultural practice through the lens of DIY music-making. Revisiting the concept beyond its punk origins, Prof Bennett highlighted how local, self-organised musical activity continues to provide opportunities for cultural participation and resistance to mainstream industry structures.
Looking ahead
Across three days of papers, performances, and discussion, SASRIM 2026 demonstrated how music scholarship continues to evolve through engagement with diverse knowledge systems, emerging technologies, and pressing social concerns.
By bringing together multiple disciplines and perspectives, the conference highlighted the value of research that is both critically engaged and socially relevant. Hosted by the Odeion School of Music, the gathering provided a platform for meaningful conversations about the future of music studies in South Africa and beyond.