Dead public spaces - live private corners: (Re)contextualization of musically public and private

Abstract

The expressions of private and public musical life and experience are mostly discussed separately. This article joins these two concepts into one scope and surveys the identity of both. In ideal (utopian?) traditional context between private and public music experience (life), the context shows ideal vitality and consistence, while in an 'irregular' context these two concepts begin to distance themselves, opening space for marginality or so called 'errors'. This article studies bagpipe tradition in Serbia, at different stages of its development and in different periods, specifically focusing on rural and urban contexts in diverse sociopolitical conditions. Although bagpipe tradition still exists in Serbia it is far removed from what it once was, and the idea is to represent the contexts of that process, private and public, sociopolitical, and marginal aspects, from the 19th century (or hypothetically before then) until today.