Medieval Music & Arts Foundation - Vision Statement

The Medieval Music & Arts Foundation is a non-profit public benefit corporation organized in order to nourish understanding of medieval music and related subjects. The focus of the Foundation is on the general public, and its intended niche is that between the truly academic scholarly publications and the more money-oriented commercial concerns. We hope to adopt a restrained dignity in our endeavors, without indulging in hype and without being exclusionary.

It is our belief that medieval music of all cultures is a valuable asset to humanity, with artistic merit which is only now being grasped. In many cases, musical details and context are not fully understood by review publications which attempt to sell performances, and so our aim in that area is both to correct misunderstandings and to provide a richer range of information and discussion. Conversely, scholarly journals can seem very remote to the general public, and consequently our aim in that area is to make much of the valuable and interesting information contained therein more approachable and to link it directly to where it might be heard in practice. We are trying to fill the all-important gap between these two arenas, and to facilitate real communication between public and professional communities.

In order to accomplish these objectives, we are developing and publishing online all manner of information on medieval music, from the most directly relevant to the curious beginner to more abstract discussions which may help scholars in the field discover their own relevance. Our editorial eye is on the true excellence and relevance of this art, while refraining from letting promotional or commercial concerns interfere with our ability to provide accurate or precise information. In this way, we will be providing an increased array of resources, useful for people at any level of knowledge or interest. We attempt to enthuse the true amateur, provide a wealth of data for the initiate, and develop feedback for the professional.

A belief in the relevance of medieval music brings us straight to contemporary music-making, and so we support both new compositions in related idioms as well as performances of old work differing radically from their accepted historical circumstances. We do not aim to create a museum only, but rather to put the lessons of the museum to work in a contemporary environment. We support creativity in all its guises. Our ultimate goal is to improve the human condition.

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