Music, Technology and National Development: Rethinking Some Preliminary Assumptions

Abstract

The question of National development involves the integration of all aspects of the national life into a synergy of vision, focus and commitment. Even the phrase „national development‟ presumes that the components of nationhood are intact in Nigeria and that development is both possible and happening. There is equally the tacit acceptance of the importance of the role of technology for music in particular and development in general. This paper examines the background assumptions that set in motion the conference theme, to find out what music can genuinely contribute to national development, given the trajectories which our development philosophies followed in the past. It also examines the proper way to indigenize technology to serve as means and not an end in itself. National development might suffer in the face of uncoordinated fusion of visions and uncritical borrowing of development strategies, which do not accord with the natural and cultural aspirations of the people whose common good, should be the object of music, technology and development itself.