Virtual Micronesia

Performance and Participation in a Pacific Facebook Community

Authors

  • Brian Diettrich Victoria University of Wellington

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/prbt.v17i1.28841

Keywords:

Performance, participation, Micronesia, Social Media, Facebook

Abstract

This article examines the 'Stars of Micronesia' Facebook community and popular performance contest that ran continuously from August to November 2013. Examining its music and the participatory culture made available through social media, this study explores the role of online performances in negotiating conventional Pacific boundaries and in forging cultural networks in online musical environments. The case of the SOM demonstrates that participants have drawn largely on global musical practices as a means of creating an inclusive community that crosses cultural and national boundaries. Examining online performances and musical engagement on the site I contend that Islanders from Micronesia may be forging identities through music and social media that challenge conventional representations of this Pacific region and its people.

Author Biography

  • Brian Diettrich, Victoria University of Wellington

    Brian Diettrich is Senior Lecturer in Ethnomusicology at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. His research and publications focus on Pacific Island music and especially of the Federated States of Micronesia.

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Published

2016-06-06

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Diettrich, B. (2016). Virtual Micronesia: Performance and Participation in a Pacific Facebook Community. Perfect Beat, 17(1), 52-70. https://doi.org/10.1558/prbt.v17i1.28841