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THE SHADOWS OF THE FIELD: NEGOTIATION AND NAVIGATION IN DOING FIELDWORK 

By

Rolan Ambrocio

Ethnographic field research lies at the heart of the discipline of social anthropology and

ethnomusicology and it is scholarly publication is its life-blood: it is chiefly through writing that most

anthropologist and ethnomusicologist, for that matter, disseminate the results of their time in the field.

Writing transforms data and personal observations into text that inform, provoke and inspire debate and

conversations among the members of the discipline and its allied field, and at times even public arenas

 beyond the academic community. Early ethnographers believed that it was possible to provide detailed

interpretations of other cultures while maintaining a detached stance. Once, the ethnographer was seen as

a ‘scientific’ observer with the necessary skills to record, interpret and present accounts of their field

work. But, their actual role as researcher, and the impact of their presence upon the researched was not

considered. I question whether it is possible or advantageous to step outside of, or disengage ourselves

from our research, taking up a detached stance from both our topic of enquiry and our informants.

My research experience in the FISVKKI community in Brgy. Sacrifice Valley, Hermosa

Bataan has been riddled with many obstacles. Their Catholic customs, although resembles the Roman

Rite in many respect, have their own distinctive roots and history. The rituals that I have participated and

observed were always accompanied by music sung by musicians who were former members of a choir in

the Roman Catholic Church. These music, however, were taken from composers of liturgical music of 

the Roman Catholic Church. Among the songs that they have sung during their celebrations, Marian

hymns occupies the greater weight of their music and unaccompanied music, especially Gregorian chant,

was preferred than music with instrumental accompaniments. While in the Roman Church, the use of 

Gregorian chant in the parish remains to be desired, the FISVKKI-CMHT highly favors this type of music

to be sung on their celebrations. In the first place “we are covenant of divine spirit so we should sing 

more of these holy song.” 

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Modern liturgics, from which of my perspectives on liturgy have originated is a field where

normative tendencies far outweigh a descriptive stance based on participant-observation. With respect to

tradition and conviction, as a researcher personal beliefs have been an obstacles requiring careful

navigation. In this light, FISVKK-CMHT represents a reorganization of the Christian ethos to include

 priorities which exist outside of the historical and theological hegemonies of the Christian Ordo as I have

known it. This research has tested my own training ground in such preoccupations and has forced me to

abandon many of the tendencies which scrutinize ritual on its merit as praxis.

The impossibility of distancing oneself from the research topic and informant, especially

when religious beliefs and convictions are made to reconsider, are already acknowledged by many

researchers who have been met by the shadows of fieldwork. However, unlike other researcher whose

subjects represents a seemingly unknown community ideals where knowledge is learned through

experience, in this case, a certain amount of familiarity already existed prior to embarking on the project.

My presence as a researcher afforded a unique exchange where my musical history and liturgical training

have affected my research. FISVKKI-CHMT represented an expansion and journeying into an unknown

realm of spiritual expressions and understanding as a Roman Catholic who for the most part lived as a

liturgical musician in the cloistered convent of Carmelite Monastery.