Profesor Madya Dr. Raja Zulkarnain RMY

Profesor Madya Dr. Raja Zulkarnain RMY Multi-Disciplinary Specialist in Cultural Heritage | Musicology | Ethnomusicology | Creative Arts | Writer | Author

Research Progress Update: From Intonaphobia Concept to Measurement FrameworkI have recently completed a new manuscript r...
30/04/2026

Research Progress Update: From Intonaphobia Concept to Measurement Framework

I have recently completed a new manuscript related to my ongoing research on intonaphobia, microtonal perception, and maqām-based music education. This article represents the second stage of a larger research trajectory. The first stage introduced and theorised the concept of intonaphobia as a framework for understanding resistance and perceptual difficulty in relation to maqām microtonality. This second stage moves the discussion forward by developing a preliminary measurement framework for examining these perceptual challenges more systematically. The work is intended to provide a foundation for the next phase of the project, which will focus on broader implementation within higher education contexts and future research funding development. I am now identifying a suitable journal for submission.

Bunyi Yang Masih Hidup di Constantinople ✍️
10/04/2026

Bunyi Yang Masih Hidup di Constantinople ✍️

Pleased to share that my article, Introducing Fa Tuning to Malaysia (2005), has now been published in the Journal of Cre...
09/04/2026

Pleased to share that my article, Introducing Fa Tuning to Malaysia (2005), has now been published in the Journal of Creative Arts.

It documents my role in introducing Fa tuning into Malaysian oud/gambus pedagogy in 2005, as an alternative to the tuning system that had long been used by gambus players in Malaysia.

Glad to see this part of the journey now formally recorded.

Read here: https://journal.uitm.edu.my/ojs/index.php/JCA/article/view/10029

Living Sounds of ConstantinopleI am pleased to share that my latest article, “Bunyi yang Masih Hidup di Constantinople,”...
23/03/2026

Living Sounds of Constantinople

I am pleased to share that my latest article, “Bunyi yang Masih Hidup di Constantinople,” is published in the April 2026 issue of Dewan Budaya under the Salam Benua (travel writing) section.

This piece comes from my recent research journey to Istanbul, where I continued my work documenting the oud within its living cultural environment. For me, research has never been confined to libraries or studios. Much of what I have learned about music, instruments, and tradition has come from walking cities, meeting makers, listening to musicians, and observing how culture survives in everyday spaces.

Since first becoming seriously involved in the arts and cultural field more than two decades ago, this path has taken me across regions and continents. Each journey has quietly shaped how I understand transmission, pedagogy, and the place of traditional instruments in contemporary life.

Travel, in this sense, is not movement for its own sake. It is part of the long process of learning where knowledge actually lives, sometimes in institutions, but often in people, places, and practices that continue without announcement.

Grateful to Dewan Budaya for continuing to provide a space for these reflections since my first contribution in 2013.


Practice-Based Research ReflectionA good researcher explains knowledge.A great researcher creates knowledge through prac...
11/03/2026

Practice-Based Research Reflection

A good researcher explains knowledge.
A great researcher creates knowledge through practice.

Practice-based research in the performing arts is not measured only by written theory, but by how artistic practice itself becomes a method of inquiry. In every semester of teaching Research Methodology at City University of Malaysia, the focus is not only on how students write about research, but how they think, create, test, and reflect through their artistic work.

Researchers who only depend on theory often remain observers.

Researchers who integrate practice become contributors to knowledge.

Practice-based research develops artist-scholars who are able to:
create knowledge through performance,
refine ideas through critical reflection,
and contribute original insights to the creative industries.

True research leadership in the arts is not about producing followers of methodology.

It is about developing independent artist-researchers capable of shaping future knowledge.




A brief update on “Çarpma as Pedagogy.”The article is now scheduled for publication in Malaysian Journal of Social Scien...
23/02/2026

A brief update on “Çarpma as Pedagogy.”

The article is now scheduled for publication in Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), Volume 11, Issue 2 (February 2026), with online release expected at the end of this month.

This study forms part of my ongoing work in the maqām and taqsīm domain, examining how micro-articulatory practices travel across institutions and become codified within local pedagogical systems.

The official link will be shared once the issue is live.

I’ve just completed a new reflective essay: “BUNYI YANG MASIH HIDUP DI CONSTANTINOPLE”Written after my recent research t...
16/02/2026

I’ve just completed a new reflective essay: “BUNYI YANG MASIH HIDUP DI CONSTANTINOPLE”

Written after my recent research trip to Istanbul and its surrounding districts, this is not a travel story.

It is about why some musical traditions never need to be revived.

In the city, the oud and the makam system are not preserved on stage. They live in daily listening, small corrections, and shared understanding. Music survives not because people perform it, but because people still hear it.

The essay asks a simple but uncomfortable question:
What happens to a tradition when a society stops listening and only starts presenting?

Coming soon.

A new article moving into publication.“Çarpma as Pedagogy” has been accepted by the Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences...
05/02/2026

A new article moving into publication.

“Çarpma as Pedagogy” has been accepted by the Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH) and will appear in the February issue. The study looks at how a Turkish–Iraqi oud ornament is transmitted and adapted within Malaysian gambus instructional practice, focusing on the shift from performance habit to structured pedagogy.

More work from the maqām and taqsīm corner.

I am pleased to share that my article,“The Seven-Course Oud in the Malay World: Documenting Its First Introduction to Ma...
30/01/2026

I am pleased to share that my article,

“The Seven-Course Oud in the Malay World: Documenting Its First Introduction to Malaysia (2005)”

was officially published on 30 January 2026.

This article opens my academic publications for 2026 and documents a pivotal moment in the development of Malaysian gambus and oud pedagogy.

The study records the first structured introduction of the seven-course oud in Malaysia in 2005, situating it within the broader Malay-world context of gambus practice, transmission, and pedagogical change. Until now, this development has largely circulated through oral accounts and partial references. By placing it within an academic framework, the article seeks to establish a clear, verifiable historical record grounded in practice and institutional experience.

For Malaysian gambus history, this documentation is significant not only as an instrumental development, but as part of a wider effort to clarify pedagogical lineage, establish reliable timelines, and strengthen the scholarly positioning of oud-based pedagogy in Malaysia.

I am glad to see this chapter of Malaysian musical practice formally recorded and made accessible to researchers, educators, and future practitioners.

Those interested to read the article may access it here: https://ejournal.ukm.my/jatma/article/view/98183

29/01/2026

Looking for an experienced Graphic Designer (Book Cover + Interior Layout). Professional book designers only. If interested, please DM me with:
1. Your portfolio (especially book-related work)
2. Your estimated fee range
3. Your timeline

Serious inquiries only. Thank you.

Opening 2026 with a new piece in Dewan Budaya.Happy to share that my article, “Kerawang Gambus: Cerita di Balik Ukiran d...
24/12/2025

Opening 2026 with a new piece in Dewan Budaya.

Happy to share that my article, “Kerawang Gambus: Cerita di Balik Ukiran dan Bunyi,” is featured in Dewan Budaya (Jan 2026 issue), published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.

This piece looks beyond the gambus as an instrument, focusing on kerawang (rosette carving) as the meeting point of craft, sound, aesthetics, and philosophy. More than decoration, the kerawang carries meaning, balance, and intention that shape how the instrument breathes and sounds.

For those who’d like to get a copy, the magazine is available online here: 👉 https://jendeladbp.my/ujana/dewan-budaya-januari-2026/

Terima kasih & selamat membaca ✨🎶

Address

Muar

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00
Saturday 09:00 - 17:00
Sunday 09:00 - 17:00

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Profesor Madya Dr. Raja Zulkarnain RMY posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to Profesor Madya Dr. Raja Zulkarnain RMY:

Shortcuts

Share

Category