ABSTRACT
Vaucluse House is now managed by Sydney Living Museums (SLM) and, along with other SLM house museums, has been featured in recent films depicting music-making. The resistance to engage with music in historic houses reflects both the perceived and real difficulty of interpreting historic domestic spaces through music in a way that matches the standard of the rest of the interpretation. Contemporary strategies used to curate sound in houses museums have evolved out of decades of music-making. Music and sound historiographies may be rare, but organisations caring for multiple historic properties, some with long histories as a museum, can offer insight into changing curatorial and programmatic approaches to music. The new role of music at Sydney Living Museums reflects decades of developing interpretational approaches, a deeper understanding and communication of its house museum collections, and seeking collaborative relationships with institutions and musicians interested in exploring the sound heritage of historic house museums.
