Memory and Bodily Techniques in Musical Culture: Revisiting and Expanding the Structural Logic of Classical Music, Memory Theory, and Habitus in the Digital Era

This article presents a thoroughly revised and expanded conceptual analysis of memory and bodily technique (habitus) in the culture of Western classical music, explicitly building upon the author’s previous work (Fujiki, 2009). Integrating foundational theories from Bergson, Halbwachs, and Bourdieu with contemporary music sociology, the study develops a three-layered model of personal memory, collective memory, and embodied social habitus. The central conceptual innovations—“hybrid habitus” and “digital mimicry”—are critically elaborated as distinct phenomena of the digital and AI era. The article differentiates between digital and AI technologies, offering in-depth analysis of AI-powered platforms and their specific impacts on musical learning, embodiment, and social reproduction. A detailed empirical roadmap is provided, featuring explicit hypotheses and research questions, and pilot interview vignettes ground the theoretical proposals in real-world experience. Issues of diversity, intersectionality, and technological access are integrated throughout. The paper concludes with recommendations for policy, education, and future research, aiming to provide a robust framework for the study of musical embodiment in an era of rapid technological transformation.