Society for Ethnomusicology

Society for Ethnomusicology
Name	Society for Ethnomusicology
Formation	0 1955
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	Bloomington, Indiana
Membership	~1,800
President	J. Martin Daughtry
Website	https://www.ethnomusicology.org

Society for Ethnomusicology. The Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM) is the primary international academic organization dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of music in its cultural contexts. Founded in 1955, it promotes research, publication, and teaching in the field of ethnomusicology, connecting scholars, educators, and practitioners worldwide. The society's activities encompass a major annual conference, prestigious publications, and a range of awards supporting scholarly achievement.

History

The society was formally established in 1955, emerging from earlier collaborative efforts among scholars like Mantle Hood, Alan Merriam, and David McAllester. Its creation was closely tied to the institutionalization of ethnomusicology as a distinct discipline, separate from but related to musicology and anthropology. Key early meetings and discussions took place at institutions such as the American Anthropological Association and the American Musicological Society. The first official annual meeting was held in 1956 at Indiana University, a leading center for the study of world music. Throughout its history, the society has been instrumental in defining the field's scope, from the study of folk music and oral tradition to the analysis of popular music, diaspora studies, and issues of globalization.

Organization and governance

The society is governed by an elected Board of Directors, which includes a President, Vice-President, and Secretary, among other officers. The current president is J. Martin Daughtry. Day-to-day operations are managed by an executive director and a central office, historically located at Indiana University and now based in Bloomington, Indiana. Key committees, such as the Council on Publications and the Program Committee, oversee specific areas of the society's work. The membership, which includes individuals from over 40 countries, votes on major society policies and elects its leadership, ensuring a broad representation of the international scholarly community.

Publications

The society publishes several major scholarly resources. Its flagship journal, Ethnomusicology, issued three times a year, is one of the field's most cited periodicals. The Ethnomusicology Translations series makes significant non-English texts available in English. The SEM Newsletter (now digital) provides updates on society business and field news. Through its publishing partnership with the University of Illinois Press, the society also produces the SEM Series in Ethnomusicology, a monograph series featuring groundbreaking book-length studies. These publications are considered essential reading for scholars at institutions like the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and the University of Chicago.

Annual meeting

The society's annual meeting is a major scholarly event, typically held in a different North American city each fall, such as Ottawa, Denver, or New Orleans. The conference features hundreds of paper presentations, roundtables, workshops, and film screenings organized around a chosen theme. It also includes keynote addresses by prominent figures like Steven Feld or Deborah Wong, as well as numerous live musical performances. The meeting serves as the central gathering for networking, debating new methodologies, and presenting research on topics ranging from Indigenous musics to Hindustani classical music and electronic dance music.

Awards and fellowships

The society administers several prestigious awards to recognize excellence. The highest honor is the Charles Seeger Prize, awarded for the most distinguished student paper presented at the annual meeting. The Jaap Kunst Prize is given for the best article published in the journal Ethnomusicology. The Bruno Nettl Prize recognizes outstanding publication by a senior scholar. Other significant awards include the Mantle Hood Prize for exceptional scholarship by junior scholars and the Alan Merriam Prize for the most distinguished monograph in the field. These awards are often presented during a ceremony at the annual meeting.

Special interest groups

To foster focused dialogue, the society supports numerous Special Interest Groups (SIGs). These member-led groups organize panels, workshops, and networking events around specific sub-disciplines. Prominent SIGs include the Popular Music Section, the LGBTQ+ Music Study Group, the Music and Religion Section, and the Applied Ethnomusicology Section. Other groups focus on areas such as audiovisual ethnomusicology, the musics of Southeast Asia or Latin America, and issues of archiving and preservation. These SIGs reflect the dynamic and expanding scholarly concerns within the global ethnomusicological community.

Category:Ethnomusicology organizations Category:Learned societies of the United States Category:Music organizations based in Indiana Category:Organizations established in 1955