Society for Ethnomusicology

Society for Ethnomusicology
Name	Society for Ethnomusicology
Founded	1955
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	United States
Fields	Ethnomusicology, Folklore, Musicology

Contents

Society for Ethnomusicology is a learned society dedicated to the scholarly study of musical cultures and practice-based research. It connects scholars, performers, archivists, and educators across institutions such as University of California, Los Angeles, Indiana University Bloomington, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of Ghana, and Australian National University. Its activities intersect with archives like the Smithsonian Institution, festivals such as the WOMAD Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and funding bodies including the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

History

The organization emerged in the Cold War era alongside institutions like the American Folklore Society, International Musicological Society, Royal Musical Association, Werner Herzog-era ethnographic film movements, and projects at the Library of Congress and British Library. Early members included scholars affiliated with University of California, Berkeley, Cornell University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, and fieldwork connected to expeditions in West Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. Milestones include gatherings at venues such as the New York World's Fair and collaborations with archives at Indiana University Bloomington and the Peabody Museum. Over decades the society responded to debates involving figures represented by the American Anthropological Association, institutions like the UNESCO, and controversies akin to those surrounding the British Museum and repatriation of materials.

The society advances comparative study of musical systems found in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It promotes ethical fieldwork practices referenced in policies by the American Anthropological Association, curates resources paralleling collections at the Smithsonian Institution and the British Library Sound Archive, and engages with cultural policy actors such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Activities include training initiatives similar to programs at Indiana University Bloomington Jacobs School of Music, collaborative projects with the Archive of World Music model, and partnerships with museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The society publishes a flagship journal comparable in standing to Ethnomusicology Research, edited by scholars from institutions such as University of Washington, McGill University, Yale University, Harvard University, and University of California, Los Angeles. It supports monograph series and working papers alongside digital archives inspired by projects at the British Library and the Library of Congress. Research areas cover topics investigated at centers like the School of Oriental and African Studies, SOAS University of London, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, and the Smithsonian Folkways lab, including studies on performance practice in contexts like Carnatic music, Balinese gamelan, Andean music, and African drumming traditions. Contributors often hold appointments at institutions such as Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Ohio State University, University of California, Berkeley, New York University, and Rutgers University.

Annual meetings attract delegates from universities including Indiana University Bloomington, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Toronto, University of Oxford, University of Melbourne, and cultural organizations such as the British Library and the Smithsonian Institution. Regional conferences mirror events hosted by the American Folklore Society, International Council for Traditional Music, and the Association for Recorded Sound Collections. The program often features sessions on archive digitization like projects at the Library of Congress, panels with representatives from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and performances drawing artists associated with festivals such as Green Man Festival and SXSW.

Governance includes an elected Executive Board with officers elected from universities including Indiana University Bloomington, University of California, Berkeley, University of Chicago, Columbia University, and University of Washington. Committees coordinate publications, ethics, and diversity initiatives modeled after committee structures at the American Anthropological Association and the Modern Language Association. Leadership historically intersected with figures employed at institutions like SOAS University of London, McGill University, Harvard University, and Yale University and engaged advisors from archives such as the British Library and the Smithsonian Institution.

The society administers awards and research grants similar in function to honors from the American Council of Learned Societies, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Prizes recognize monographs, dissertation research, field recordings, and community engagement projects comparable to awards given by the Folklore Society and the International Musicological Society. Grant programs support collaborations with archives and museums like the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Folkways, and the British Library Sound Archive and fund fieldwork in regions governed by research standards from the American Anthropological Association.

Membership comprises faculty, graduate students, independent scholars, and practitioners affiliated with institutions such as Indiana University Bloomington, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Texas at Austin, University of Oxford, University of Ghana, and University of Cape Town. Regional chapters operate similarly to networks of the American Folklore Society and the International Council for Traditional Music, facilitating local events at universities like University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of British Columbia, Monash University, and University of Sydney. Partnerships extend to museums and cultural centers such as the Smithsonian Institution, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Category:Learned societies Category:Music organizations