Society for Ethnomusicology

The Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM) officially began in 1955. Pictured above are the founders Charles Seeger, Alan Merriam, Willard Rhodes, and David McAllester. Ethnomusicology is an interdisciplinary academic field that includes music, sociology, cultural anthropology, and folklore. Ethnomusicologists examine music in its cultural and social context and regard music as a process involving music makers and audiences. The SEM business office is on the campus of Indiana University, which offers a Ph.D. and M.A. in Ethnomusicology as well as a B.A. in Folklore and Ethnomusicology. In fact, this year's national conference is on the IU campus from November 7th to November 10th, 2019.