Welcome back to my second blog post! I love all things music, so I have been hoping something related to music might be writeable for this blog. Today I will be writing about a subtopic that interested me while I was browsing anthropology news: the practice of ethnomusicology.
What is it?
Coined by Dutch musicologist Jaap Kunst in 1950, “ethnomusicology” is a big word, so let’s break it down. According to Miriam-Webster, the prefix “ethno-” generally means “relating to a race, culture, or people”. Musicology is the scholarly study of music that looks into its history and cultural roots. Ethnomusicology, the product of these two words, is the study of music within its social and cultural contexts that seeks to explore its deeper meaning. This can involve studying both music created by members of a certain culture and how it is performed and interpreted. Just like music is open to interpretation by those who listen to in, the definition of ethnomusicology is interpreted differently by anthropologists around the world; some place importance on the music itself while others prefer to center their studies more so around the cultures of ethnic groups.
Kamala Bright ~ A Street Performer In India
The Job
In terms of field work, ethnomusicologists study the musical traditions of artists around the world, recording and analyzing performances in a cultural context as well as studying the element of music theory in their songs. Researchers may also engage in music creation with local artists to further immerse themselves in the culture. (Indeed Careers)
Ethnomusicologists must be well-versed in music theory, ideally understanding composition and being able to play multiple instruments. The ability to conduct research both in the field and in an office setting is also a primary skill required. Ethnomusicologists are typically employed at museums, educational institutions, and research facilities, where they teach courses and publish texts.
The Importance of Ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology plays a notable role in not just anthropology but musicology too. The practice itself of uncovering musical artifacts through archaeology stimulates continuous research of music in a society, stimulating further composition development in that society. It also provides a new lens to examine the progression of music in a culture throughout time, looking at the different reasons for musical style being changed the way it is. Such can function much like archaeology in the sense that it can help provide an understanding of historical perspectives by looking at what has been done with music in the past. Looking at it this way, a song could provide as much, if not more information than an ancient rune or piece of clothing. In terms of musicology, which usually employs a very straightforward and objective approach similar to the etic of ethnography, ethnomusicology is a less objective way to study music due to the fact that it takes into consideration the cultural context with which the music is created. (Li Li)
While ethnomusicologists would likely regard their work as underrecognized, many schools have recently began incorporating ethnomusicology classes into their course offerings. These come in the forms of music or dance classes covering cultures anywhere from the Balkans to deep southeast Asia. Professional organizations related to ethnomusicology have largely grown too, with the Society of Ethnomusicology increasing membership the most among ethnomusicology groups. All in all, ethnomusicology is an increasingly relevant field of study that can uncover volumes about the world of yesterday as well as the world of today through song.
Vicki Schofield
Image Credits Unsplash
Li, Li. “The Importance of Ethnomusicology in Other Disciplines Of …” Francis Press, Francis Academic Press, UK, francis-press.com/uploads/papers/xPjwVfhrdqFI7TjQVerHTJAukbNPQrmHodz8QeuD.pdf. Accessed 19 July 2025.
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