ethnomusicological

Ethnomusicology is the scholarly study of music in its cultural context, emphasizing how musical practices relate to social life, identity, ritual, and belief. The field combines methods and theories from musicology and anthropology to understand sound as a cultural phenomenon, not only as an aesthetic object.

Fieldwork is central to ethnomusicology. Researchers engage in participant observation, interviews, and audiovisual recording within communities, often guided by ethical considerations and collaborative approaches with local researchers. Analyses address musical structures, performance practices, transmission, and the social meanings attached to repertoire, as well as how music mediates power, memory, and change.

Historically, the discipline grew from comparative musicology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and shifted toward ethnography and cultural context in the mid-20th century. Prominent figures include Alan Merriam, Bruno Nettl, John Blacking, and Steven Feld, who helped shape theories of musical behavior, meaning, and sound. The field has since expanded to emphasize globalization, heritage, and the voices of communities studied.

Today ethnomusicology covers a broad geographic and topical scope, including the study of indigenous, folk, popular, and diasporic musics. It engages with issues such as decolonization, representation, and the ethics of fieldwork, while intersecting with disciplines like linguistics, anthropology, media studies, and digital humanities. The term ethnomusicological is used to describe approaches, analyses, or perspectives that reflect these culturally embedded considerations.