Ethnomusicology and Traditional Music Studies
What is Ethnomusicology?
Ethnomusicologists seek to understand the whole process within which music is imagined, discussed and made. We try to relate specific musical sounds, behaviours and ideas to their broader social, cultural and political contexts.
Studying individuals and societies all around the world, including the West, we aim to discover and document human musical life in its full richness and diversity. Ethnomusicological research sometimes aims to inform social policy or lead to improvements in the public sector; and it often involves learning to perform the music we study.
Ethnomusicology in Sheffield
The ethnomusicology research programme at Sheffield is one of the largest in Britain, with around forty postgraduate students as well as three academic staff and a world musician in residence.
Two of the top journals in ethnomusicology—The World of Music and Ethnomusicology Forum—have been edited or co-edited here, as was the 2006 Yearbook for Traditional Music.
We're an active centre for meetings, including conferences of the British Forum for Ethnomusicology (BFE), the European Foundation for Chinese Music Research (CHIME) and the International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM). We have hosted many distinguished ethnomusicological visitors.
View a list of ethnomusicological visitors to Sheffield
Research projects
Ethnomusicologists at Sheffield have been involved in research projects of many kinds, from historical study to biography, from music analysis to studies of music in relation to sexuality and ethnicity, and from applied projects in health and education to large-scale works like the New Grove Dictionary of Music and the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Current staff research areas include:
- Musics of China, Taiwan and Korea
- Music of India
- Music of sub-Saharan Africa
- English musical traditions
- Musical theatre worldwide
- History, theory and methods of ethnomusicology
- Applied and medical ethnomusicology
View a full list of current and recent research projects
Thinking of applying for graduate study?
Read about how to apply and funding in our Prospective Postgraduate section
If you have any further queries please contact Dr. Andrew Killick at
tel: +44 (0) 114 222 0460
email : a.killick@sheffield.ac.uk