Southern Plains Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology

The Society for Ethnomusicology was founded in 1955 to promote the research, study, and performance of music in all historical periods and cultural contexts. At present, the Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM) has more than 2,500 members from six continents.

The Society for Ethnomusicology is multidisciplinary in concept and worldwide in scope. Members' interests range from Japanese shakuhachi performance practice to popular musics in New York; from the conservation and display of Native American musical instruments to teaching world music in public schools. Members of the Society for Ethnomusicology are scholars, students, performers, publishers, museum specialists, and librarians from numerous disciplines. Some of these disciplines include anthropology, musicology, cultural studies, acoustics, popular music studies, music education, folklore, composition, archiving, and the performing arts, just to name a few.

Through its publications and its national and regional meetings, the Society provides a forum for discussion of current scholarly research. The Society also fosters the promotion and development of a variety of traditional art forms.

The Southern Plains Chapter was formed in 2008