Ethnomusicology

Sources for background information

Encyclopedias

• Garland Encyclopedia of World Music
  REF ML100 G16 1997
  A 10-volume set divided by geographical region. The 10th volume includes a glossary, a bibliography of literature and recordings by region, and personal essays by prominent ethnomusicologists on their careers and research practices. Nine CDs (available from the 4th-floor desk) complement the text.
• Oxford Music Online (includes Grove Music Online)
• Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World
  REF ML102 P66 C66 2003
  Volumes 3-7 treat popular music topics by geographical region.
• Encyclopedia of Music in Canada
  Includes entries on prominent musicians of all genres as well as entries by ethnic group, city, and region.

Bibliographies

• Ethnomusicology: A Guide to Research
  Also available in print: ML128 E8 P67 2004

Searching the Library catalogue

Search using words for historical periods (e.g., baroque, renaissance, romantic), musical genres (e.g., punk, folk songs, symphonies), musical styles (e.g., galant, bop, minimalist music), instruments, and/or individual musicians.

Browse by call number

From the Basic Search screen of the Classic Catalogue, select Call number begins with... and enter one of the call numbers below, or simply browse the Music Library shelves at:

Search by subject heading

From the Basic Search screen of the Classic Catalogue, select Subject heading begins with... and enter one of the suggested subject headings below (the dashes are not necessary).

Music - [Region]
Music and dance
Music and anthropology
Folk music - [Region]
Popular music - [Region]
World music - [Region]
[Ethnic group] - [Region] - Music
Ethnomusicology

Core and additional databases

Core databases

• RILM: Répertoire international de littérature musicale
  Citations and abstracts of music scholarship – articles, books, theses, conference proceedings, etc. – from around the world
• Music Index Online
  Citations to a mix of scholarly and more popular periodical literature, with some links to full-text articles
• IIMP: International Index to Music Periodicals
  Citations and abstracts of scholarly and popular music periodical literature; more than 80 titles have at least some full text
• CMPI: Canadian Music Periodical Index
  Citations only to nearly 30,000 articles in Canadian music periodicals published from the late 19th century to the present

Core ethnomusicology journals at McGill

Print journals are located on the 5th floor of the Music Library. Many journals are available electronically.

• Asian Music
  Produced by the Society for Asian Music, the journal has covered all aspects of performing arts in Asia and the Asian diaspora since 1969.
• Black Music Research Journal
• Publications of the Canadian Society for Traditional Music (MUSICultures, Canadian Journal for Traditional Music, Canadian Folk Music Bulletin)
• Ethnomusicology
  Produced by the Society for Ethnomusicology.
• Ethnomusicology Forum
  Published since 2004, this journal continues the British Journal of Ethnomusicology (BJE).
• Popular Music
• The World of Music
  Produced by the Otto-Friedrich University of Bamberg. A list of special thematic issues is available from the journal's homepage.
• Yearbook for Traditional Music and other publications of the International Folk Music Council

Use the core databases above to locate ethnomusicological research in these and other music journals.

Additional databases

Ethnomusicological studies are published in many journals in other disciplines. The indexes below will provide relevant citations and sometimes full text of articles not found in the music-specific databases above.

• Anthropological Literature
  Produced by Harvard University, Anthropological Literature is the most comprehensive international resource for the fields of anthropology.
• International Bibliography of Social Sciences
  Bibliographic citations for journal articles, books, reviews and selected chapters published since 1951 in a broad range of social science disciplines
• Sociological Abstracts
  "Indexes the international literature in sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences" from 1952 to the present

Dissertation databases

Dissertations are book-length papers written by graduate students in partial fulfillment of a Ph.D. or other doctoral degree requirements. Because they represent new areas of research and undergo a rigorous academic evaluation process, dissertations can be excellent resources for finding information on topics in ethnomusicology. Be sure to check their bibliographies for further reading.

• Proquest Dissertations and Theses Full Text
  Full-text available for most dissertations (from all disciplines) published after 1996. Citations and often summaries are available for most earlier dissertations

For more online dissertation resources, consult the theses page.

Recordings databases

• Naxos Music Library contains several labels such as Marco Polo that focus on traditional music from around the world.
• Smithsonian Global Sound (access via BAnQ; requires free subscription to remote services)
  Dedicated to the music of cultures around the world, this database offers an array of traditional and folk music recordings.

Selected Internet sites

• Canadian Centre for Ethnomusicology and folkwaysAlive!
• The Society for Ethnomusicology
  Includes a Guide to Programs in Ethnomusicology and listings of "Ographies" - bibliographies, videographies, and discographies produced by the society between 2000 and 2009.
• The American Folklife Center
  Selected online content from this research center; includes audio samples of music and stories, digital images of rare letters and photographs, and video clips
• Ethnomusicology - World Music
  An extensive guide to ethnomusicology web resources, compiled by the University of Washington Libraries
• Virtual Instrument Museum
  An online guide to instruments from around the world with audio and video illustrations and suggestions for further reading

Other resources

Audio / video resources

• Audio / video: streaming, downloadable, and indexes
  The Music Library's list of links to audio / video resources, both McGill-only and free
• BAnQ Digital Collection - Sound recordings (music from Quebec recorded between 1900 and 1952) and Databases - Music and Video
  A/V resources available through the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
  (How to subscribe to remote services)
• Centre de Recherche en Ethnomusicologie - Sound archives
• British Library - Sounds: World and Traditional Music
  Selections from the significant collections of traditional music preserved in the British Library
• Smithsonian Folkways CD recordings
• JVC Video Anthology of World Music and Dance
• Ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax’s recordings

Other relevant McGill Subject Guides

• Music research subject guide
• Popular music subject guide
• Canadian music subject guide
• Anthropology & Archaeology subject guide
• Cultural studies and theory subject guide
• Indigenous peoples subject guide
• Sociology subject guide

Borrowing from other libraries

All Montreal residents may register for free access to the collections of the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec. Present a valid photo ID and proof of residency to obtain a borrowing card.

A CREPUQ card allows its holder to borrow materials from other academic libraries. McGill undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty can request a card from the service desk of any McGill branch library. Graduate and faculty CREPUQ cards grant their holders borrowing rights at participating university libraries across Canada. For more information, visit McGill Library's "Borrowing in person at other universities" page.

Students and faculty may use other libraries' collections - possibly with certain restrictions - even if they do not have borrowing privileges.