SEM Newsletter Published by the Society for Ethnomusicology Volume 41 Number 1 January 2007 President’s Report: The one replete with challenges. To address the Becoming Ethnomusi- theme of “Decolonizing Ethnomusicology” Society for Ethnomusi- we turned not to the histories enacted by cologists cology Makes a Differ- others, but rather to those scripted, often By Philip V. Bohlman, SEM President with force, by selves, indeed, ourselves. The ence groundswell of papers and presentations I turn to my column in the SEM News- By Philip V. Bohlman, SEM President that addressed the ways we ourselves have letter (pp. 4-5) in the aftermath of the 51st been responsible for colonizing others and Annual Meeting of the Society, which took As the Society for Ethnomusicology silencing others, even as we imagined we were as its overarching theme “Decolonizing enters its second half-century, all accounts giving them voice, was impressive indeed, Ethnomusicology.” From the moment of lead to the conclusion that we are ready to not because it was cause for celebrating our its announcement the theme became a light- engage new challenges and embrace new history, but because it presented us squarely ning rod for papers and panels of all kinds. opportunities. The SEM emerged from its with a new challenge from history. Our his- Its impact on the program for the annual 50th anniversary meeting in Atlanta having tory is a history of responsibility. It is and meeting could not have been more palpable. set new records for attendance and participa- also must be a history of response. This is Approached with a sense of responsibil- tion. As we basked in the hospitality of our a history that asks us, as ethnomusicologist, ity—no one, to my knowledge, claimed that Hawai`ian hosts at the 51st Annual Meeting, truly to take charge of making a difference ethnomusicology had not colonized and and even as we rose before dawn to attend in the world. had not been colonized—“Decolonizing paper sessions, weary from the intensity of a Surely, we witnessed in 2006, at the Ethnomusicology” charted new common truly remarkable program, we recognized the 51st SEM Annual Meeting and in the daily ground from the recognition of old practices. many ways that SEM inspired a remarkable undertakings of our students and our col- It provided a call for a history of the present level of commitment. We barely stopped for leagues, that ethnomusicology’s history has in the aftermath of the 50th Annual Meet- refl ection at the turn of the half-century, even been one of taking the challenge of the past ing, devoted to historical refl ection on our as we ourselves turned toward the future, past. Contradictions, nonetheless, abound on mindful of a past in which SEM has made Continued on page 8 that common ground, not least because of a difference. the dilemma of encounter that necessarily It is clear from the events of the past year Call for Papers: SEM in defi nes the occupying of any ground that and the themes of the 51st Annual Meeting might be held as common. In the column that the past of which we are mindful was Columbus, Ohio, Octo- on pp. 4-5, I seek some of the historical ber 24-28, 2007 reasons that ethnomusicologists rallied so Inside collectively to the theme of “Decolonizing Proposals for papers and other kinds of Ethnomusicology” that drew us together in 1 Becoming Ethnomusicologists presentations are called for on the following Honolulu, but also has played a defi ning role 1 SEM Calls for Papers themes: in our complex history. 1 President’s Report: The Society for Eth- Music, war and reconciliation (motto nomusicology Makes a Difference theme) 3 SEM Dues Increase for 2007 Call for Papers: SEM 3 SEM Prizes and Awards 1. Music, place and environment 2007 Pre-Conference 7 Henrietta Yurchenco Made Honorary 2. Interaction between musicians in en- Symposium Member of the SEM sembles 7 SEM Columbus 2007 3. Digital communities and musical ex- The Pre-Conference Symposium, on New 9 Announcements periences Directions in Cognitive Ethnomusicology, 11 Report on The Fourth Meeting of the 4. Musical ontologies will be held on October 24, 2007. It will be Music and Minorities Study Group 5. Ethnomusicologies: shifting perspec- devoted to four sub-themes: tives on the fi eld 11 People and Places 1. New theoretical perspectives 13 A Gamelan Happening in Hawai`i Proposals for papers on free topics may 2. Music and language 13 Calls for Submissions also be submitted. 3. Music and entrainment 14 Report on the EVIA Digital Archive The deadline for submission of paper 4. Music and the cultured brain and body Second Summer Institute and Call for proposals is March 15, 2007. For guidelines Depositors and details of the submission process, see the Submit paper proposals for the sympo- 15 Calls for Proposals insert in this issue of the Newsletter or the sium electronically to Margarita Mazo (email) 15 Conferences Calendar SEM website www.ethnomusicology.org. [email protected] or Udo Will (email) [email protected], by March 1, 2007. 2 SEM Newsletter The Society for Ethnomusicology and SEM Newsletter Guidelines the SEM Newsletter Guidelines for Contributors Editor, SEM Newsletter Henry Spiller Department of Music • Send articles to the editor by e-mail or on a disk with a paper copy. Microsoft Word is University of California preferable, but other Macintosh or IBM-compatible software is acceptable. One Shields Avenue Davis, CA 95616, USA • Identify the software you use. (Tel) 530.757.5791 (Fax) 530.752.0983 • Please send faxes or paper copies without a disk only as a last resort. 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