The work of scholars in sociomusicology is often similar to
ethnomusicology in terms of its exploration of the sociocultural context of music; however, sociomusicology maintains less of an emphasis on
ethnic and
national identity and is not limited to ethnographic methods. Rather, sociomusicologists use a wide range of
research methods and take a strong interest in observable behavior and musical interactions within the constraints of
social structure. Sociomusicologists are more likely than ethnomusicologists to make use of surveys and
economic data, for example, and tend to focus on musical practices in contemporary industrialized societies. For instance, proposed the hypothesis of "Biliterate and
Trimusical" in [Hong Kong
sociomusicology]. Since the field of
musicology has tended to emphasize
historiographic and analytical/critical rather than sociological approaches to
research, sociomusicology is still regarded as somewhat outside the mainstream of musicology. Yet, with the increased popularity of
ethnomusicology in recent decades (with which the field shares many similarities), as well as the development and mainstreaming of "
New Musicology" (coinciding with the emergence of interdisciplinary
cultural studies in academia), sociomusicology is increasingly coming into its own as a fully established field. The values and meanings associated with music are collectively constructed by both music listeners and performers. When listening to a piece, they reflect upon their own values and use the music to make connections between their own experiences and what the piece is perceived as communicating. The sociology of music looks specifically at these connections and the musical experiences tied to the person and the music itself. In addition, the act of making music is a social production as well as a social activity. Even if the music artist is a solo performer, the production of the music itself, took a level of social effort. From the instruments that were created to make the music, to the final production of generating a way to listen to the music, also known as the product. Furthermore, one can argue that even the distribution of the music is a social act. Some teachers are trying out more non traditional ways of teaching material, by using music to connect with their students on levels that the student can relate to, as well as "to draw illustrations of sociological concept". Among the most notable classical sociologists to examine the social aspects and effects of music were
Georg Simmel (1858–1918),
Alfred Schutz (1899–1959),
Max Weber (1864–1920) and
Theodor W. Adorno (1903–1969). Others have included
Alphons Silbermann,
Charles Seeger (1886–1979),
Howard S. Becker,
Norbert Elias,
Maurice Halbwachs,
Jacques Attali, John Mueller (1895–1965), and
Christopher Small. Contemporary sociomusicologists include
Tia DeNora,
Georgina Born,
David Hebert, Peter Martin, Timothy Dowd, William Roy, and Joseph Schloss. == Alternative definitions ==