11 November 2025
Anita Kartika Pasaribu
FIB USU PR - On November 11 and 24, 2025, the Ethnomusicology Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, University of North Sumatra (FIB USU), held a guest lecture titled "Music of Mainland Southeast Asia." This event was held online via Zoom and featured an international speaker, Dr. Sam-Ang Sam, a leading ethnomusicologist with a long history of research into mainland Southeast Asian music.
This guest lecture is part of the Ethnomusicology Study Program's efforts to enrich students' academic knowledge and broaden their scientific perspectives on traditional music in the Southeast Asian region. Through this activity, students are expected to understand the characteristics, social functions, and cultural context of traditional music that developed in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
In the first meeting, held on November 11, 2025, Dr. Sam-Ang Sam presented an overview of the concept of Mainland Southeast Asia and the diversity of musical traditions that exist in the region. In his presentation, he explained the close relationship between music, history, beliefs, and the social life of local communities. Dr. Sam-Ang Sam also highlighted the role of music as a medium for expressing cultural identity and transmitting traditional values from generation to generation.
The second session, held on November 24, 2025, focused on musical instruments, musical structures, and performance practices in mainland Southeast Asian musical traditions. Through audiovisual examples, the speaker outlined the distinctive characteristics of scales, rhythmic patterns, and ensemble forms that distinguish the region's music from those of Maritime Southeast Asia. The discussion was interactive, with participants enthusiastically asking questions and responding.
The Head of the Ethnomusicology Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, USU, stated that this guest lecture demonstrates the study program's commitment to providing contextual and globally oriented learning. The presence of international speakers is expected to provide valuable academic experience and open up opportunities for future scientific collaboration.
The event was attended by Ethnomusicology Study Program students, lecturers, and participants from various backgrounds interested in the study of traditional music and Southeast Asian culture. By holding this Guest Lecture on Music of Mainland Southeast Asia, the Ethnomusicology Study Program of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, USU hopes to continue improving academic quality and strengthening cross-cultural understanding in the field of ethnomusicology.
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