In March 2020 concert halls, nightclubs, schools, places of worship, and other music settings across the United States turned silent, due to social distancing directives implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic. For the first time in a century, Americans experienced what it is like to live in a society largely devoid of music-making in public space. What were the consequences of this sudden transformation for musicians and their communities? The Society for Ethnomusicology sought to answer this question by hiring three ethnomusicologists (Dr. Holly Hobbs, Dr. Raquel Paraíso, and Dr. Tamar Sella) to conduct 240 online video interviews during 2020 with musicians in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 5 U.S. territories.

Enter key words in the Search Box at the top right to search for interviews by geographic location or type of music. See the Index menu item above for a list of musicians by location.

The video interviews presented on this website were recorded between August and November 2020. Collectively, they offer a snapshot of the lives of musicians in America during the Covid-19 crisis.