Gibb Schreffler

Gibb Schreffler is an Assistant Professor of Music at Pomona College, specializing in ethnomusicology. He holds a PhD from UC Santa Barbara and has been affiliated with Pomona College since 2012. His work bridges scholarly research and musical performance, focusing on Punjabi drumming traditions, American maritime chanties, and Jamaican musical aesthetics.

Education: PhD in Ethnomusicology (UC Santa Barbara, 2010), MA in Ethnomusicology (UC Santa Barbara, 2002), BM from Ithaca College.

Research interests include cultural values expressed through music, historical work-songs of maritime cultures, and the social status of Punjabi musicians. His recent book Dhol: Drummers, Identities, and Modern Punjab (2021) examines Punjabi dhol traditions, while Boxing the Compass (2018) explores the evolution of sailors' chanties.

Awards include recognition from the BC Cultural Bhangra Academy (2015), National Endowment for the Humanities (2014), and multiple UCSB Excellence Awards. His Songs of the Windlass album (2022) blends scholarship and performance, featuring Claremont Colleges students.

Teaching encompasses courses on world music, Punjabi culture, and American maritime music. He directs the Sea Chanty and Maritime Music Ensemble, integrating academic research with hands-on musical practice.