Call for Papers

Popular Music Studies: Problems, Disputes, Questions, University of Glasgow,
12-14 September 2008.

The biennial conference of the UK and Ireland branch of IASPM will be hosted
by the Department of Music at the University of Glasgow between 12 and 14
September 2008.

Conference Theme

The aim of this conference is to address the issues that have in recent
years excited most conversation and disagreement among IASPM members.
Papers are invited on three topics in particular.

Music and National Identity

[When, if ever, can music usefully be described in national terms?  (English
or Scottish folk?  Welsh or Irish rock?)  What are the problems of national
music policies?  Should popular music studies reject the concept of the
nation entirely?  Are concepts of 'ethnic' or 'hybrid' music any more valid?
How is the nation gendered within popular music?]

Popular Music Theory

[Does popular music studies 'lack theory'?  What sort of theory do we need?
What are the most useful theoretical concepts in the field?  Which the most
redundant?  Has gender been under-theorised within Popular Music Studies?
What is or should be the relationship between academic/theoretical
approaches to popular music and vocational/practical approaches?]

The Musical Experience

[What is a musical experience?  How are people's responses to music
determined?  How/why do they change over time?  How does gender impact on
the musical experience?  What can we learn about musical subjectivity and
response from psychologists of music?   Is popular music necessarily a
source of pleasure?]

Proposals

Paper proposals are invited on these topics-and on any other issue of
popular music debate.  Proposals will be welcomed from any perspective,
using any methodology and addressing any kind of music.


Papers should last for 20 minutes and the conference organisers will be
asking chairs to keep to this limit.

Guest Speakers

Guest speakers at the conference will include Professor Simon Frith
(University of Edinburgh) and Professor Allan Moore (University of Surrey)
in debate, and Bill Drummond (formerly of the KLF). In addition John
Williamson (manager of Belle and Sebastian) will present a discussion of the
Glasgow music scene with local musicians.

Social Events

The conference will feature a Civic Reception at Glasgow City Halls and a
Saturday evening social at a local venue.

Other Information

Glasgow has one of the most vibrant music scenes in the UK, having in the
past few years produced acts such as Snow Patrol, Franz Ferdinand and The
Fratellis. It has a great range of venues including The Barrowland Ballroom,
King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, the Academy, the ABC, Barfly, the Garage, the
(Renfrew) Ferry, the Royal Concert Hall and the SECC. It also boasts a
highly diverse music scene with significant dance, country and western and
folk scenes. For more information see:
www.seeglasgow.com/seeglasgow/photo-gallery/cityofmusic

The conference will be located at the University of Glasgow which is located
in the West End of the City. This location is host to a range of excellent
restaurants, bars, pubs and venues all of which are in walking distance of
the venue.

Organising Committee

A local Organising Committee has been established consisting of:

Martin Cloonan (University of Glasgow
Simon Frith (University of Edinburgh)
Raymond MacDonald (Glasgow Caledonian University) Mark Percival (Queen
Margaret University) John Williamson (University of Glasgow)

Submitting Proposals

Proposals should include the name and contact details (email) of the
proposer, the tile of the proposal and an abstract of no more than 150
words. Please send proposals to Martin Cloonan - [log in to unmask]
The deadline for proposals is 1 May 2008.

Website

The conference website will be updated regularly. It can be found at:
www.music.gla.ac.uk/iaspm/


-- 
Iain Robert Smith
Doctoral Student
Institute of Film and Television
School of American and Canadian Studies
University of Nottingham
University Park
NG7 2RD