ARP 2009 Call For Papers

The Fifth Annual Art of Record Production Conference 
will be hosted by the Division of Music and Sound, 
The Atrium, University of Glamorgan, Cardiff, S. Wales
on November 13th – 15th 2009.

Producing Recorded Performances: Capture or Design?
The conference organizers invite submissions for papers on the following
themes and any other related topics:

1. Performance and Record Production. 
The evolving process of record production has altered performance
practice in a variety of ways and across the whole range of musical
styles. In turn these new developments have themselves driven the
development of new musical styles. This stream will examine these issues
and also how changes in the creative decision making process have
affected the traditional roles of performer, composer, arranger and
producer. Leiber and Stoller are often quoted as having said “we don’t
write songs, we write records” and this recording based approach to
creativity has many implications for the role of performers. How do
performers and producers negotiate this creative balancing act? Indeed,
how do all the participants in the production process communicate and
interact? The stream invites submissions dealing with all aspects of
performance in the recording studio.

2. Capturing Environments, Designing Space.
For many recording professionals the idea of ‘capturing’ the character
of a specific space is central to their practice. For others the
artificial construction of perceived ambience is equally crucial. The
‘sonic environment’ of recorded music can strongly affect the perceived
meaning for a listener but the sound the performer hears during the
recording process is also an important factor. This stream seeks to
examine both how the artificial design of space has been incorporated
into the production and compositional process as well as how techniques
that are specific to the recording of classical, jazz, acoustic, folk
and traditional music forms utilise the sound of recorded space. Phrases
such as hyper realism and “electronic fakery” illustrate the increased
public awareness of the creative impact of technological mediation. We
would therefore also like to encourage studies and discussions of
related issues such as the aesthetics and psychoacoustics of place and
proximity, the perception of technological mediation, authenticity and
transparency. 

3. Independent Production and Distribution 
There is a long history of independent and entrepreneurial producers
stretching from pioneers such as Sam Phillips and Joe Meek to
contemporary artists such as Linda Perry and Steve Albini. There are
also a variety of business models and working practices through which
independent record producers and independent forms of distribution can
be connected. Record production on the small scale impacts on the final
sound in a variety of ways but particular business models and audience
preferences in niche markets can also influence creative decisions in
the production process. How might the model of ‘pay per listen’ as
opposed to the ‘traditional’ product / ownership forms of income stream
affect the production of recorded music? There are also perceptions
amongst both audiences and artists about the relationship of
independence and creativity and independence and credibility. This
stream invites submissions relating to any of the above points and also
those dealing with emerging business models related to independent and /
or small scale production and the way they fit into the wider market
place. 

4. Five Years On: The Musicology of Record Production
Five years after the ‘Towards a Musicology of Record Production’ stream
at the first ARP conference, how has this field of study moved on? At
that conference Professor Allan Moore argued “that the major context for
production decisions is the other musical decisions which go into the
making of a track” and that, as such, a musicology of record production
only makes sense as a component in the wider study of music. A growing
number of academics are seeking ways in which the study of recording
practice can be integrated into the study of music. What difference does
it make when that study is in the western art tradition of musicology,
ethnomusicology or popular music studies? What are the methodologies and
approaches being utilised in this area and how do they fit together?
What should a musicology of record production study and why?

We welcome work from any relevant academic perspective, including but
not limited to popular music studies, ethnomusicology, the study of
performance practice, communication studies, historical musicology, the
history of technology, ergonomics, acoustics and psychoacoustics, music
theory, music cognition, music and music technology education, and the
philosophies of music, mediation and technology. Please include a note
on methodology where appropriate.

Papers or demonstrations that require recording / studio / 5.1 playback
facilities are also encouraged but selection will be subject to a
feasibility study by the hosts at Glamorgan. 

Proposals for individual papers and poster presentations should not
exceed 500 words and should be in Word Document, Rich Text File or Text
file formats (doc, docx, rtf or txt files). Submissions by email to
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Papers will be accepted in either English or Welsh.

The deadline for proposals is the Monday 20th April 2009.