Call for Papers

Ecomusicologies 2014: Dialogues

4-5 October 2014

University of North Carolina at Asheville (USA)

Deadline for proposals: 30 April 2014

Ecomusicologies 2014: Dialogues will bring together artists and scholars to stimulate discussion on music, culture, and the environment. The conference is part of the multi-day event series, “Ecomusics” (3-7 October 2014), which will include concerts, soundwalks, workshops, and outings (e.g., field trips to the Moog Factory, Black Mountain College, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park). Not only do the fall colors of October in the Appalachian Mountains make Asheville, North Carolina, an ideal place to be, but its history also makes it an ideal gathering spot for a conference on ecomusicology: it is where Bartok composed his Piano Concerto No. 3, where John Cage conducted happenings, and where Buckminster Fuller created his geodesic dome. If you would like to participate in the conference but would prefer not to travel for environmental or other reasons, you will have the option to participate as presenter or audience member via the Internet.

The conference theme, “Dialogues”, aims to foster common ground, where participants representing diverse backgrounds (academic, artistic, industry, non-profit, et al.) can learn about and exchange ideas on ecomusics. In addition to general ecomusicology topics, the conference committee encourages submissions that respond, but are not limited, to the following topic fields:

– Musical collaboration (in, for, or with the environment)

– Improvisation (human and non-human)

– The music industry

– The sound of “green”

– Acoustic ecology

– Ecopoetics and sound

– Race, class, gender

– Sustainability

– Musician/academic-as-activist

 

Scholars from any academic field are invited to submit proposals to present in a variety of formats, including:

– panels (3 to 5 participants, 30-90 minutes),

– papers (20 or 30 minutes),

– posters (electronic or paper format), and

– alternative formats (performance, film, installation, lecture demonstration, etc.).

An author may submit up to two proposals (on related or separate topics). All submissions must follow the guidelines below:

1) Deadline: Proposals must be sent as a two-page PDF attachment (details below) to ecomusicologies [at] gmail.com with “Ecomusicologies 2014” in the subject line by 11:59:59pm GMT on 30 April 2014.

2) Submission: The submission must include a two-page PDF document (no other format will be accepted): on the first page, include title, author(s), affiliation(s), e-mail address for contact, and brief biographical information (for each author); on the second page, include title and format (if a paper presentation, specify 20 or 30 minutes), tentative preference for live or virtual presentation, and abstract (details below). Do not include any information identifying the author(s) on page 2 because abstracts will be reviewed blindly.
3) Abstract:

– Panels of 3-5 participants (30-90 minutes): 250-word (maximum) abstracts that summarize the argument/aims, methods, findings, etc. for each of the contributions, plus a 250-word (maximum) abstract justifying the formation of the panel as a whole.

– 20-minute papers and posters: 250-word (maximum) abstract summarizing argument/aims, methods, findings, etc.

– 30-minute papers: 250-word (minimum) to 400-word (maximum) abstract summarizing argument/aims, methods, findings, etc.

– Alternative formats: 400-word (maximum) abstract summarizing the format, argument/aims, methods, findings, etc., and including an indication of the format and any requirements (A/V, transportation, etc.).

Dates to note: 30 April, deadline for proposals; 15 June, decisions on proposals will be sent; 1 August, pre-registration and registration for presenters (discounted price) will begin; 29 August, registration will open (regular price); 1 September, program will be posted.

Sponsors: Ecocriticism Study Group of the American Musicological Society, Ecomusicology Special Interest Group of the Society for Ethnomusicology, and the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

For more information on ecomusicology see ecomusicology.info ; for more on past ecomusicology conferences see ecomusicologies.org . Contact and submissions: ecomusicologies [at] gmail.com .