cfp: IASPM-US 2022

IASPM-US 2022 Conference: Grooves and Movements

May 26-May 28, 2022

Ann Arbor/Detroit Michigan

Dates and Place:

The International Association for the Study of Popular Music-United States chapter (IASPM-US) invites proposals for its annual conference, which will take place in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan on May 26-28, 2022. We welcome abstracts for individual papers, organized panels, roundtable discussions, and alternative (non-paper) presentations on all aspects of popular music, broadly defined, from any discipline or profession. We especially encourage submissions on the many rich popular music histories of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and Detroit.

COVID-19:

IASPM-US will continue to monitor the impact of the ongoing pandemic and make appropriate adjustments as necessary. IAPSM-US will abide by the safety measures and protocols of our host institution, the University of Michigan, including vaccination mandates and mask requirements.

Theme and Events:

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to normalize virtual connections in local and global settings and to reconfigure physical spaces for social distancing, the present moment calls for an examination of the virtual and physical modalities of music-making. The theme for this year’s conference “Grooves and Movements” intersects with Detroit and its storied place in rhythm and blues, rock, punk, hip-hop, and electronic dance music, and is intended to connect the histories, philosophies, and practices of urban spaces to other historical and global popular music communities.

The theme “Grooves and Movements” also reflects on how music, sound, and dance, can help imagine, shape, and define temporalities in virtual and physical spaces, whether they be a nostalgic past, a future of liberation, an uncertain present, or a break from perceived time. Grooves not only recall the materiality of sound as engraved in vinyl to signal specific eras of musical practice and consumption; it also denotes the synchronicity of multiple bodies and sounds that allow for experiences of time through shared aesthetics (jazz, hip-hop, techno…). Movements help define sound as vibrations that travel and reverberate on human bodies who then interpret them as pitch, timbre, and rhythm, and may in turn move to them in dance. Movements also evoke the political and social movements that music helps advance. Not coincidentally, this year’s conference dovetails with the Movement Electronic Music Festival, an annual event held in Detroit, the city where amidst the urban flight to the suburbs and the economic downturn of the 1980s, Black artists birthed the futuristic sound of Techno. Recently, calls for racial justice in response to police brutality have revived conversations on Afro Pessimism, Black Fugitivity, and Black temporalities, which invite us to consider how grooves and movements may offer tools to conceive a world-in-the-making with new possibilities for minoritized communities. Using the historical, musical, and physical spaces of Detroit and the virtual spaces of the COVID era as starting points, we invite all investigations of popular music that engage with these themes and others to join our conference.

This year’s conference will feature panels by the recent winners of the Guthrie book award, prominent women musicians in Detroit’s music industry, DJs participating in the Movement festival, a discussion with author Regina Bradley on her recent work on hip hop, and a visit to the Detroit record label Third Man Records, highlighting the recent album release by Michigan Tejano artist Martín Solís.

About IASPM-US:

IASPM-US is a multidisciplinary organization, and invites proposals from across all fields of scholarly inquiry. Conference proposals from intellectuals from outside of academia, including K-12 teachers, museum and archive professionals, musicians and music professionals, and independent scholars, are encouraged. IASPM-US is also a friendly conference for students at all levels. We especially welcome proposals from members of underrepresented groups including, but not limited to, women, Black/African American, Indigenous, and People of Color, disabled individuals, and people from LGBTQ+ communities, as well as people of different ages, socio/economic classes, nationalities, and religions.

Presentation Formats and Submission Instructions:

To facilitate networking among the membership, support local artists and venues, and take advantage of various activities and events programmed for the conference, IASPM-US encourages physical attendance at the conference. While IASPM-US will also accept proposals for virtual presentations and plans to make virtual participation to some events available to members unable to attend in person, we cannot guarantee our ability to accommodate all requests for virtual participation.  

Please submit proposals via Google Forms using the link below no later than midnight (Eastern Standard Time) October 15, 2021. The form will collect information such as the presenter’s name, institutional affiliation (if any), current email address (required for program decisions and conference communications), current membership status in IASPM, the intention to present in person (encouraged) or virtually, and a 100-word bio.

  • Individual submissions should include a paper title, the presenter’s name, contact information, a 250-word abstract, and a list of 3-5 keywords. Abstracts should identify the methodology used, state the paper’s goals, summarize the context and argument of the paper, and include a brief conclusion.
  • Organized panels, consisting of 3-4 papers, should include a 250-word description of the panel’s rationale and goals, a 250-word abstract for each individual participating in the panel, and a list of 3-5 keywords.
  • Roundtables, consisting of a moderated conversation with 4-6 participants, require a single 250-word abstract, a list of 3-5 keywords, a list of roundtable members, and should designate one person as the panel chair.
  • Alternative presentations should include a 250-word description of the presentation, a list of 3-5 keywords, the delivery format, and special requirements beyond standard AV-equipment.

Individual presentations may last up to 20 minutes with a 10-minute question and answer period. Roundtables and organized panels can be allotted up to a two-hour time slot. Abstracts not adhering to the word count will not be considered.

Submission link: https://forms.gle/ibNrQUDPpAnN2yQg9

Please note: All conference presenters must be IASPM members by the time they register for the conference. For membership and conference information visit: https://iaspm-us.net/

This year’s program committee consists of Andrés Amado (chair), Rebekah Farrugia, Kimberly Mack, Jane Mathieu, Lee Tyson, and Corey Miles. You may direct questions to Andrés Amado at iaspmus.conference@gmail.com.