“Climates of Popular Music”, 21st Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music
!!! Update (see the separate message above): Please note the extended deadline 31 August, 2020!!!
See also the conference website for more details http://www.iaspm2021.org
Call for Presentations
The most pressing issue for humanity in the 21st century is global climate, and thus IASPM’s 21st Conference turns its attention towards this subject. Whereas our 20th anniversary conference considered where we have been, we now ask where we are now, what we are doing as a species, and what impact it has on our communities and our world. On a planet increasingly interconnected by a dizzying array of media channels, such a discussion has to be broadly framed. Our planet’s climate is impacted by numerous forms of human activity, including those that are individual, personal, local, communal, institutional, commercial, corporate, cultural, political, and international. This conference invites presentations that ask how popular music relates to our climate, where climate relates to any part of the totality of surrounding conditions and circumstances affecting growth or development. By “climate,” we intend to include a range of definitions, including ecological climate, political climates, socio-political climates, and contextual and individuated climates. We ask presenters to consider the impacts of activities related to popular music and its cultures on variously defined climates, and the impacts of changing or changed climates on different popular music and its contexts.
To address these issues, as well as any other questions and topics related to the past, present and future climates of popular music, the International Association for the Study of Popular Music invites proposals for the twenty-first IASPM biennial conference, to be held at Kyungpook National University in Daegu, South Korea, July 6-10, 2021. The general theme of conference is divided into five interrelated streams:
A) Environment
Popular music has long been associated with green agendas, ecological concerns, and environmental activism, and this stream takes a more literal interpretation of the conference title than others. It also implies a link to ecological approaches that explore affordances as well as impacts, including insights from fields such as eco-musicology and ethnomusicology.
B) Milieu
Political climates no doubt seem to be more complex than those of the past to each generation. They have a direct influence on the stability and sustainability of our cultures, and this relationship is often reflected in our popular music. Political storms, quakes and disasters flow from isolationism into global cooperation, between east and west and from south to north. This stream will address local, national, and international politics, as well as individuated socio-politics, as reflected through issues such as identity, gender, class, sexuality, and belief, and seen and heard through popular music.
C) Ambiance
When describing climates, we may use terms such as ambiance, atmosphere, mood, or tone, to conceptualize the often unconscious perceptions of space and place. Studies of space and place have emerged as a key interdisciplinary subject across numerous fields and have crossed into popular music studies through studies of geographies, locality, scenes and subcultures. This stream invites explorations of receptions and perceptions, of audiences and ethnographies, of set and settings of popular music.
D) World
Climate, however defined, is intimately associated with questions that require a global approach. Although ‘world music’ has slowly made peace with ethnomusicology and although both have made inroads into popular music studies, they have not yet reached a truly global understanding of popular music. Areas such as South East Asia, where this conference is to be hosted, are having an increasing impact upon popular music, yet they are significantly under-represented. This stream encourages contributions which widen and deepen our global/local understanding of popular music and its cultures, whether through a detailed study of a specific subculture or scene, or by exploring changes in global popular music climates.
E) Mediums
The modes and channels of mediation of music have evolved at a rapid rate over the last 120 years, moving through cycles of oral, written, recorded, digital, and virtual transmission, into a multi-valent universe where revivals of folk singing and vinyl clubs mix with digital music and streaming. This stream focuses on how mediums impact on popular music, and on the role of technology.
Academic Committee
Geoff Stahl (co-chair), Andrea Dankić (co-chair). Pil Ho Kim (co-chair)
Local Organizing Committee
Keewoong Lee (chair), Aekyung Park, Eunice Sung, Taeyoon Kim, Hyun Kyong Chang, Eujeong Zhang, Hyunjoon Shin, Hyunseok Kwon, Gyu Tag Lee, Hawsook Song, Wonseok Lee, Pil Ho Kim, Jun-Hue Lee, Jung-Yup Lee, Jungwon Kim, Yu Jung Lee, Youngdae Kim
* Individual roles not yet assigned
Abstracts
There will be four options: panels (of 3 or 4 presenters), individual papers, film/video presentations, or poster sessions.
Panels
Proposals for organized panels are encouraged (two-hour long sessions with four papers, or three papers and a discussant). Each session should leave at least 30 minutes for discussion or for comments by a discussant immediately following the presentations. The panel organizer should submit the panel abstract and all individual abstracts (200 words each) in one document, with a full list of participant names and email addresses. Where an independently submitted abstract appears to fit a panel, the Academic Committee may suggest the addition of a panelist.
Papers
We invite abstracts of no longer than 200 words, including five keywords for programming purposes and an optional list of references (max 10). Individual paper presentations are 20 minutes long to be followed by 10 minutes of discussion.
Film/video session
Recently completed films introduced by their author and discussed by conference participants may be proposed. Submit a 200-word abstract including titles, subjects, and formats, and indicate the duration of the proposed films/videos and introduction/discussion.
Poster session
A space for Poster Exhibition will be provided. A 200-word abstract by the poster’s author, including five keywords for programming purposes, must be submitted.
Submission
Please submit your abstract no later than 31 July 2020, as both doc. & pdf. format attachment through the IASPM 2021 official website. You can easily find detailed guidelines and templates at the online submission page.
- * Each participant must be a member of any branch of IASPM: www.iaspm.net/how-to-join.
- * Each participant may present only one paper at the Conference, but may also preside over a panel or serve as a discussant.
- * Abstracts will be accepted in English, IASPM’s official language.
- * Letters of acceptance will be sent by 30 September 2020.
If you have any question, feel free to contact IASPM 2021 Secretariat (iaspm2021@gmail.com)
Covid 19 Information
We are aware of the global pandemic’s impact across the world and take issues of safety seriously. We hope that by the time of the conference, various COVID19-related restrictions will have eased more or less completely. We are monitoring the situation closely and will advise members accordingly.
Virtual Presentations
We are aware of the environmental impact of global travel, especially in light of the subject of the conference. We hope that moving some of the conference online will be one way of addressing this ecological issue. Circumstances surrounding the current pandemic have also made virtual research sharing more necessary. We are preparing so that at least some portions of the conference can take place online and interested parties may be able to attend the conference virtually. More information will be published when it is available.
The conference organizers look forward to receiving your submissions!
With kindest regards,
IASPM Executive Committee:
- Rupert Till, Chair
- Beatriz Goubert, Secretary
- Bernhard Steinbrecher, Membership Secretary
- Simone Krueger Bridge, Treasurer
- Kimi Kärki, Webmaster
- Keewoong Lee, Conference Chair
- Catherine Strong, Member-at-large
- Andrea Dankić, Member-at-large