New Zealand Musicological Society Conference 2012

Posted on by

New Zealand Musicological Society Conference
Voyages of Discovery
30 November-2 December 2012
The University of Auckland School of Music, New Zealand

Keynote speakers:
James Webster (Cornell University)
Patricia Sheehan Campbell (The University of Washington)

This conference seeks to investigate and promote the breaking of new ground within and between our fields of music study: musicology, ethnomusicology, popular music, jazz, music therapy and music education. ‘Voyages of Discovery’ relates here to intellectual travel; the charting of new territory within music disciplines; and interdisciplinary journeys.

For more information about the New Zealand Musicological Society, go to their webpage.

Thinking With Jazz Symposium

Posted on by

Thinking With Jazz Symposium
Lancaster University / Lancaster Jazz Festival‏
Friday 21 September 10am–5pm
LICA Building
Lancaster University

This is a one-day symposium in which well-known jazz journalists, practitioners, and academics engage with issues of nationalism in jazz, the cultural politics of jazz, and the meaning of improvisation. This free event is informal and open to the public. Speakers include Alyn Shipton (BBC Radio 3 and author of A New History of Jazz), Professor George McKay (author of Circular Breathing: the Cultural Politics of Jazz in Britain), Dr. Catherine Tackley (author of The Evolution of Jazz in Britain), Professor Alan Rice (author of Creating Memorials, Building Identities: The Politics of Memory in the Black Atlantic), and Professor Tony Whyton (author of Jazz Icons), Adam Fairhall (Imaginary Delta), Kathy Dyson (Emily Remembered), Christophe de Bezenac (Trio VD), Professor Walter van der Leur (author of Something to Live For: A Life Billy Strayhorn), Professor Tim Wall (author of Studying Popular Music Culture).

This event is co-presented by the Lancaster Jazz Festival, Rhythm Changes: Jazz Cultures and European Identities, Lancaster Institute for Contemporary Arts

For further information contact Nick Gebhardt on n.gebhardt@lancaster.ac.uk

IASPM Journal: Special Issue on Popular Music Performance‏

Posted on by

Call for articles
IASPM@Journal: Special Issue on Popular Music Performance
Submission deadline: 1 March 2013

Music performance forms part of ongoing debate amongst IASPM members, leading to innovative research that addresses mediation and embodiment; spectacle and immersion; technology and music.

IASPM@Journal, the journal of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, wishes to provide a platform for these debates with a special issue on popular music performance for publication in 2013. Continue reading →

Lecturer Music and Sonic Media‏

Posted on by

Sonic Culture and Popular Music Studies
BA Music and Sonic Media
London South Bank University, Borough Road, London SE1 0AA

BA Music and Sonic Media, London South Bank University, is seeking to recruit hourly paid lecturers who are available during the academic year to provide HE level teaching in a range of contextual subjects that are relevant to the study of sonic media and electronic music, in modules such as:
– Intro to Sonic Media
– Music Image Text
– Sonic Research
– Professional Practice in Creative Sound Continue reading →

Statement Relating to the Detention of Pussy Riot on the Grounds of Hooliganism

Posted on by

The global, academic organisation IASPM opposes the detention of Maria Alekhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, collectively known as punk band Pussy Riot, on the grounds of hooliganism. By way of political protest, Pussy Riot did nothing more than perform a song entitled, ‘Virgin Mary, redeem us of Putin’ in Christ the Saviour Cathedral, Moscow on February 21st 2012, after which they were detained.

Historically, popular music has often been used as a peaceful and effective means of conveying political protest. Whilst such expressions may appear provocative and challenging to some, such protests should never be mistaken for criminality.

IASPM is deeply concerned about the health and well-being of Maria, Yekaterina and Nadezhda and questions the fairness of their trial in what appears to be a prejudicial and politically motivated atmosphere. IASPM joins many global organisations and popular music artists in condemning the detention of Pussy Riot and calls for their immediate and safe release.

Declaração relativa à detenção de Pussy Riot sob acusação de vandalismo (Português)

A organização acadêmica mundial IASPM se opõe à detenção de Maria Alekhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich e Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, coletivamente conhecidas como a banda punk Pussy Riot, sob acusação de vandalismo. Como forma de protesto político, Pussy Riot não fez nada mais que apresentar uma canção intitulada “Virgem Maria, livra-nos de Putin” na Catedral de Cristo Salvador, Moscou, em 21 de fevereiro de 2012, depois do que elas foram detidas.

Historicamente, a música popular tem sido frequentemente empregada como meio pacífico e eficaz de transmitir protestos políticos. Ainda que essas expressões possam parecer provocadoras e desafiadoras para alguns, tais protestos não deveriam nunca ser entendidos como atos criminosos.

A IASPM está profundamente preocupada com a saúde e bem-estar de Maria, Yekaterina e Nadezhda e questiona a justiça de seu julgamento naquilo que parece ser um ambiente pernicioso e motivado por questões políticas. A IASPM se une a muitas organizações mundiais e artistas da música popular na condenação à detenção de Pussy Riot e pede sua liberação imediata e segura.

Declaración relativa a la detención del grupo Pussy Riot, acusado de vandalismo (Español)

La organización académica mundial IASPM se opone a la detención de Maria Alekhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich y Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, conocidas colectivamente como la banda punk Pussy Riot, bajo acusación de vandalismo. Como forma de protesta política, Pussy Riot no hizo nada más que presentar una canción titulada “Virgen María, líbranos de Putin” en la Catedral de Cristo Salvador, en Moscú, el 21 de febrero de 2012, tras lo cual sus integrantes fueron detenidas.

Históricamente la música popular ha sido frecuentemente empleada como medio pacífico y eficaz para transmitir protestas políticas. Aunque dichas expresiones puedan parecer provocadoras y desafiantes para algunos, tales protestas no deberían ser entendidas como actos criminales.

IASPM se declara profundamente preocupada por la salud y el bienestar de Maria, Yekaterina e Nadezhda y cuestiona la equidad de su juzgamiento en aquello que parece ser una atmósfera perniciosa y políticamente motivada. IASPM se une a las muchas organizaciones mundiales y a los artistas de música popular para condenar la detención de Pussy Riot y pide su inmediata y segura liberación.

Guitars and Geeks: An Exploration of the Music and Culture of Geek Rock

Posted on by

Call for chapters
Guitars and Geeks: An Exploration of the Music and Culture of Geek Rock
Deadline 31 December 2012
Editors: Victoria Willis & Alex DiBlasi

This book seeks to explore the culture, music, and significance of geek rock. As a sub-genre of alternative music, geek rock has not only been neglected in current humanities scholarship, it has also been literally erased from the mainstream with the deletion of the “Geek Rock” Wikipedia page. We contend that not only is geek rock present and significant within music and culture, but that it transcends musical genre and social boundaries. Geek rock, as we define it, is determined more by subject matter than by sound. The purpose of this collection of essays is two-fold: to define and re-map geek rock on the musical landscape and to explore the musical and cultural significance geek rock. Continue reading →

Computer Music Journal – Special Issue on Live Coding

Posted on by

Call for articles
Computer Music Journal
Special issue on Live Coding Practice
Deadline 21 January 2013
Guest edited by Alex McLean, Julian Rohrhuber and Nick Collins

Live coding focuses on a computer musician’s relationship with their computer. It includes programming a computer as an explicit onstage act, as a musical prototyping tool with immediate feedback, and also as a method of collaborative programming. Live coding’s tension between immediacy and indirectness brings about a mediating role for computer language within musical interaction. At the same time, it implies the rewriting of algorithms, as descriptions which concern the future; live coding may well be the missing link between composition and improvisation. Continue reading →