The XXXVIII European Seminar in Ethnomusicology will take place in Palermo, Italy, Antonio Pasqualino International Puppet Museum.
Themes
1. Ethnomusicologists today: new challenges in research, methods, and communication
Europe is going through very challenging times, shaped, for instance, by the inability to manage migratory flows across the continent in a humane manner, the climate and energy crisis, the pandemic, and, more recently, the war in Ukraine. In this framework of profound uncertainty, finding new ways to ‘resist’, recalibrating our professional responsibilities inside and outside of the academic context, should be a priority for everyone. How do we see and understand our profession in the third decade of the third millennium? Towards which themes do we direct our investigations and how do we orient our gaze on the phenomena we study? How do we act to make the results of our work more accessible? Starting from these three questions, there are many reflections to be made, discussing how sound-music-dance practices, mainly derived from orality, can play a role in today’s dynamics of cultural contact, agency, ecology, and hospitality. We believe it can be useful to compare ideas and positions on these issues: we welcome alternative methods of presentation, such as roundtables, panels, posters, films, etc.
2. Music, Technology, Digital Revolution
Technology is increasingly conditioning every sphere of musicianship, including traditional practices, both in terms of producing and listening to music. Local actors are using technology to consciously influence their own sound, to listen repeatedly and deeply, the results of which are (re)proposed in the act of performance, to “create” new sonic results, to transmit musical knowledge, to shape new dimensions of aurality, and so on. In other contexts, sound technology forms the basis for activities concerning the phenomenon of heritagization, including the creation of sound archives, repertoires, forms of transmission, and so on. As ethnomusicologists, our discipline was strongly influenced by the development of sound recording/reproduction technology, and we constantly refer to technology at every stage of our work. Thus, in recent years, the digital revolution and the emergence of new media have triggered unprecedented musical scenarios, new phenomena of musical creativity and diversity, a flood of innovative phenomena often largely undefined and incomprehensible, and so on. Increasing and diversifying thought in this field is now more urgent and necessary than ever: and this is what we invite you to reflect on, starting with concrete case studies.
3. Free papers
Even though proposals related to the Seminar’s theme will be prioritised, submissions about other topics of interest for ESEM will be also considered.
Submission
Deadline for proposals is 26 February 2023. Please submit your proposals via mail at this address:
sergio.bonanzinga@gmail.com
For the submission, you will be asked to provide:
1) Personal Data
2) Selected mode of presentation and theme
3) Proposal consisting of title and abstract (200-300 words)
4) Keywords
Evaluation of proposals will be done anonymously, and presenters will be notified of the program committee’s decision by 15 March 2023. The program committee might suggest alternative modes of presentation to accommodate as many submissions and contributions as possible.
Modes of Presentation A variety of presentation modes are possible and applicants are encouraged to carefully consider which mode of presentation might work best to present their research. You may only present once during the seminar.
Individual Paper The length of an individual paper presentation will be 20 minutes, with 10 minutes discussion time. Co-authorship is allowed and encouraged.
Student Paper: Students are invited to present their current research topics. Student paper presentations have a length of 10 minutes. Student researchers can also join organized panels and roundtables, and are encouraged to submit poster presentations.
Film Screening: Film presentations aim at screening your own work, followed by a discussion of the presented film. Please submit a written abstract of the content including general data about the film and its length for the program committee’s consideration.
Panel (90 minutes) are planned, coordinated, and prepared by a group of people, one of whom is the responsible coordinator. Proposals may be submitted for panels consisting of three or more presenters and the structure is at the discretion of the coordinator. The proposal should indicate the overall purpose and the role of the individual participants. Each panel proposal will be accepted or rejected as a whole. Please note that you have to submit only one abstract for the whole panel. All the individual abstracts will be required for the book of abstracts at a later stage if the panel is accepted.
Roundtable (90 minutes) are planned, coordinated, and prepared by a group of people, one of whom is the responsible coordinator. The aim is to generate discussion between members of the roundtable, each of whom presents questions, issues, and/or material for 3-5 minutes on the preselected unifying theme of the roundtable. The following discussion may open into more general discussion with the audience. The proposal explains the overall purpose and the role of the individual participants. Each roundtable proposal will be accepted or rejected as a whole.
Poster format is open to any researcher whose material is best suited for this format. In the poster session, the moderator will introduce the presenters (online and onsite) at the beginning of the session and each presenter will give a brief introduction to their poster topic. An opportunity to examine the posters and interact with the presenters will follow. All posters will be displayed onsite and made available online throughout the symposium.
Language. English is the official language of the Symposium.
Symposium Registration Fee
Early Bird Registration (Deadline: 31 July 2023)
– regular 50 € – reduced 30 €
Registration (Deadline: 10 September 2023)
– regular 70 € – reduced 40 €
The registration form will be available online starting May 2023. Please see the symposium website for further information (https://www.museodellemarionette.it/en/).
The Symposium registration fee includes. Onsite participation; Symposium packet (including electronic Book of Abstracts / Symposium Program); Coffee breaks; A catered receptions; Concerts; Music workshop; Guided tour through Palermo
Proceedings.The ESEM does not publish proceedings of their meetings. However, a peer-reviewed publication based on selected presentations will be a tangible outcome of the meeting.
Contact Information about accommodation options, travel information, registration, and other details can be found at https://www.museodellemarionette.it/en/.
If you have any further questions regarding accommodation, registration, travel, etc. please do not hesitate to contact the Local Arrangements Committee:
Maria Fasino (mimap@museomarionettepalermo.it)
Questions regarding the program can be addressed to any member of the Programme Committee: Sergio Bonanzinga (sergio.bonanzinga@unipa.it ); Ignazio Macchiarella (macchiarella@unica.it); Giovanni Giuriati (giovanni.giuriati@uniroma1.it ); Ana Hofman (hofman.ana@gmail.com)
Questions related to ESEM membership should be directed to the ESEM president Ewa Dahlig-Turek (edahlig@gmail.com) and ESEM Secretary General Ignazio Macchiarella (macchiarella@unica.it)