The Society for American Music
Bulletin, Volume XXV, no. 1 (Spring 1999)
Call for Proposals: Toronto 2000: Musical Intersections
The Society for American Music (formerly the Sonneck Society) will hold a special conference
1-5 November 2000 in Toronto, Ontario, as one of fifteen music scholarly societies participating
in Toronto 2000: Musical Intersections. Proposals for papers, concerts, lecture-performances,
and full sessions are invited, as are proposals for presentations in innovative and imaginative
formats. The Program Committeee is particularly interested in considering papers or sessions that have
representation from more than one of the scholarly societies involved in the conference; already
built into the SAM program are several joint sessions with both the International Association
for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM) and the Historic Brass Society. We also invite truly
cross-disciplinary papers and sessions that combine musical understanding with literature, history,
theatre history, cultural studies, sociology, art, anthropology, dance, film studies, American studies,
and other areas of scholarly inquiry. SAM Special Interest Groups will not have meeting times
at this conference, but are welcome to submit session proposals; particularly appealing will be
joint sessions with similar special interest groups from other societies or interdisciplinary
sessions. Proposals involving any aspect of American music or music in America are welcome.
Individual presentations of all types normally are limited to twenty minutes in length, and full
sessions typically consist of three individual twenty-minute presentations. However, if the material
warrants and if sufficient justification is provided, the Committee will also entertain proposals
for longer presentations, especially if they include performance or are truly interdisciplinary.
Submissions for papers consist of eight (8) copies of a proposal of no more than 500 words, and one (1)
copy of a 250-word abstract suitable for publication in the conference program. Because all submissions
(except for panel sessions) are evaluated blind, proposers' name(s), address(es), phone number(s),
and e-mail address(es) should appear on only ONE copy of the proposal. The abstract for the
publication should be single-spaced and should include the presenter's name and affiliation between
the title and the abstract text.
For formal sessions, panels, or proposals involving unusual formats, the proposer(s) should include
eight copies of an additional statement explaining the format and overall rationale for the session,
the importance of the topic, and the significance of the proposed grouping of papers. The
organizer of the session should gather the proper number of individual proposals and abstracts from
session members, and submit them in a single envelope. Formal session proposals are welcome,
but each abstract will be evaluated individually, and the Committee reserves the right to
reconfigure the organization and makeup of such proposed sessions, or to accept individually
any of the proposed papers. Proposals for panel sessions that deal with issues of general
interest are also solicited; these should be clearly labeled as panel sessions. The sessions should
consist of brief position papers (of not more than 10 minutes duration) by each of the participants
in order to leave ample time for discussion. Organizers of panel discussions should submit eight
copies of a one-page prospectus that provides an outline of the proposed topic, describes the
significance of the panel, and explains why each panelist has been chosen. Panel proposals will be
accepted or rejected as intact entities.
Proposals for lecture-recitals or for concerts (either independent performances or those aligned with a
session) should be submitted to Mark Tucker, SAM representative to the Toronto 2000 Joint Concert
Committee. Submissions for lecture-recitals should include two copies of the 500-word abstract,
one copy of the 250-word program abstract, and at least one copy of a recording of the proposed
performer(s), of sufficient length to permit evaluation. (Please indicate if you wish for the tape
to be returned.) Proposals for concerts should consist of a recording (as above) and two copies
of a short description of the concert (including duration, a list of repertory, rationale for the concert,
and -- if appropriate -- how the concert fits with a proposed formal session submitted to the program
committee). Concerts can be proposed for mid-day or evening venues.
Proposers must also indicate special needs such as audio-visual equipment, music stands, rehearsal
space, etc. All submissions must include two (2) self-addressed stamped envelopes.
Presenters must register for the full conference. Any music scholars must be members of at least
one of the societies represented at the conference. No individual may appear more than twice.
Appearances include delivering a paper, participating in a daytime, programmatic panel, giving
a lecture-demonstration, or fuctioning as a chair-organizer of or respondent to a session. (Not counting as an
appearance are such extra-programmatic offerings as unofficial interest-group meetings, standing
committee presentations, non-programmatic concert performances, or serving as an appointed chair
of a session).
All proposals must be postmarked by 8 January 2000. Submissions by fax or e-mail will NOT be
accepted.
Fifteen music-scholarly societies will meet at the Toronto 2000 conference, including (in addition
to SAM) the American Musicological Society, College Music Society, Society for Music Theory,
Society for Ethnomusicology, the American Musical Instrument Society, Historic Brass Society,
Society for Music Perception and Cognition, Association for Technology in Music
Instruction, Lyrica Society for Word-Music Relationships, International Association for the Study
of Popular Music (US and Canadian chapters), Canadian University Music Society, Canadian
Association of Music Libraries, Archives, and Documentation Centres, and Canadian Society for
Traditional Music.
Paper and session materials should be sent to:
Prof. Katherine K. Preston, Chair
SAM Program Committee for Toronto 2000
Department of Music
The College of William and Mary
P.O. Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23185-8795
Performance proposals should be sent to:
Prof. Mark Tucker
SAM Representative to the Joint Concert Committee
114 Deerwood Drive
Williamsburg, VA 23188
Updated 7/21/99