MACSEM 2022

Call for Papers

The program committee cordially invites proposals for the 41st annual chapter meeting of the Mid-Atlantic chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology (MACSEM), to be hosted virtually with support from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

The MACSEM conference is a student-centered event (graduate, undergraduate, high school) that aims to create a generative, positive space for intellectual collaboration and growth. The conference features a keynote event with Dr. Krystal Klingenberg, curator at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. and ethnographer of popular music in Uganda.

At this year’s MACSEM conference, two prizes will be awarded: the Hewitt Pantaleoni Prize for best graduate student paper, and the Lorna McDaniel Prize for best undergraduate paper.

Submission Guidelines:

We will accept Individual Papers, Organized Panels, and Roundtables as described below. Additionally, presentations outside the realm of the traditional paper format (such as lecture-demonstrations) are actively encouraged.

Individual Papers:

Each paper will be 20 minutes, with 10 minutes allotted for questions and discussion afterwards. Paper abstracts (250 word maximum) should demonstrate a clear focus or statement of the topic, coherent argument, knowledge of previous research, and a statement of the implications for music studies (broadly conceived).

Organized Panels:

An organized panel session can last 90 minutes (1.5 hours) or 120 minutes (2 hours). A 90-minute panel consists of three papers, while 120-minute panels consist of either four papers or three papers plus a discussant. Each presentation (a paper or a discussant’s formal response) is 20 minutes long, followed by 10 minutes of questions and general discussion. (Those interested in a more flexible format with more participants may want to consider proposing a roundtable.) A proposal for an organized panel should be submitted by the panel organizer. The submission should include the panel abstract (describing the rationale for the panel as a whole) in addition to abstracts for each of the individual papers.

Roundtables:

A roundtable provides an opportunity for participants to discuss a subject with each other and with members of the audience. A roundtable may be 1.5 or 2 hours long (please specify) and may include up to six presenters. We encourage formats that stimulate discussion and audience participation (at least 50% of the roundtable time must be devoted to discussion). The organizer will solicit position statements of up to 10 minutes long from each presenter and will facilitate questions and discussion for the remaining time. The organizer should submit an abstract that outlines the purpose/agenda and organization of the roundtable, as well as the contributions of each participant (unnamed in the abstract).

Proposals (as well as any questions, which are welcome!) should be sent to MACSEM Vice President Benjamin Tausig (Program Committee Chair, with committee members Loren Kajikawa, Tracey Stewart, and Larissa Johnson) at benjamin.tausig@stonybrook.edu by January 20, 2022, with the subject line “MACSEM 2022 Proposal Submission.” Decisions will be announced in early February, 2022.