[AMS-announce] CFP: “The Train Just Don’t Stop Here Anymore”: An Interdisciplinary Colloquium on the Soundscapes of Rural and Small-Town America, Millikin University, Decatur, IL, April 2009

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“The Train Just Don’t Stop Here Anymore”: An Interdisciplinary Colloquium on the Soundscapes of Rural and Small-Town America

Millikin University, Decatur, IL
3-4 April 2009

The Millikin University College of Fine Arts invites proposals for papers and lecture-recitals for an interdisciplinary colloquium on the soundscapes of rural and small-town America.  The aims of this colloquium are to reach a broader understanding of the nation’s diverse musical cultures and practices, to develop strategies by which to investigate musical culture in rural communities and small towns, and to investigate the challenges facing professional musicians and culture industries in those communities.  We welcome proposals for papers from an interdisciplinary field, including history, musicology and ethnomusicology, anthropology, folklore, and American studies.  Possible themes include:

* Community bands, orchestras, and choirs.
* The role of religious, social, government, and non-profit organizations in supporting local musics.
* The impact of urban and suburban expansion on rural and small-town music-making.
* The effects of media conglomeration on local and regional musics.
* Culture industries that support rural and small-town music-making.
* The effects of cultural tourism on musical cultures.

Please send a 250-word proposal to Travis Stimeling at tstimeling at millikin.edu.  Electronic submission of proposals is encouraged.  Print submissions can be sent to Travis Stimeling, Millikin University School of Music, 1184 W. Main St., Decatur, IL 62522 by 1 September 2008.