Call For Papers
The 7th Art of Record Production Conference
December 2nd – 4th 2011
San Francisco State University
21st Century Production: Technology, Performance & the
Workspace
The conference panel invites proposals for papers on
the following themes:
Performing in
the Studio:
Evan Eisenberg described the paradox of recording as
being “that [for the performer] the audience is not there…[is] the
flip side of the fact that, for the listener, the performer is not there”. How
does this affect the relationship between the performer or listener and the
music? This stream invites papers on all aspects, both theoretical and
practical, of this subject including:
· The
affect of architecture, isolation and monitoring technology on performance (and
recording)
· ‘Virtual’
performances (production and reception approaches)
· Motivation
and inspiration in the studio
· Non-linear
performance and editing (collaborative performance, agency and mediation)
· Hearing
and interpreting mediated performances (conceptual blending, staging and
authenticity)
· The
social dynamics and power relationships of the studio environment
· Real
and unreal performances
· Performing
to clicks, backing tracks and moving images.
The Contemporary
Recording Studio:
The stereotypical story of recording studios in the 21st
century is that the traditional, expensive recording studio model has given way
to a cheap desktop system. Is this actually the case? What is the more
sophisticated and nuanced version of this story? The stream invites papers on all
aspects, both theoretical and practical, of this subject including:
· Changing
business models for recording studios
· The
studio as a place of work (representing and mythologising the studio)
· The
rise of the semi-pro / bedroom market (recording as leisure consumption rather
than music production)
· Studies
about specific studios, historical periods, geographical areas, architectural
or design types
· Relationships
between people and studios
· The
effect of television, film, game design and other media on recording studios
· The
computer as a place of work
· Working
practice and how studio design and usage has altered it.
Hardware versus
Software:
From the 1980s onwards the march of the computer into
music production and recording has been inexorable and has completely changed
the nature of recording, editing, processing and mixing. From the aural Lego of
AppleLoops in the consumer market to DIY signal processing system design and
electronic composition with Max/MSP, the landscape of recorded music has
changed beyond recognition in thirty years. The stream invites papers on all
aspects, both theoretical and practical, of this subject including:
· Analogue
versus digital (processing, storage and amplification)
· The
effect on music to picture
· The
change of creative focus from recording to processing
· Agency
and ownership in musical creativity (did the guy at Garageband co-write my
tune?)
· Mixing
in and out of ‘the box’
· Ergonomics
and the Human Computer Interface
· Changes
in the way we visualise and conceptualise sound
· Presets,
plug-ins and the lure of new toys.
Teaching
Production:
The huge expansion, at universities and elsewhere, in
courses about music technology, production and sound engineering has coincided
with a contraction in the job market and income streams in the sector. At the
same time, more and more magazines, books and websites are putting the
‘secrets’ of the profession in the public domain and the product designers are
doing their best to simplify the process for their users. The stream invites
papers on all aspects, both theoretical and practical, of this subject
including:
· How can
educators best prepare audio students for the job market?
· Art
or Science? Should courses be contextualising audio studies with cultural
theory or electrical engineering?
· What
can universities teach students that a website can’t?
· The
pros and cons of generalised courses as opposed to specialisms such as live
sound, sound for film, television and other media etc.
· Who
should be teaching audio? Professional and academic backgrounds.
· Where
are the jobs, income streams and growth opportunities in the current market?
· What’s
the future of education in this sector?
The conference panel would like to invite delegates to submit ideas for
presentations exploring aspects of music production, performances and practical
demonstrations on any topic relating to the Art of Record Production.
We welcome work from any relevant academic perspective, including but
not limited to popular music studies, ethnomusicology, the study of performance
practice, communication studies, historical musicology, the history of
technology, ergonomics, acoustics and psychoacoustics, music theory, music
cognition, music and music technology education, and the philosophies of music,
mediation and technology. Please include a note on methodology where
appropriate, and an indication of the theme your work is intending to address.
Papers or demonstrations that require recording / studio / 5.1 playback
facilities are also encouraged but selection will be subject to a feasibility
study by the conference panel at San Francisco State University.
Proposals for individual papers and poster presentations should not
exceed 500 words and should be in Word Document, Rich Text File or Text file
formats (doc, docx, rtf or txt files).
Submissions by email to
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The deadline for proposals has been extended to 15th May 2011
Katia Isakoff Director
of the Art of Record Production Conference
Scott Patterson Host
of the 7th Art of Record Production Conference
Steve Savage Host
of the 7th Art of Record Production Conference
Simon Zagorski-Thomas Director
of the Art of Record Production Conference
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