Conference Information

Eighth Annual Conference

Carleton College, Northfield, MN, 16-18 May 1997, 1997

General Information

The eighth annual conference of Music Theory Midwest will be held on the campus of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota from Friday, May 16 to Sunday, May 18, 1997.

Conference registration will begin on Friday, May 16 at 10:00 a.m. in the lobby of the Music and Drama Center on the Carleton College campus. The opening session will convene at 2:00 p.m. in the Concert Hall in the Music and Drama Center. Sessions will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday in the Rehearsal Room in the lower level of the Music and Drama Center. At 1:30 p.m., Professor Peter Schickele, composer and musicologist who is credited for "discovering" the works of P.D.Q. Bach, will deliver the keynote address: "The Path of Musical Progress, and Other Roads to Hell" . The Business Meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. At 6:00 p.m., a buffet dinner will be served in the Great Hall of Sayles-Hill Student Center on the Carleton campus. At 8:00 p.m., a concert by the Renaissance group, Calliope will be presented featuring a new work by Schickele entitled "Bestiary." Sunday's sessions will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the Concert Hall. The conference concludes at 12:00 noon on Sunday, 18 May.

Keynote Abstract

On Saturday, 17 May, at 1:30 p.m., Professor Peter Schickele --composer, musician, author, satirist--will deliver the keynote address: "The Path of Musical Progress, and Other Roads to Hell" Schickele will address what happened to contemporary classical music, and why it is listed as being in critical condition as the century draws to a close.

Peter Schickele is internationally recognized as one of the most versatile artists in the field of music. His works, now well in excess of 100 for symphony orchestras, choral groups, chamber ensembles, voice, movies, and television, have given him "a leading role in the ever-more-prominent school of American composers who unselfconsciously blend all levels of American music." (John Rockwell, The New York Times.) Schickele is perhaps best known as the musicologist credited for "discovering" the works of P.D.Q. Bach, and more recently as the host of his own public radio show "Schickele Mix." On Saturday at 8:00 p.m., a concert by the Renaissance group, Calliope will be presented featuring a new work by Schickele entitled "Bestiary."

Location

All sessions will be held in the Music and Drama Center on the Carleton campus (see map). Parking is free but space is limited. You may use any open spaces in the campus parking lots surrounding the Music and Drama Center, or you may also park on the adjacent streets in regular parking zones.

Travel

Northfield is approximately 40 miles due south of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. Conference participants who fly to the conference will arrive at the Minnepolis/St. Paul International Airport.

*** Since Northfield is directly accesible only by automobile and a limited bus service, it is highly recommended that conference partipants drive to the conference or rent a car at the Twin Cities International Airport. Local transportation options are limited. ***

  • Plane:
    The principal airline servicing the Twin Cities International Airport is Northwest Airlines, though other airlines include: American, Continental, Delta, TWA, US Air, United, and Vanguard. The airport is located between downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul in the south metro area just off I-494. Northfield is approximately a fifty-minute drive to the south. Nearly all rental car agencies (Hertz, Avis, National, Budget, Alamo, and others) are represented in the Twin Cities airport terminal or nearby.

MTMW Airport Shuttle
A limited van shuttle service will run on Friday and Sunday between Northfield and the Twin Cities airport explicitly for the MTMW conference. Participants who use the shuttle must make reservations and prepay on the registration form. All shuttle reservations must be received by May 1. The shuttle will pick-up conference participants at Door #1 of the baggage claim area in the lower level of the terminal (east end of terminal by the Police Lost and Found Station). Fare for the shuttle is $20.00 round trip prepaid with advance registration form.

  • Shuttle Schedule:
    Friday 5/16: Depart Airport: 10:30 a.m.; 11:30 a.m.; 12:30 p.m. Sunday 5/18: Depart Northfield: 11:00 a.m.; 1:00 p.m.; 3:00 p.m.
    (Driving time is approximately 50 minutes to 1 hour)
    The local arrangement committee reserves the right to re-arrange arrival and departure times for shuttle riders to earlier or later times if needed. We will confirm your shuttle reservations and pick-up times.

Driving to Northfield by Car:
Northfield is located approximately forty miles south of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, approximately sixty miles northwest of Rochester, MN, and approximately seventy miles north of Albert Lea, MN.

  • From the Southeast:
    Take I-90 to the Rochester exit (Highway 52).
    Proceed north on Hwy 52 to the Hwy 19 (Cannon Falls) exit.
    Turn west (left) on Hwy 19, go approximately 7 miles to a "T" intersection; turn left to follow Hwy 19.
    Proceed one mile, and turn right to continue on Hwy 19.
    Proceed approximately 7 more miles to Northfield (Hwy 19 becomes Division Street in Northfield; Carleton College will be on your left as you approach town).
    Turn left at the first stop sign you come to (2nd street).
    Go up the hill three blocks to Winona Street, turn left and proceed one block.
    The large brown building in front of you and to the right (across from the Chapel) is the Music and Drama Center.

  • From the South:
    Take I-35 from Albert Lea to the Northfield exit, exit 69.
    Proceed east (right) on St. Hwy 19 about 7 miles to Northfield.
    The first stoplight is St. Hwy 3.
    Turn left (north) on Hwy 3 and proceed to the first stoplight (2nd St.).
    Turn right on 2nd Street, cross the bridge, and continue on past the stop sign at Division Street.
    Go up the hill three blocks to Winona Street.
    Turn left (north) on Winona and proceed one block.
    The large brown building in front of you and to the right (across from the Chapel) is the Music and Drama Center.

  • From the Twin Cities Airport:
    Take Hwy 5 west to I-494 west. Get off at I-35W South (Albert Lea) exit.
    Head south on I-35W (merges with I-35E to become I-35).
    Proceed to Northfield exit (exit 69). Turn east (left) on St. Hwy 19, and proceed approximately seven miles to Northfield.
    The first stoplight you encounter in Northfield is St. Hwy 3. Turn left (north) on Hwy 3 and proceed to the first stoplight (2nd St.).
    Turn right on 2nd Street, cross the bridge, and continue on past the stop sign at Division Street.
    Go up the hill three blocks to Winona Street. Turn left (north) on Winona and proceed one block.
    The large brown building in front of you and to the right (across from the Chapel) is the Music and Drama Center.

  • Bus:
    Limited bus service by the Jefferson Bus Company is offered between the Twin Cities International Airport and Northfield. Fares are $7.50 one-way and $14.25 round trip. Departure location for the bus in the airport is located on the lower level of the terminal near baggage claim. Departure from Northfield is in front of the Archer House Hotel on Division St.
    • Daily Bus Schedule:
      From Northfield: Depart 4:00 a.m. Arrive Twin Cities Airport: 4:50 a.m.
      From Northfield: Depart 9:00 a.m. Arrive Twin Cities Airport: 9:55 a.m.
      From Twin Cities Airport: Depart 7:15 p.m. Arrive Northfield: 8:05 p.m.

  • Cab: Some taxi companies will travel from the Twin Cities airport to Northfield. Fares are approximately $50.00 each way.

Accommodations

Blocks of rooms have been reserved at three hotels in Northfield. When reserving a room, indicate that you will be attending the Music Theory Midwest Conference. Because of the size of the town and the limited number of hotels, hotel space is limited. To insure accommodations, you must reserve a room in any of the three hotels no later than April 15, 1997.

  • Country Inn
    (507)-645-2286
    300 Highway 3 North
    (approximately one mile from Conference site)
    Special conference rate: $50.00 per room per night (plus tax).

  • Archer House
    (507)-645-5661
    212 Division Street S.
    (approximately one-half mile from conference site)
    A limited number of single rooms are available at $55.00 per room per night (plus tax). Other larger rooms available at higher prices.
  • Super Eight Motel
    (507)-663-0371
    Hwy 3 South
    (approximately two miles from conference site)
    Single and double rooms ranging from $42.88-$57.88 (plus tax) per room per night. (Rates subject to change)

All three hotels provide free parking, and restaurants are close by.
A limited shuttle service between these three hotels and the conference site will be provided.

Dining

While Northfield is not a considered a culinary haven, there are a number of good restaurants in town within easy walking distance from the conference and hotel sites. The town features a variety of cuisines, all in a somewhat casual atmosphere: Chinese, Mexican, Greek, traditional American, as well as some good delis, ribs, and college student hangouts such as The Rueb-n-Stein (The "Rueb"), The Tavern, and The Ole (pronounced "Oh-lee") Store.

Local Information

Carleton College is a co-educational residential liberal arts college of 1800 culturally diverse students. Since 1983 the College has been ranked nationally in the top ten small liberal arts colleges. The campus is located on 950 acres adjacent to "downtown" Northfield, and includes a 400-acre arboretum, two small lakes, and 50 buildings. The Music Department consists of nine full-time and twenty-four part-time faculty, and occupies two buildings: The Music Hall, built in 1914, and the Music and Drama Center, completed in 1972.

Northfield is a quaint town with a population of 14,000 located in the Cannon River Valley in Southeastern Minnesota, about 40 miles south of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The town is officially (and affectionately) known as the "Home of Cows, Colleges and Contentment," as it is a center for dairy and other agriculture industries, and the home of both Carleton and St. Olaf colleges. A small-town atmosphere is most apparent in Northfield as one walks or drives down Division Street, the main street of the downtown area. The downtown area features some notable architecture, including the Northfield Historical Society Museum on Division Street, the site of the famous bank raid by the Jesse James Gang in 1876. Every year in September, the bank raid is re-enacted during the "Defeat of Jesse James Days" festival.

Online Program

The online program can be found here once it is available.