Conference Information
Twenty-Second Annual Conference
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 12-14 May 2011, 2011
General Information
We extend our warmest invitation to attend Music Theory Midwest's twenty-second annual conference to be held May 13-14, 2011 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The conference program is enclosed. Thanks go to Scott Murphy (University of Kansas), who chaired the program committee, and to its other members: Benjamin Anderson (Northwestern University); Jennifer Iverson (University of Iowa); Elizabeth Margulis (University of Arkansas); Michael Oravitz (Ball State University); Aleksandra Vojcic (University of Michigan); and Julian Hook (Indiana University), ex officio (as MTMW President).
Stan Kleppinger (University of Nebraska-Lincoln,skleppinger2(at)unl.edu), our chair of local arrangements for this conference, is delighted to welcome everyone to Lincoln.
Keynote Abstract
This year's keynote address, "Music, Gesture, and Musical Grammar," will be delivered by Lawrence Zbikowski (University of Chicago).
"Music, Gesture, and Musical Grammar"
There has been a fairly long tradition of correlating physical gestures--the sort of movements we make as either a supplement or an accompaniment to speaking--with music. Over the last ten years or so a number of researchers, building on recent advances in technologies for capturing motion and on theoretical perspectives that place a greater emphasis on the role of the body in human cognitive processes, have shown that there are indeed a number of ways music and gesture connect with one another. In this paper I would like to explore what relationships between music and gesture might tell us about some of the basic features of musical organization, taking the view that work on gesture can make a significant contribution to our understanding of musical grammar.
Location
Our sessions will be held in Westbrook Music Building, conveniently located on the southwest corner of campus adjoining downtown Lincoln.
Conference Events
For interested participants, a tour of UNL's Sheldon Museum of Art will be arranged. The Sheldon's collection of American art includes prominent holdings of nineteenth-century landscape and still life, American Impressionism, early Modernism, geometric abstraction, Abstract Expressionism, pop, minimalism, and contemporary art. The fine arts quadrangle hosts a 30-piece sculpture garden, and the entire UNL campus is a beautiful place to walk in May.
On Saturday, the conference will conclude with our traditional banquet at the Green Gateau, home to Lincoln's finest in casual dining. The Green Gateau is about four blocks from the Embassy; courtesy transportation will be arranged for those who may need it. Cost for the banquet is $25 (discounted to $20 for our student members). Participants may choose among three entrees (all of which Stan can vouch for!): beer-braised pot roast, chicken caprese, and manicotti rosa (vegetarian).
Travel
Lincoln's airport (LNK) is served by Delta and United airlines with arrivals from Minneapolis, Chicago, and Denver. Lincoln is a one-hour drive from Omaha (OMALiNK can provide ground transportation from the Omaha airport-visit omalink.com) and about three hours from Kansas City.
Parking is available at public garages less than a block from Westbrook Music Building. Market Place Garage is connected to the Embassy Suites via skywalk (enter from northbound 10th Street) and Que Place Garage is also convenient (enter from westbound Q Street). Rates for both garages: first hour free; $1 per additional hour; $9 maximum per day.
More economical but less convenient parking is available through an arrangement with UNL's parking services. For $12 conference attendees may purchase a permit, good for the duration of the conference, allowing them to park at the Nebraska Champions Club just west of Memorial Stadium (about six blocks from Westbrook Music Building). Please contact Stan Kleppinger no later than May 1 (skleppinger2(at)unl.edu) to reserve a permit. You may pay for the permit upon arrival via personal check at the conference registration table.
Attendees who require handicap accessible parking are asked to contact Stan Kleppinger <skleppinger2(at)unl.edu> in advance to make those arrangements.
Accommodations
Music Theory Midwest has contracted with Embassy Suites in Lincoln to provide reduced rates to our members. Rates are $114/night for single or double occupancy and $124/night for triple or quadruple occupancy, plus 16.48% in total taxes. (Each "room" is a two-room suite that includes a microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker, desk, and pull-out sofa.) These rates include complimentary cooked-to-order breakfasts and complimentary cocktails each evening between 5:30-7:30. To make your reservation, please call 402.474.1111 and identify yourself as a member of Music Theory Midwest, or visit www.lincolnembassysuites.com, using the code THE for the group/convention code. Reservations should be made on or before April 21 to guarantee room and rate availability.
The Embassy is across the street from Westbrook Music Building and in the heart of historic downtown Lincoln. Restaurants, local bookstores and galleries, and other attractions are within easy walking distance. The hotel provides free shuttle transportation to and from the Lincoln airport (call the Embassy at 402.474.1111 to schedule pick-up, or use the courtesy phone near baggage claim at the airport), so those traveling by air and staying at the Embassy should have no need to rent a car.
Dining
Downtown Lincoln features a variety of locally owned restaurants. Local favorites include the Blue Orchid (Thai), Misty's Steakhouse (what else in Nebraska?), The Oven (Indian), Vincenzo's (Italian), Lazlo's Brewery and Grill, and Dish (finer dining with "classic favorites"). Dozens of other eating options and coffeehouses can be found within walking distance of the conference site.
Local Information
Local Arrangements Chair: Stan Kleppinger (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
Other Information
UNL's wireless network, UNL-AIR, will be made publicly accessible in Westbrook Music Building for the duration of the conference. To use your wireless device in the building simply connect to the network named "UNL-AIR" (not "UNL-AIR-E," "UNL-Conference," or "UNL-Wireless-Registration"). No authentication should be required.
The Embassy Suites has free wireless access in public areas of the hotel. In-room network access may be purchased for a nominal fee. Many area establishments (Panera, Starbucks, etc.) also offer free access.
Call for Papers
Deadline: 15 January 2011
Music Theory Midwest is pleased to be holding its 22nd annual conference on May 13-14, 2011 at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. The Program Committee invites proposals for individual presentations on any area of music theory and analysis. Music Theory Midwest also has a tradition of encouraging papers on composers, musicians, or compositions celebrating significant anniversaries in the year of the conference and welcomes proposals for special sessions devoted to a particular topic. Among those with anniversaries in 2011 are: Tomás Luis de Victoria (d. 1611); Franz Liszt (b. 1811); Gustav Mahler (d. 1911); Jehan Alain, Bernard Herrmann, Alan Hovhaness, Robert Johnson, Spike Jones, Stan Kenton, Gian-Carlo Menotti, Mitch Miller, and Nino Rota (b. 1911); Scott Joplin's Treemonisha, Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, and Igor Stravinsky's Petrouchka (premiered 1911).
Please read the following instructions carefully. Submissions not conforming to these requirements will not be considered.
INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS:
Papers should be planned for presentation in twenty minutes, followed by ten minutes for questions. A proposal for an individual presentation consists of two separate parts:
- The cover letter should list the author's name and email address, the paper title, and any special equipment required for the presentation. If the submitter wishes to be considered for the Komar Award (see below), this should be indicated in the cover letter.
- The abstract should not exceed two pages (one-sided, no more than 25 lines per page, one-inch margins, font size comparable to Times 12pt) and must be anonymous. Supplementary materials such as musical examples and diagrams may be included and do not count toward the word limit, but should not exceed two additional pages.
PAPER SUBMISSIONS:
Send one cover letter and six copies of the abstract, postmarked on or before January 15, 2011, to:
Scott Murphy
Program Chair, MTMW 2011
1530 Naismith Drive
Lawrence, KS 66045-3102
ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS:
Electronic submissions are due on or before January 15, 2011. The cover letter information is entered directly into an online form. The abstract must be in .PDF format. No other file formats will be accepted. Examples/diagrams may be included in the same .PDF file with the abstract, or sent as separate .PDF files; if multiple files are submitted, all should be submitted at the same time. Authors are responsible for producing files that will display and print clearly, and for ensuring that the files contain no indication of authorship (including file names and metadata). Go to Online Submissions: www.wmich.edu/mus-theo/mtmw/submit/
SPECIAL SESSIONS:
Proposals for Special Sessions are encouraged. These are exempt from the page limit and will not be anonymous; the names of the organizer and all participants should be included in the proposal. Special Sessions should be unified in a way that is not normally characteristic of sessions assembled by the Program Committee from individually submitted papers. Anyone wishing to propose a Special Session is asked to contact the Program Chair via email at smurphy(at)ku.edu well in advance of the proposal deadline.
KOMAR STUDENT AWARD:
The Arthur J. Komar Award for best student paper will be presented at the conclusion of the meeting. Student presenters who wish to be considered for this award must identify this in their cover letters. For the purposes of this award, "student" status terminates with the receipt of a terminal degree or employment in a full-time position. Additional information about the Komar Award can be found at: www.wmich.edu/mus-theo/mtmw/komar.html
NOTIFICATION:
Those submitting proposals will receive notice of the Program Committee's decision by early March, when the preliminary program for the conference is assembled. Those whose proposals are accepted will be asked at this time to submit a 250-word abstract suitable for publication in the program booklet. In some cases, the Program Committee may request that a presentation be given in a format other than the usual twenty-minute paper. Music Theory Midwest expects that those who submit proposals will be able to attend the conference. If at any time after submitting a proposal you learn that you will be unable to be present on May 13-14, 2011, please contact the Program Chair immediately to withdraw your proposal from consideration. Please do not wait until the Committee's decisions are announced; doing so could cause complications affecting the entire conference program.
Program Committee
Scott Murphy (University of Kansas), Chair
Scott Murphy (University of Kansas), chair
Benjamin Anderson (Northwestern University)
Julian Hook (Indiana University), ex officio (as MTMW President)
Jennifer Iverson (University of Iowa)
Elizabeth Margulis (University of Arkansas)
Michael Oravitz (Ball State University)
Aleksandra Vojcic (University of Michigan)
Pre-Conference Workshop
Deadline: 15 January 2011
Music Theory Midwest is pleased to announce its first annual Pre-Conference Workshop, led by Professor Arnie Cox of Oberlin College Conservatory. Unlike the workshops at many other conferences, MTMW's workshops are not restricted to students but are open to faculty participation as well. The workshop will be held on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln at 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 12, 2011, immediately prior to the annual meeting on Friday and Saturday, May 13-14. Details of the workshop are given below.
Workshop Title: Theorizing Musical Affect
Description: Participants will explore the various ways whereby music generates affective responses in listeners. The primary goal is to help integrate considerations of affect in our undergraduate and graduate courses, while a secondary goal is to promote exploration of affect in professional music research. We will read an article-length essay that lays out the groundwork for the approach, and then apply this to passages from three works: (1) "Juliet's Funeral," from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet; (2) Ligeti's Atmosphères; and (3) Pärt's Passio. We will also compare two recordings of one of J.S. Bach's Preludes from the WTC (the C-sharp major prelude from Book II, by Angela Hewitt and Glenn Gould) in terms of the affective result of each. Finally, participants will have the option of bringing additional examples of particular personal interest, whether multiple recordings of a work for comparison, or examples that resist explicit analysis (such as examples of "absolute" music), or some otherwise favorite work.
Eligibility: All interested students (graduate and undergraduate) and faculty are encouraged to apply following the instructions below. Participants are not required to reside in the Midwest region. The only restriction is that students and faculty from the workshop leader's home institution (Oberlin College) are not eligible. The workshop will be limited to 15 participants, and it is anticipated that a minimum of 10 of the 15 positions will be reserved for students.
Cost: The workshop is free, but participants will be required to be members of MTMW at the time of the conference, to register for the conference, and to pay other related costs such as travel and hotel expenses.
Application Procedures - Students: Submit a statement of no more than 500 words, in .pdf, .docx, or .doc format, describing your background and the reasons for your interest in this workshop. Your statement should indicate your institutional affiliation and your academic status, but do not include your name in the statement itself, as the statements will be read blind. Submit the statement as an email attachment to Stan Kleppinger, MTMW Secretary, skleppinger2(at)unl.edu. In the body of the email, include your name, institutional affiliation, academic status, mailing address, email address, and telephone number. The workshop leader will select the student participants after reading the statements.
Application Procedures - Faculty: Send an email indicating your interest in the workshop to Stan Kleppinger, MTMW Secretary, skleppinger2(at)unl.edu. Include your name, institutional affiliation, academic status, mailing address, email address, and telephone number. Faculty participants will be selected randomly from those who have applied.
Application Deadline: Saturday, January 15, 2011. Workshop applicants can expect to receive notification of acceptance decisions by mid-February.
Questions may be directed to Stan Kleppinger, MTMW Secretary, at skleppinger2(at)unl.edu.
Online Program
The online program can be found here once it is available.