2nd Global Conference: Music &....Nationalism
29th to 30th June 2018
Palermo, Italy

The spectre of national anthems being sung at mass events, political rallies and the use of pop music and established musicians providing endorsements at political rallies suggest that the relationship between music and the spirit nationalism is as strong as it has been since its emergence as a feature of 19th century romantic music. This conference aims to bring together interdisciplinary research perspectives on the relationship between music and nationalism.

Current political change and visions of the reconfiguration of political landscapes at the local and global scale provide the opportunity for a new critical reassessment of the relationship between music and nationalism. Has music become such a transnational force that the effect of music as tool to engender nationalism in the public psyche no longer has any efficacy? What are the current trends in the relationship between music and political movements? Is the role of sentimentalism as a counter to intellectualism still the same in nationalistic music as it was in the romantic period? Is the relationship between the use and abuse of music and nationalism still fraught with the dangers common to the political propaganda of the 19th and 20th centuries in the glorification of the nation state? Does music have a role to play at all in contemporary politics? It is the aim of this conference to explore these and related questions and issues.

Part of the Progressive Connexions series Music &…., we invite submissions that may deal with but are not limited to:

~ National anthems
~ Nationalism, music and identity formation
~ Music and the building of the nation state
~ Specific political ideologies and music (e.g. Fascism, communism, anarchism)
~ Composers
~ Nationalism and the choral tradition
~ Historical perspectives
~ Music and political propaganda
~ Sentimentalism, emotionalism and anti-intellectualism
~ Transnational music
~ Mythologies
~ Opera and nationalism
~ Music as a tool for assimilation
~ Music, nationalism and ethics
~ Aesthetics
~ Protest music, activist anthems, musics of resistance
~ Folk music traditions, folk idioms and heritage
~ Nationalism and popular music cultures (e.g. Brit pop, J-pop, punk music, heavy metal etc.)
~ Nationalism, music and mass events
~ Nationalism, music and sport
~ Musicology and nationalism
~ Media representations of music and nationalism
~ Lyrics and meaning
~ Warfare and conflict
~ Memory, remembrance, emotion
~ Music, nationalism and film

Our main goal is to facilitate dialogue and spark innovative collaborations and discussions at an international level, in a dynamic and interactive setting. Thus, we welcome participants from all relevant disciplines, professions and vocations (NGO personnel, aid workers, researchers, mental and physical health professionals, educators, human rights activists, counsellors, social workers, policy makers, journalists, lawyers, politicians, business owners, military personnel, composers, customs workers and members of the border patrol, labour specialists, historians, sociologists, psychologists, economists, anthropologists, ethnographers social media experts, artists and many more)

What to Send
The aim of this interdisciplinary conference and collaborative networking event is to bring people together in the context of a variety of formats: papers, seminars, workshops, panels, q&a’s, performances etc.

300 word abstracts, proposals, presentations, scores, compositions, mp3’s/flacs and other forms of contribution and participation should be submitted by Friday 19th January 2018.

Whilst we welcome proposals for live performances, our options are unfortunately limited by the facilities available at the venue as well as any cost considerations relating to staging the performance. If you are interested in staging a live performance, please contact us and let us know what you have in mind.

All submissions will be minimally double reviewed, under anonymous (blind) conditions, by a global panel drawn from members of the Project Team and the Advisory Board. In practice our procedures usually entail that by the time a proposal is accepted, it will have been triple and quadruple reviewed.

You will be notified of the panel’s decision by Friday 2nd Feburary 2018.

If your submission is accepted for the conference, a full draft of your contribution should be submitted by Friday 11th May 2018.

Abstracts and proposals may be in Word, PDF, RTF or Notepad formats with the following information and in this order:
a) author(s), b) affiliation as you would like it to appear in the programme, c) email address, d) title of proposal, e) body of proposal, f) up to 10 keywords.

E-mails should be entitled: Music and Nationalism Submission

Where to Send
Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chair and the Project Administrator:

Dr Niall Scott: NWRScott@uclan.ac.uk
Project Administrator: palermomusic@progressiveconnexions.net

What’s so Special About Progressive Connexions Events?
A fresh, friendly, dynamic format – at Progressive Connexions we are dedicated to breaking away from the stuffy, old-fashion conference formats, where endless presentations are read aloud off PowerPoints. We work to bring you an interactive format, where exchange of experience and information is alternated with captivating workshops, engaging debates and round tables, time set aside for getting to know each other and for discussing common future projects and initiatives, all in a warm, relaxed, egalitarian atmosphere.

A chance to network with international professionals – the beauty of our interdisciplinary events is that they bring together professionals from all over the world and from various fields of activity, all joined together by a shared passion. Not only will the exchange of experience, knowledge and stories be extremely valuable in itself, but we seek to create lasting, ever-growing communities around our projects, which will become a valuable resource for those belonging to them.

A chance to be part of constructing change – There is only one thing we love as much as promoting knowledge: promoting real, lasting social change by encouraging our participants to take collective action, under whichever form is most suited to their needs and expertise (policy proposals, measuring instruments, research projects, educational materials, etc.) We will support all such actions in the aftermath of the event as well, providing a platform for further discussions, advice from the experts on our Project Advisory Team and various other tools and intellectual resources, as needed.

An opportunity to discuss things that matter to you – Our events are not only about discussing how things work in the respective field, but also about how people work in that field – what are the struggles, problems and solutions professionals have found in their line of work, what are the areas where better communication among specialists is needed and how the interdisciplinary approach can help bridge those gaps and help provide answers to questions from specific areas of activity.

An unforgettable experience – When participating in a Progressive Connexions event, there is a good chance you will make some long-time friends. Our group sizes are intimate, our venues are comfortable and relaxing and our event locations are suited to the history and culture of the event.

Ethos
Progressive Connexions believes it is a mark of personal courtesy and professional respect to your colleagues that all delegates should attend for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable to make this commitment, please do not submit an abstract or proposal for presentation.

Please note: Progressive Connexions is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence, nor can we offer discounts off published rates and fees.

Enquiries: palermomusic@progressiveconnexions.net

Web address: http://www.progressiveconnexions.net/interdisciplinary-projects/music-and/music-and-nationalism/conferences/
Sponsored by: Progressive Connexions