A special issue of Volume! The French Journal of Popular Music Studies
http://volume.revues.org/2914
Edited by Hugh Dauncey (Newcastle University) & Christopher Tinker (Heriot-
Watt University)
Volume!, the French peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the interdisciplinary
study of popular music – seeks contributions for a special issue on nostalgia
and popular music in a variety of national, international and transnational
contexts.
CALL FOR RESEARCH PAPERS
The fourth annual Jazz Education Network Conference, January 2-5, 2013, Atlanta, GA is calling for submission of research papers related to its theme “Networking the Jazz Arts Community…Local to Global”. The research track solicits the submission of original, principled research papers dealing with topics related to audience development for jazz with focus on presenting and producing jazz events in traditional and new venues, and marketing and messaging about jazz events. Building on the success of 2012 Jazz Arts Initiative (JAI) Workshop Track, we are most interested in topics that link to the following two ideas:
Ways to Sustain Presenting and Producing in Smaller Venues: The JAI research findings demonstrate that venue preference is a significant decision factor for audiences when deciding whether or not to engage with jazz. Across almost all market segments, current and potential ticket buyers indicate they would most likely prefer to engage with jazz in clubs or lounges with small tables. Among 18 – 34 year olds, venue may be a significant barrier to participation. These findings require us to explore more questions like: 1) What is the new sustainable business model for presenting in small or unusual venues? Additional experimentation, dialogue, and assessment will allow JAG to scale findings to help organizations of all sizes and locales bring new energy to jazz, as well as emerging, independent and creative music.
Ways to Leverage Story, Context, and Messaging for Deeper Engagement: As the Columbus Jazz Arts Group (JAG) further explores the role venue plays in jazz participation we must also animate segmentation solutions for current and potential jazz ticket buyers in Central Ohio. The next step for full implementation and impact of this data is to design, test, implement and refine messages/images that motivate audiences to action. The research will guide a variety of smaller experiments, perhaps in tandem with the venue experiments, about ways to effectively communicate with each market segment (10 in all), or across segments simultaneously.
The research track will run parallel with presentations by the Jazz Arts Group of Columbus on the Jazz Audiences Initiative. The research serves as a framework for testing new strategies for overcoming barriers to jazz participation and for building jazz audiences through more targeted marketing and programming efforts. For more information on the initiative and a review of the literature, visit: http://www.jazzartsgroup.org/jai
Submission guidelines:
Submit a 1-2 page abstract by June 15, 2011. Papers should directly relate to the research questions above and may include:
· Historical perspectives on jazz/ arts audiences
· Quantitative studies
· Case studies
· Literature reviews
Submissions need to be Word documents in .doc or .pdf format. Presentations will be 50 minutes in length, including a minimum of 10 minutes for questions and answers. A projector and screen will be available, presenters will need to provide their own computers and projector adapters. Presenters must be members of JEN and attend the JEN conference. For more information, to submit an abstract, and join JEN go to http://www.jazzednet.org/1/en/node/1305
Europe Jazz Network has recently published an evaluative research study of its membership. Two documents have been published – an executive summary document outlining the main findings from the research, and an extensive research study displaying both qualitative and quantitative data on the network and its membership. As a member of the research steering group, Rhythm Changes Project leader Tony Whyton was invited to write a foreword for the full report and to share Rhythm Changes’ interviews and case study materials gathered over the last year.
The report provides crucial financial and structural information about jazz organisations across Europe and the report will be used by national agencies, promoters, festivals and policy makers to highlight the impact of jazz in different contexts, as well as the value of collaboration and transnational working.
The report also features case studies on organisations based in our partner countries and showcases the work of Rhythm Changes researcher Christophe de Bezenac’s group Trio VD (who are quoted as part of a case study on the 12 Points! festival. There’s also a photo of the group on page 15!). Over the past year, Christophe was selected to participate in the UK’s Take 5 scheme, and the EJN report includes a case study of the way in which this professional development programme has been extended to the European level.
This is a significant collaborative output for Rhythm Changes and a fantastic example of how Knowledge Exchange is embedded in the research ethos of the project. The full report and Executive Summary can also be downloaded via the EJN website (www.europejazz.net).
Anne’s research centres around festivals and what makes them special for audiences, for musicians and for the spaces they inhabit.
In the context of a discussion around the connection between festivals and places (specifically, places in Europe), we got into a conversation about what festivals mean for people – but also what people (and particularly political people) use them to mean.
What do you think about the connection between festivals and places. Are they reducible to tourism and local identity, is there some greater meaning – or even transcendence to be found within, or is the fact that it’s more complicated than that the thing that is interesting here?
A conversation in which questions are raised about the relationship between the state of jazz in a particular country – and the policies and expectations of the institutions that educate the musicians.
Is it important that musicians rebel against what they are taught in jazz conservatories?
As part of our discussion at the research team meeting in Lancaster, our Project Leader Tony Whyton raises this issues of the official national jazz agencies and the extent to which they might be more protectionist than promotional.
Is there a role for national jazz agencies in actively blurring the lines and fostering collaborations across Europe?
Three years almost to the day after I interviewed Steve Lawson about Twitter for musicians, we thought it might be appropriate to update and reflect. Here’s the original video: Twitter Sucks, So Change Your Friends.
A discussion between members of the Rhythm Changes research team in which Anne Dvinge questions the value of doing transnational research within national settings – and whether it might actually be a bit more complicated than that…
Be great to hear what you have to say on the topic.
Professor Tim Wall, who is what we call a ‘critical friend’ to the project, offers some interesting provocations about the relationship between British musicians and European jazz.
Your thoughts, of course, are most welcome.
Rhythm Changes is a 3-year research project which examines the inherited traditions and practices of European jazz cultures. Read more here...
Rhythm Changes is financially supported by the HERA Joint Research Programme which is co-funded by AHRC, AKA, DASTI, ETF, FNR, FWF, HAZU, IRCHSS, MHEST, NWO, RANNIS, RCN, VR and The European Community FP7 2007-2013, under the Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities programme.
