CALL FOR PAPERS
Choral practice, performance and pedagogy: real world applications of choral research
Department of Music, The University of Sheffield, in partnership with the Institute of Musical Research.
Friday 8th April 2016
This one-day, interactive choral conference is being convened in the Department of Music at the University of Sheffield, with funding from The Institute of Musical Research. The aim of the event is to provide a forum for Early Career Researchers to present their work on choral practice, performance and pedagogy, and to demonstrate the impact of current research in a way which emphasizes practical applications alongside pedagogical approaches to choral rehearsal and performance.
Early Career Researchers are invited to submit proposals for sessions with a strong participative element. Sessions may take the form of practical demonstrations, masterclasses, performances or workshops (45 minutes maximum), which are related to the presenter's original research, or which interrogate choral concepts and philosophies derived from the researcher's review of the literature. Subjects may include choral training, choral leadership, group dynamics in the choral context, performance practices, rehearsal strategies, choral repertoire, choral inclusion and diversity, and topics related to community singing or choral learning processes.
Shorter spoken papers (20 minutes, including 5 minutes for questions) are also invited, preferably including a practical, participative or performance element. Subjects for roundtable discussions or panels (30 minutes maximum) may also be suggested, with the aim of sharing knowledge, experience, research findings and potential applications amongst participants. Presentations, demonstrations and workshops may be related to research on group singing in any context, and to any type or size of choral ensemble. A repertoire exchange will be included in the programme, so delegates will be encouraged to bring a song or vocal warm up to share.
The format and content of this conference is designed to attract a wide range of delegates, including Early Career Researchers, graduate students, senior scholars and practitioners (such as conductors, singers and singing teachers) who work in the related fields of choral singing and community music. It will provide a rare opportunity to bring together a diverse range of delegates, presenters and performers, in order to make connections between choral research and choral practice and performance in the community. The format of the event is intended to ensure a high level of audience engagement, and to provide opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange, which will be focused upon practical, participative and pedagogical applications of choral research.
Bursaries for Early Career Researchers: There will be a limited number of travel bursaries, funded by the Institute of Musical Research, to assist ECRs to present their work at this conference. Applications for bursaries are encouraged from ECRs who are within three years of completing their PhD, and who do not hold an academic post which provides access to conference funding.
Bursary applications should include:
• A note of the applicant's PhD completion date
• Confirmation that the applicant does not currently have access to funding for conference attendance
• An accurate indication of the travel costs that will be involved in attending this conference
• A short biography (c. 200 words)
Submissions: Please send abstracts (c. 300 words) along with applications for travel bursaries to Dr Michael Bonshor: m.bonshor@sheffield.ac.uk.
The closing date for submissions and bursary applications is January 15th 2016. All proposals should include the name and email address of the presenter, and details of any AV requirements for the session.
