Call for Papers
Symposium on Eudaimonia, Music, and Music Education
May 22nd & 23rd, 2020
John J. Cali School of Music, Montclair State University, New Jersey, USA
Eudaimonia – often interpreted as "living well," "pursuing one's true purpose," or "human flourishing" – is a perennial philosophical concept in Western scholarship. It frequently goes unarticulated, especially within the practices of music and education.
Eudaimonia is about purpose, identity, ethics, and virtue. It is concerned with societal harmony, community, and the pursuit of personal fulfilment through action. However, the potentials of eudaimonia are affected by the principles underpinning contemporary institutions, including but not limited to: issues and concerns of (neo)liberal capitalist democracies such as the United States of America, Newman's ideal of the university and higher education, and human compulsions to make and engage with artistic practices. While eudaimonia and its achievability are perennial concerns, they are also pertinent and timely.
The organizers of this symposium invite innovative thinkers from diverse fields and disciplines to discuss issues in and related to eudaimonia in, for, and through music and education. Topics for consideration may include but are not limited to:
· Intersections of education, wellbeing, therapy, and community;
· Spirituality and holistic wellbeing;
· Diverse philosophical perspectives on human flourishing;
· Climate change, eco-literacy, eco-awareness and music and/or education;
· Eastern and Western philosophical perspectives related to eudaimonia;
· The natures, scope, aims, and purposes of eudaimonia in/for music and/or music teaching-and-learning;
· The kinds of understandings and abilities that school, university, and community music teachers/facilitators need to possess in order to
develop sites of eudaimonia;
· Historical factors contributing to understanding various kinds of "eudaimonic" interactions in music and education (potentially, in
different contexts worldwide);
· Understanding of eudaimonia that activate and guide "revolutions" in music teaching/learning procedures as these relate to issues of
moral development, racism, homophobia, poverty, neoliberalism and so forth;
· Relationships among social, cultural, political, gendered, racial considerations with eudaimonia in/for music and/or teaching-and-
learning;
· Roles for musical and educational technologies have in/for eudaimonia in music education and community music contexts.
Abstracts of 300 and a 50-word bio words to be submitted via this form, by September 1st, 2019. Notifications of acceptance will be by October 1st, 2019.
Marissa Silverman, Associate Professor of Music Education, Montclair State University,
Gareth Dylan Smith, Visiting Research Professor of Music, New York University.
Gareth Dylan Smith, PhD
Visiting Research Professor of Music
Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions
NYU Steinhardt
