The Fifth Biennial International Conference on Mathematics and Computation in Music(MCM2015) will be held on 22-25 June-2015  at Queen Mary University of London in the United Kingdom. MCM is the flagship conference of the Society for Mathematics and Computation in Music, whose official publication is the Journal of Mathematics and Music.

The aim of the conference is to bring together researchers from around the world who adopt mathematical and/or computational approaches to address any aspect of music theory, music analysis, composition and performance. MCM aims to provide a dedicated platform for the communication and exchange of ideas amongst researchers in mathematics, informatics, music theory, composition, musicology, and related disciplines.

We welcome submissions on any topic relating to mathematics and/or computation and music, including (but not limited to):

• Mathematical and computational models of and/or approaches to
  • musicology, music theory and analysis, composition
  • musical performance and improvisation
  • the perception and cognition of any aspect of musical structure
  • music and emotion
  • musical learning and education
  • musical interaction and gestures
• Logical, philosophical and methodological aspects of mathematics and computation in music
• The history of mathematics and computation in music
• Applications of mathematical music theory and computational tools for musicians, musicologists and others who work with music

We invite submissions of the following types:

• Long papers (10-12 pages in the Springer LNCS style) to be presented orally
• Short papers (4-6 pages in the Springer LNCS style) to be presented as posters
• Panel discussions
• Workshops and tutorials

Accepted papers will be published by Springer in an edited volume in the series Lecture Notes in Computer Science, as were the proceedings of previous MCM conferences. For further details on the submissions guidelines for each of these types please checkout the “Submission” site.

The deadline for all types of submission is : Friday 9 January 2015.

International Association for the Study of Popular Music, Tilburg University and Erasmus University:
“A long way to the top: The production and reception of music in a globalized world”
6-7 November 2014 – Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Deadline: 1 June, 2014
Keynotes: John Street and Fabian Holt

AIM

Once upon a time, a famous rock ‘n’ roll group sang about what it means to play in a music band. In their lyrics they touch upon the role of the music industry (‘getting sold’), the difficulties of a musical career (‘under-paid’ and ‘getting grey’) and music consumption (‘if you wanna be a star’), while celebrating music for music’s sake. As such, this song addresses many issues in the production and reception of popular music in the contemporary globalized world. Yet, recent developments in the field of music have changed the ‘way to the top’, such as governmental policy on music, the rise of new media, and the growing number of music festivals. Focusing on a select number of interrelated themes, this conference aims to bring together scholars from various countries each with their own perspective to engage in an international exchange of ideas and current research insights about music production and reception.

THEMES

Regarding the production of music, we aim for papers on – but not strictly limited to – these themes:

• Music industries and scenes: for example, what challenges are music industries facing in the 21st century? How have their business models changed over the last decade? To what extent is music increasingly produced within translocal and virtual scenes outside of traditional music industries?
• Careers in pop music: for example, to what extent have artist labor markets changed over the last decades? Have music careers become longer and more flexible? What factors determine success?
• Pop music policy: for example, to what extent and why do government organizations (national and local) fund what types of music? How are pop musicians promoted abroad and for what reasons? What role does music play in urban development and city branding?
• New media and pop music: for example, how have streaming services changed music industries? Did social media affect the marketing of pop music? How do (online) consumer critics affect sales?

Regarding the reception of music, we aim for papers on – but not strictly limited to – these themes:

• Pop music consumption and identity construction: for example, how important is pop music in processes of bounding and bridging social groups and group identities? How do music fans use the Internet in processes of meaning-making and sacralization?
• Music performance, festivals and rituals: for example, how can music performances achieve intended transformative effects? How are they clustered in a particular period of time at a particular place? How can we explain the growing popularity of music festivals among international audiences?
• Pop music, political activism and social movements: for example, what role does pop music play in social change? How politically engaged are pop musicians and what topics do they address?
• Popular music heritage and tourism: for example, how and which pop music is being canonized? How does this relate to generational conflict, feelings of nostalgia and authenticity? INSTRUCTIONS

Please send your abstract of 400 words in English (including a research question, theory and methodology) together with a short biography (100 words), including name, institutional affiliation and position, phone number, postal and e-mail addresses, to: iaspmconference@eshcc.eur.nl
Abstract deadline: 1 June, 2014. Participants will receive notifications of acceptance by 1 August, 2014.