March 27-29, 2014, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

Host: Christopher Biggs and Lisa Coons
Email: christopher.biggs@wmich.edu; lisa.coons@wmich.edu
Paper/Presentations Deadline: August 15, 2013
Compositions Deadline: *Extended to September 15, 2013
Fee: None for submission

WMU is thrilled to host the 2014 SCI Region V Conference. We are inviting composers and scholars to submit their creative work.

Who is eligible and what restrictions exist?

• Submitters must be SCI members in good standing. Non-members may submit, but must join SCI if their work is selected.
• Any SCI member may submit, but slight preference may be given to SCI members from Region V.
• Authors of compositions and papers that are programmed are required to attend the conference; they must complete the registration and pay the $50 registration fee by February 15th, 2014.
• Each composer may submit no more than three compositions.
• There are no limits on duration, though works under 15 minutes in length may receive preference due to programming considerations.
• Only electronic submissions will be accepted, unless there are special circumstances.
• All files from submitters will be accessed through links provided by the submitter.

Notes regarding submissions

• Works involving digital audio, including live electronics, are encouraged.
• Works involving video, dance, or other multimedia elements are also encouraged; however, there are limitations regarding space and lighting.
• Non-traditional and non-concert works—such as installations, sound walks, or anything else—are also encouraged.
• Composers may provide their own performers.

Compositions

Works may be submitted for the following instrumentation to be considered for performance by Western Michigan faculty and student performers/ensembles in any combination:

• Wind Symphony/Ensemble (flexible size and instrumentation)
• Choir (flexible size and instrumentation)
• Birds on a Wire (Western Michigan University’s new music group of flexible instrumentation, which is essentially a Pierrot Ensemble plus percussion)
• Any chamber music combination with common orchestral instruments, excluding harp
• Standard chamber music ensembles
  • String Quartet
  • Woodwind Quintet
  • Brass Quintet
  • Percussion Quartet
  • Trombone Choir
• Solo works for any common orchestral instrument
• Works for fixed media-audio or fixed media-audio with instrument(s) for up to 5.1 channel audio
• Works involving live electronics—composers are encouraged to provide their own computer and audio interface
• Multimedia works with or without instruments
• No work with harp will be considered, unless the composer can provide the harpist and instrument

Paper/Presentations

We also welcome presentation submissions, 20 to 60 minute talks, on musicological and/or theoretical topics related to 21st century music.

Music composed in the 21st century employs an enormous range of aesthetics, approaches, and media, while still remaining richly reflective of contemporary culture and technology. This conference will celebrate that diversity by inviting artists to present unique works for a variety of media and instrumentations. However, study and rigorous discussion have always been a part of thoughtful art making. The wealth of subgenres and schools of thought has made it difficult to define universally applicable analytic methodologies and consistent vocabularies. We aim to promote the discussion of contemporary practices and aesthetics in order to facilitate a dialogue.

We invite scholars and composer-scholars to submit proposals for papers and presentations relating to the intersection of compositional/technological tools, analysis, aesthetics, reception, and/or media in 21st century music and sound art. Applicants will be asked to submit an abstract and to specify an ideal timing for the presentation (20 or 40 minutes). Proposals for presentations on one’s own compositions will not be accepted.

Submission procedures

Composition submission deadline: Sept. 1, 2013

Paper/Presentation proposal deadline: Aug. 15, 2013

Composition and paper submissions will be via Google Drive at the link below. You will not be able to upload files, only submit links to download or stream files. Please do not link to a download that will expire prior January 15, 2014. (If you are unable to complete the submission process as described, please contact us for other options.)
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OLi4bQRGnCOIuQ-T96P1ugsZYFiUYEHESpNtXXKowKc/viewform