Music and Nationalism
3rd Global Inclusive Interdisciplinary Conference

Saturday 12 June 2021
Online

Music is commonly regarded as a universal language, and yet it is also through music that the fiercest of nationalistic sentiments and inspirations for protest and rebellion have been expressed.

As a unifying force, music has frequently been used in the quest to establish a national identity as well as to emphasise social and political beliefs and promote particular agendas. But in doing so, music also establishes ‘others’ who do not belong to the collective. In light of political scientist and historian Benedict Anderson’s characterisation of nationalism as an imagined community, it is hardly surprising that music, with its extraordinary power over the human imagination, should play such an integral part in the way nationalism is constructed and understood.

The nineteenth century saw a development in the quest by many composers for a spirit of nationalism in their music, particularly those with an interest in folk song, and/or a passion for independent identities. The modern corollary is that national anthems are still sung at the beginning of mass public events, to recognise achievement in competitive sports, such as the Olympic Games, at important civic occasions, thereby signifying the inextricable bond between music and nationalism.

But why does music have the capacity to direct the human imagination in this way? What does a nation sound like—or, to put it another way, why does a particular musical piece conjure up feelings of belonging to a particular nation? What aspects of the nation and its people are highlighted and what aspects are ignored by nationalistic music? How does nationalism influence the reception of music? Does being part of a particular national background shape an individual’s sense of music? How is music used against nationalistic impulses, and for protests generally? How can music be used to provide education about identities, nations, and causes? In what way does music still support the construction of national identity even when it is not deliberately conceived for that purpose? What happens when the nationalistic meaning of music is contested and reworked? Does it still make sense to think in terms of music and nationalism in the age of globalism? What does the future hold for the connection between music and nationalism?

The Music and Nationalism event provides a platform for exploring these questions through inter-disciplinary dialogue and interactive engagement.

Key Topics
Key topics, themes and issues for discussion may include, but are definitely not limited to:

Music and nationalism in a global context
Music, nationalism and New Europe
‘Rebel’ /protest songs
National Anthems (composition, performance, context)
Music and propaganda
Folk Songs and nationalism
The Place of nationalism in the musical canon
Composers and performers who are associated with nationalism
Music theory perspectives
Representations of music and nationalism in written texts, encompassing song lyrics and beyond
National imagination and musical tastes, e.g. via the Eurovision Song Contest
Nationalism and the musical canon
Music, nationalism and diasporas
Nationalism and opera
The Folk Song repertoire
Music, nationalism and art
Popular music and nationalism, e.g. punk and New Wave
Physiological/psychological perspectives on connections between music and nationalism
Intellectual property and financial considerations associated with nationalist music
Pedagogy issues: teaching pupils the music of national identity

What To Send
The aim of this interdisciplinary conference and collaborative networking event is to bring people together and encourage creative conversations in the context of a variety of formats: papers, seminars, workshops, storytelling, performances, poster presentations, panels, q&a’s, round-tables etc.

300 word proposals, presentations, abstracts and other forms of contribution and participation should be submitted by Monday 1st March 2021. Other forms of participation should be discussed in advance with the Organising Chair.

All submissions will be minimally double reviewed, under anonymous (blind) conditions, by a global panel drawn from members of the Project Development Team and the Advisory Board. In practice our procedures usually entail that by the time a proposal is accepted, it will have been triple and quadruple reviewed.

You will be notified of the panel’s decision by Friday 12th March 2021.

Abstracts and proposals may be in Word, PDF, RTF or Notepad formats with the following information and in this order:
a) author(s), b) affiliation as you would like it to appear in the programme, c) email address, d) title of proposal, e) body of proposal, f) up to 10 keywords.

E-mails should be entitled: Music and Nationalism Submission.

Where To Send

Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chair and the Project Administrator:

Marie Bennett: mariejb27@hotmail.com
Project Administrator: viennamn2@progressiveconnexions.net

What's so Special About a Progressive Connexions Event?
A fresh, friendly, dynamic format: at Progressive Connexions we are dedicated to breaking away from the stuffy, old-fashioned conference formats, where endless presentations are read aloud off PowerPoints. We work to bring you an interactive format, where exchange of experience and information is alternated with captivating workshops, engaging debates and round tables, time set aside for getting to know each other and for discussing common future projects and initiatives, all in a warm, relaxed, egalitarian atmosphere.
 
A chance to network with international professionals: the beauty of our interdisciplinary events is that they bring together professionals from all over the world and from various fields of activity, all joined together by a shared passion. Not only will the exchange of experience, knowledge and stories be extremely valuable in itself, but we seek to create lasting, ever-growing communities around our projects, which will become a valuable resource for those belonging to them.
 
A chance to be part of constructing change: There is only one thing we love as much as promoting knowledge: promoting real, lasting social change by encouraging our participants to take collective action, under whichever form is most suited to their needs and expertise (policy proposals, measuring instruments, research projects, educational materials, etc.) We will support all such actions in the aftermath of the event as well, providing a platform for further discussions, advice from the experts on our Project Advisory Team and various other tools and intellectual resources, as needed.
 
An opportunity to discuss things that matter to you: Our events are not only about discussing how things work in the respective field, but also about how people work in that field â?? what are the struggles, problems and solutions professionals have found in their line of work, what are the areas where better communication among specialists is needed and how the interdisciplinary approach can help bridge those gaps and help provide answers to questions from specific areas of activity.
 
An unforgettable experience: When participating in a Progressive Connexions event, there is a good chance you will make some long-time friends. Our group sizes are intimate, our venues are comfortable and relaxing and our event locations are suited to the history and culture of the event.
 
Ethos
Progressive Connexions believes it is a mark of personal courtesy and professional respect to your colleagues that all delegates should attend for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable to make this commitment, please do not submit an abstract or proposal for presentation.
 
Please note: Progressive Connexions is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence, nor can we offer discounts off published rates and fees.
 
Please send all enquiries to: viennamn2@progressiveconnexions.net
 
For further details and information please visit the conference web page: https://www.progressiveconnexions.net/interdisciplinary-projects/music-and/music-and-nationalism/conferences/
 
Sponsored by: Progressive Connexions