EMP Pop Conference 2011

Call for papers posted:

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Cash Rules Everything Around Me: Music and Money
2011 EMP Pop Conference at UCLA
Feb 24 - 27, 2011
Los Angeles, California
Jointly sponsored by Experience Music Project and the UCLA Department of Musicology

"The best things in life are free, but you can give them to the birds and bees, I need money!" Motown founder Berry Gordy co-wrote it, Barrett Strong sang it, and John Lennon's vocal in the Beatles cover offered a fervent affirmation. By the time Wu-Tang Clan recorded "C.R.E.A.M.," however, chasing bucks in pop found kinship more with gundowns and teens behind bars. For this year's Pop Conference, the tenth annual meeting and first outside of Seattle, we invite presentations on a matter Los Angeles knows well: the relationship between song and paycheck — or, to invoke the O'Jays hit "For the Love of Money," bass line and bottom line.

Topics can cover any era or style of music and may include, but are not limited to:

* Selling out: self-objectification and compromise, but also selling out as breaking out—codebreaking and innovation
* The music industry, past, present, and (?) future, from records to radio and retail; impresarios in idolatry; the current slump and pop through boom and bust, affluence and scarcity
* Money, bling, "Life in the Fast Lane," etc. as a topic in song and discourse: how different genres view commercialism differently; charity and social consciousness as rival impulses
* Class as operating force; profitable music and blurred hierarchy, the working class and "Don't Get Above Your Raisin'"—how class-bound assumptions affect musical valuation
* Los Angeles in the pop imaginary, a place that has never pretended music is a solely artistic enterprise
* "Capital (It Fails Us Now)": payola blues, the pervasive sense of the business as (to quote Hunter S. Thompson) a "long shallow money trench" and distillation of capitalism's inequities
* Globalization and monetization: pop as international product, differing national and regional approaches to music merchandising
* Patronage: sponsorships, institutions as support structures for pop, music in advertising
* Financing musical production: the aesthetics of hi-fi—as David & David once sang, "all that money makes such a succulent sound"

The EMP Pop Conference, launched in 2002, joins academics, critics, performers, and dedicated fans in a rare common discussion. The conference is jointly sponsored in 2011 by the Department of Musicology at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and by the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame. This year's program committee members are: Jasen Emmons (EMP/SFM), Robert Fink (UCLA), Gaye Theresa Johnson (UCSB), writer Maura Johnston, Josh Kun (USC), Katherine Meizel (Oberlin), filmmaker Jim Mendiola, Ann Powers (Los Angeles Times), writer-musician Tim Quirk, Jeffrey Rabhan (NYU), and biographer David Ritz.

Please send proposals of 250 words, with 50 word bio, to organizer Eric Weisbard (University of Alabama) at Eric.Weisbard @ gmail.com. Deadline for proposals is Friday, October 15. Panel proposals, specifying either 90 minutes 120, should include both overview language and individual proposals/ bios, or overview and bios only for roundtable discussions. We welcome unorthodox proposals and proposals aimed explicitly at a general interest audience.

Registration for the conference is free to presenters and the public.

Earlier this year!

Holding the conference in April on the same weekend as Coachella = probably not the best of ideas.

this should bring out the artists as presenters in droves!

Subject for my pitch already settled on -- I was just waiting to see what the theme was! (And it'll fit, thankfully.)

I think I know what I'm gonna propose, too.

Isn't Coachella the weekend before?

It's varied from year to year. This year it was the same weekend in April.

Nine days to proposal deadline so get 'em finished up...

I wasn't sure if I should post this in the previous conference thread or this one, but Social Text just published a revised version of my 2010 EMP paper online:

http://www.socialtextjournal.org/blog/2010/10/curtis-jackson-and-the-jeweled-skull.php

(the huge final paragraph should actually be two paragraphs! back to 2011 proposal research)

I am kinda o_0 about this... I am used to calls for papers on boring super-academic stuff in my school email. Calls for papers on... pop music? Just kinda blows my mind.

It's damn good fun too. Pitch something, you've got time!

Andrew W.K. and Steev Mike:
The Schizophrenia of Commercial Success and Creative Integrity

i might work on that but if someone else wants to run with it go ahead.

Hahahah. I say go for it.

Deadline tomorrow!

Worked on it tonight.

Sent mine in, got my confirmation, and now to wait. I'm looking forward to it being a local thing for me this time around!

Sent.

Time to plan the inevitable parties.

Actually FWIW -- a basic overview of local hotels near UCLA. No word yet in terms of any official one but I hope/presume it'll be one of the walking distance ones.

Never been and can't wait to go.

I had a great topic that I never got around to sending in. :/

Me too.

Paper proposal responses going out! I didn't accepted but am not surprised, it was a bit of a jury rig in my case and I'm working on the idea for something else regardless. How did others do?

i will buy ned and maria and rufus and cyrus all these in n out burgers.

Me neither, boo hoo! On the plus side, the research would've required that I leave the house, so I'm a little relieved. I may still work on it regardless, too.

i will buy ned and maria and rufus and cyrus all these in n out burgers.

:-D

Still haven't heard word yet, which is odd, as several close friends got great news a few hours ago. Regardless, I'm going, and hope to see Ned, Scott, and Maria again.

among others, of course

My proposal was accepted! Very excited about some of the research I have in mind (along with the upcoming hangz). And condolences to anyone who got turned down - if you're near the East Coast you should come regardless.

Um, West Coast, I mean...this is what happens when you post at 4 am. Are you still going to go and post panel roundups, Ned? They were really helpful last year.

Haha I was going to say, "East Coast?" Anyway, yes, definitely going as ever -- hell, it's a LOT less distance to travel for me this time!

i've never been to california. that's kinda why i wanted to come. and the kids have never been either. should be fun.

It'll be great -- how long are you planning on staying out for? Just the conference itself or longer? (And are the kids asking for Disneyland and/or anything similar?)

SHHHH...they don't know what to expect. we will have to plan stuff for them and maria to do. they obviously can't stay at the EMP thing the whole time. we're gonna see if maria's mom and brother can come down from oregon and seattle too. make a weekend of it.

my time in seattle that time was so perfectly perfect in every way that i kinda never wanted to try and duplicate it. but this way i don't have to! its a completely different place and will have a completely different vibe. i'm sort of weird that way...

Cool. There's plenty to do that'll keep 'em busy! Will drop a separate line later.

For anyone flying in, LAX, while a rat's nest in many forms, is pretty much where to go rather than any regional airport if only because it's a fairly short freeway hop along the 405 from LAX to UCLA, especially if you need to get out on Sunday in good time to be back home/at work on Monday. If you're staying with anyone in the Valley, though, definitely consider Burbank/Bob Hope as an option. That said, I know there's a lot of road work planned on the 405 north of UCLA so that could be a bugbear...get bent/Elvis/omar/Jeff/admrl/everyone else to thread.

I'm in.

just try not to hit me if you see me around.

wtfever

Haven't been around these parts in a little while! I'm in. Looking forward to the research and the writing, but looking forward more to the seeing you all there.

"wtfever"

my fave chillwave band!

Schedule is up!

http://www.empsfm.org/education/index.asp?categoryID=26&ccID=126

A slightly rejigged time format, starts midafternoon on Friday and runs through 6 pm Sunday.

This looks so, so good and I so, so can't go. For reasons having entirely to do with... money.

can't wait

Carl Wilson's looks predictably excellent.

This is the first one I'm missing since the second ever conference in 2004. I'm unemployed without benefits, also see Pete's reason.

Would love to see the pieces by Tim Quirk and Tom Kipp and Andy Zax alone, but this whole thing looks great.

i'm in this, which means i need to find some money somewhere. of course it's the first one not to be a $60 train ride from my city. still, v. excited.

So glad this is in my hometown now... looking forward to attending for the first time.

BTW Scott I passed on yer kind words to Ann and she was very touched and thanks you!

i got such a kick out of my brother's friend who is 21 and who came from hudson, new york by herself and stayed in a crummy hotel in beverly hills and who i'm pretty sure talked to everyone who was there this weekend. she's awesome. i had a fun time hanging with her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dADNBoN7idQ

she was afraid to use the shower. a shared shower? something like that. and she was kinda freaked out by beverly hills in general. but i think she had a good time!

the only thing that bummed me out the whole weekend was: i put the magazine that i had done with cyrus and rufus on the book table and when i went back to get coffee on the first day it was gone. so it was on the table for like an hour. i guess i should have put my name on it or "display copy only" on it or something. i really wanted to show it to the kids when the table was set up on saturday. that kinda bummed me out. we worked hard on that! i guess it wasn't music-related though...

and i didn't have another copy. i gave yetimike the other copy i had with me.

seeing a crowd of people run over to gawk at some new Banksy piece was kind of the perfectly ridiculous ending to this weekend

(it was great, will probably post more later)

a true meeting of the minds. ned and rufus!

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183628_10150147631770908_767115907_8100740_6467252_n.jpg

Yes! I was just looking for a way to link this photo! Thanks!

well this was fun.

Okay! Compilation/organization of my notes are up:

http://nedraggett.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/emp-pop-conference-2011-summary-and-full-notes-from-twitter/

Edits w/links etc. to happen later in the week, I hope.

Does Daddino post here anymore?

Yeah I left quickly because I felt embarrassed after asking a question and fumbling a little bit because I realize it was years I was in a setting like that.

― Okay Pet Shop Boys Aren't That Bad. (lilsoulbrother), Sunday, February 27, 2011 11:02 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Oh God, at the first panel I attended, I asked a question that I intended to come out all smart and insightful but instead was rambling and vacant. Then I did it again at the next panel. Never even raised my hand for the rest of the weekend.

it can be hard to be on the spot like that! all of a sudden 50+ people are staring at you and the room gets magically hotter.

Totes. Good to meet you, too, Scott, btw!

Then there's me and my egomania. Or something.

Sole-sides.com has their overview up:

http://soul-sides.com/2011/02/emp-2011-in-review/

And here's Tavia N.'s take:

http://hearisqueer.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/emp-2011-wrap-up-where-were-the-queers/

Here's xgau's summary.

http://www.najp.org/articles/2011/03/emp-report.html#more

moby to majors: drop dead

http://www.billboard.com/news/moby-major-labels-should-just-die-1005053902.story#/news/moby-major-labels-should-just-die-1005053902.story

Meantime, the audience some minutes before the keynote. Spot a critic!

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/188330_571649797876_81500275_32628026_5682171_n.jpg

Meantime, the audience some minutes before the keynote.

i'm somewhere toward the back!

And here's Andrew Beaujon's film that was his presentation:

http://vimeo.com/20573079

xp I'm loitering in the lobby!

the keynote with moby, etc is up on youtube.

Photos!

http://www.scott-photo.com/Events/2011-EMP-Pop-Music-Conference/15994340_ZZY79#1199797595_uMRuG

Plus, Stefan Shepherd's take:

http://www.zooglobble.com/archives/2011/03/emp_pop_conference_2011_a_brief_rev.html

Hahah okay NICE:

http://www.scott-photo.com/Events/2011-EMP-Pop-Music-Conference/15994340_ZZY79#1204434115_FYkk3-M-LB

And I like my appearance in this one:

http://www.scott-photo.com/Events/2011-EMP-Pop-Music-Conference/15994340_ZZY79#1204438373_Dv7od

In that it is a very representative shot of me at the conference -- sitting near the wall and a power outlet, madly taking notes.

Oh hey:
http://www.scott-photo.com/Events/2011-EMP-Pop-Music-Conference/15994340_ZZY79#1204433941_2Pkji-A-LB

(L-R): Mike Powell, me, Chris Molanphy, Matos

Yeah I should explain that photo I really liked -- it's Scott Seward (and a friend of his brother's), my friend Mike Scholz and myself listening to Mike McGonigal at that same reception.

shannekia! i think that's how you spell it. i'll have to get word to her that there is a picture on the internet of her and simon. she is a 21 year old simon fangirl.

Yeah I saw that photo too and thought it was damn cool!

my panel:

http://www.scott-photo.com/Events/2011-EMP-Pop-Music-Conference/15994340_ZZY79#1204450251_SSTjE-XL-LB

scott you totally spelled it right! it's was really great meeting all of you guys! did i really talk to all the writers? ned are short interaction was lovely and you will always be "nice ned" in my mind. I went to AMOEBA and almost pee'ed myself (they didnt have a bathroom).

Hi there! Much thanks for the compliments, too kind. And yeah, Amoeba's lack of bathroom = argh. (But there's a couple of nearby spots either direction on Sunset.)

I am about to disgust all of you.

So, Flavorwire has their take on the conference up.

And it includes...THE ROD STEWART PHOTO.

Those of us at Tom Kipp's presentation know.

And now...you do:

http://flavorwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/rod-stewart.jpg

http://www.scott-photo.com/Events/2011-EMP-Pop-Music-Conference/15994340_ZZY79#1204432508_Lpu8b-A-LB

i am in the middle background of this, holding a glass of wine, in the red shirt with the giant yellow "THERE'S PARAMORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM" letters (unreadable here). i don't know what i'm doing but it appears to be in the neighborhood of a harangue.

Looks like you're telling off Ian Mathers, you horrible man. (I could be wrong.)

"I said cheddar, not Stilton!"

And another review:

http://superbon.net/?p=1761

yeah, that's ian. alfred probably has the right of it.

Anyone know what the timeframe is before the panels show up on iTunes?

only ned would know the answer to that and i don't think he knows the answer to that.

And indeed, I don't.

Tim Quirk's presentation now posted.

Really liked his presentation, and the conversation with Ben Lee from the same panel.

forgot to come back to this thread to self-advertise! here's the written version of mine: http://nickyswhat.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/what-a-convenient-world-russian-music-in-the-era-of-big-money/

posted my paper on my blog. if you are curious(yellow):

http://skotrok.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-2011-emp-pop-conference-paper.html

was in the audience for that. laughed hard.

Turns out a slew of the presentations have gone live on iTunes *much* more quickly than I was anticipating:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/2011-emp-pop-conference-at/id431416241

(No Kiss panel, though? So sad.)

Finally got around to posting a print version of my 2011 paper:

http://backtotheworld.net/2011/06/02/enjoined-joy-gross-national-happiness-and-pop-music-in-bhutan/

100.

Does Daddino post here anymore?

No.

the fact that you're counting down each of your new posts makes me worry that something like the premise of that Eddie Murphy movie A Thousand Words is happening here