CALL FOR PROPOSALS

The Center for Popular Music
at
Middle Tennessee State University
invites proposals for:

“FARTHER ALONG”
A Conference on the Southern Gospel Convention-Singing Tradition
4-5 April 2008
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Southern gospel convention singing is an amateur American musical tradition
comprising singing schools and periodic singings from octavo "new books" in
seven-shape notation, often with keyboard accompaniment. Historically led
primarily by publishers such as Ruebush-Kieffer, Anthony J. Showalter, James D.
Vaughan, Stamps-Baxter, Hartford, and others, this amateur tradition and the
publishing and educational industry that accompanies it have been the fertile
ground from which has come many well-known songs and from which has emerged the
world of professional southern gospel.

Despite its popularity among rural southerners and midwesterners, the southern
gospel convention-singing tradition remains little understood by the larger
scholarly community. This conference is intended to help address this
oversight.

We encourage proposals for papers and presentations on all aspects of the
convention-singing tradition and related activities. Topics may include, but
are not limited to, studies of:

• composers and lyricists
• publishers
• geographical distribution of convention singing
• community traditions
• singing schools
• pianists
• songs and songwriting
• performance styles
• crossover with bluegrass and country gospel
• relationship to professional southern gospel
• inter-cultural exchange
• mass media
• the business of gospel music

Proposals should include an abstract of 250-300 words and an indication of
audio-visual needs. Electronic submissions are strongly encouraged, but hardcopy
submissions will be accepted. SUBMISSION DEADLINE: October 1, 2007

Submit proposals to:
Kym Stricklin
Center for Popular Music
Box 41
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN 31732
e-mail: kstrick at mtsu.edu
fax: 615.898.5829