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First Summit on Music Literacy

St Catharine’s College, University of Cambridge

8–9 July 2024

Speakers
Programme
Registration
Travel and accommodation
Call for papers and participants
Organising Committee
Contact

The First Summit on Music Literacy aims to bring together the widest possible range of people involved in the teaching, performance and study of music today, and to have an open and robust debate about the future of music literacy in UK music education.

Registration for the summit is now open. See registration below for information on how to register. We would be delighted if you could join us.

We invite all those with an interest in music and music education to register, including:

  • performers of music in any genre and including both professionals and community musicians
  • composers, arrangers and producers
  • teachers of any age group or ability from pre-schoolers to conservatoire students
  • policymakers
  • music industry professionals
  • managers working in arts and education organisations of any kind
  • journalists and writers about music
  • music students
  • parents of children who are learning music
  • academics from any relevant discipline

For more information about the background, purpose and format of the summit, see the call for papers and participants below.

Speakers

We are delighted that the following speakers will give ‘provocations’ at the roundtable sessions:

  • Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason, author, music education advocate and mother of the Kanneh-Mason family
  • Ben Cooper, Research Manager, Fabian Society and author of A National Music Service (2022)
  • Peter Tregear OAM, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne

We are also delighted to confirm the following speakers:

  • Kate Andrews, Chief Examiner, ABRSM
  • Mark Armstrong, Chief Examiner, ABRSM; Jazz Professor, Royal College of Music; Head of Music, National Youth Jazz Orchestra
  • Rebecca Berkley, Associate Professor in Music Education, Institute of Education
  • Flora Dodd, Researcher, Arts and Creative Industries Policy Unit, Fabian Society
  • Dora Dong, doctoral student, University of Hong Kong
  • Stefan Eckert, Associate Professor of Music Theory, Eastern Illinois University
  • Julian Horton, Professor of Music Theory and Analysis, Durham University
  • Laura Krämer, Professor of Music Theory, Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover
  • Mich Mazzocco, music teacher
  • Nikki Moran, Senior Lecturer in Music, University of Edinburgh
  • Dimitar Ninov, Senior Lecturer in Music Theory, Texas State University
  • James Olsen, composer and Affiliated Lecturer, Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge
  • Marco Pace, doctoral student, King’s College London
  • Ian Pace, Professor of Music, Culture and Society, City, University of London
  • James Risdon, Access Lead, ABRSM
  • Oliver Rudland, composer and musicologist
  • Gary Spruce, Visiting Lecturer in Music Education, Birmingham City University
  • Mary Stakelum, Area Leader for Music Education, Royal College of Music
  • Kat Taxidou, music teacher
  • Chris Walters, National Organiser for Education, Health & Wellbeing, Musicians’ Union
  • Celia Waterhouse, British Kodály Academy
  • Eric Wen, Professor of Music, Curtis Institute of Music

On the first day of the summit, delegates will be welcomed by Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

Programme

The draft programme for the summit can be viewed here. Please note that it is subject to change.

Registration

Registration for the summit is now open. Please visit: https://webcollect.org.uk/sma/event/first-summit-on-music-literacy

The summit will take place on Monday 8 July and Tuesday 9 July at the McGrath Centre, St Catharine’s College, University of Cambridge. Registration includes lunch on each day, and morning and afternoon tea, coffee and refreshments.

On the evening of Monday 8 July, delegates are invited to a drinks reception and dinner at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Drinks will be served on Trinity Hall’s Latham Lawn and River Terrace (‘the prettiest corner of the world’, according to Henry James), after which a three-course dinner with wine will be served in the Dining Hall.

Delegates are warmly encouraged to register for the full summit with reception and dinner. As one of the central aims of the summit is to foster dialogue between a wide range of people involved in the music ‘ecosystem’ in the UK and beyond, we are keen for delegates to participate in the summit as fully as possible, including the time we have scheduled for networking and socialising. However, it is also possible to register for a single day, and to register without attending the reception and dinner.

Please note that, due to the size of the venues, the number of delegates at the summit is strictly limited. We therefore strongly advise registering as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Discounted rate for students and the unwaged

We are pleased to offer up to 25 places for students and the unwaged at a reduced rate of £50 (without reception and dinner) or £140 (with reception and dinner). The Society for Music Analysis is grateful to the University of Cambridge Faculty of Music for its generous support of the summit, which has made it possible for us to offer this reduced registration fee for students and the unwaged.

The following are eligible to apply for the discounted rate:

Students: full-time and part-time students currently studying at a higher education institution in the UK or abroad.

Unwaged: we realise that many people may struggle to afford the registration fee, and we use the term ‘unwaged’ broadly to include individuals who may be:

  • unemployed, including those who are not currently working due to caring responsibilities;
  • working in higher education without a salaried position on a zero-hour contract or similar; or
  • self-employed and expecting to earn less than £15,000 in the current tax year.

We would also expect those applying for the discounted rate not to have substantial savings or investments.

Each application for a discounted rate will be considered on its own merits, and will be granted at the discretion of the Organising Committee. We will consider applications on a rolling basis, and strongly advise applying as soon as possible.

If you wish to apply for the discounted rate, please email summit2024@sma.ac.uk with the following information, which will be treated in strict confidence:

Students:

  • a scanned copy of your current student identification
  • confirmation that you do not have substantial savings or investments

Unwaged:

  • a brief explanation of your current working situation
  • confirmation that you do not have substantial savings or investments

Successful applicants will then be able to register at the discounted rate.

Travel and accommodation

The summit will take place at the McGrath Centre, St Catharine’s College, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1RL. The McGrath Centre is located at the main site of St Catharine’s College on Trumpington Street in central Cambridge.

Information on how to travel to St Catharine’s College can be found here:
https://www.caths.cam.ac.uk/about-us/visiting-and-viewing-college

Reception and dinner

The summit reception and dinner will take place at Trinity Hall, Trinity Lane, Cambridge, CB2 1TJ. Trinity Hall is a 5-minute walk from St Catharine’s College.

Information on how to travel to Trinity Hall can be found here:
https://www.trinhall.cam.ac.uk/contact-or-visit-us/

Accommodation

There is no official accommodation provided for the summit, and delegates are asked to make their own accommodation arrangements.  There are, however, plenty of affordable hotels, B&Bs and other forms of accommodation in Cambridge.

You may wish to book a room in a Cambridge college. You can search for available rooms here:
https://www.universityrooms.com/en-GB/search/in/cambridge

Delegates may wish to consider the following hotels, although there are many others:

ibis Cambridge Central Station
Travel with the 1/3/PR4 Park and Ride bus to central Cambridge

Travelodge Cambridge Central
Travel with the 1/3/PR4 Park and Ride bus to central Cambridge

Travelodge Cambridge Newmarket Road
Travel with the 3/11/12/PR2 Park and Ride bus to central Cambridge

Premier Inn Cambridge East
Travel with the 3/11/12/PR2 Park and Ride bus to central Cambridge

Novotel Cambridge North
Travel with the 2/‘B the busway’ bus to central Cambridge

Premier Inn Cambridge (A14, J32)
Travel with the 8A/‘A the busway’ bus to central Cambridge

Travelodge Cambridge Orchard Park
Travel with the 8A/‘A the busway’ bus to central Cambridge

Call for papers and participants

The Society for Music Analysis is convening a two-day summit on music literacy at the University of Cambridge in July 2024. The summit has three goals:

  1. To create a forum for research on music literacy from a variety of disciplinary and methodological perspectives in order to develop the interdisciplinary field of ‘music literacy studies’.
  2. To foster dialogue on the value of music literacy between all those involved in the UK music ‘ecosystem’, including researchers, performers, teachers, policymakers, and senior managers of arts and education organisations.
  3. To enable that research and dialogue to shape UK music education policy at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

We wish to bring together the widest possible range of people involved in the teaching, performance and study of music today, and to have an open and robust debate about the future of music literacy in UK music education.

Background

The term ‘music literacy’ can be understood in many different ways. Construed narrowly, it may refer to the ability to read and write music notation, while in a broader sense it can include a range of musical competencies and practices. Paul Broomhead, for instance, has defined music literacy as ‘the ability to negotiate and create music texts in ways that music experts would recognize as correct, or viable, to create meaning’ (2021), while by analogy with non-musical literacy, music literacy could be understood to include the ability to make inferences and predictions about music, whether notated or not. Music literacies have taken numerous forms around the world, and new music literacies continue to develop today.

In the UK, literacy in Western tonal music (including, for example, the study of harmony and counterpoint) has become less central to school and university music education in recent decades as curricula have widened to include popular and non-Western music. More recently, some have claimed that Western tonal music is tainted by its historical associations with colonialism, and argued that social justice will be achieved through a radical overhaul of music curricula and a more thorough-going exclusion of Western tonal music. Some curricula have already been modified, without the consequences having been debated by the wider musical world.

Purpose of the summit

We believe it is now time to have a frank and rigorous debate about the history, purpose and value of music literacy, and of literacy in Western tonal music specifically, in school and university curricula. The summit asks: how can we better understand music literacies? What has their purpose and value been historically, and what are their purpose and value today? What is the relationship between music literacies and social justice? What is the purpose and value specifically of literacy in Western tonal music? What role should music literacies generally, and literacy in Western tonal music in particular, have in UK school and university curricula if we are to foster a thriving musical culture in the future?

Although the focus of this summit is on music literacy in the UK, we hope that future events will address music literacy at an international level.

We intend that the summit will lead to the creation of an informal ‘music literacy network’ which can be a forum for further research and policymaking.

Format of the summit

The summit will not follow the format of a conventional conference. There will be no parallel sessions in order to foster engagement and debate. Four sessions will be roundtables (see below), each comprising an 8-10 minute ‘provocation’ given by an invited speaker, followed by responses of 5-6 minutes by three individuals with contrasting perspectives and backgrounds in the world of music, and concluding with a substantial open discussion. The remaining sessions will provide opportunities for participants to present research and to make interventions in a variety of formats.

Proposals

We warmly welcome proposals on any aspect of music literacy, including but not limited to:

  • Music literacy and music pedagogies, from early years to tertiary education
  • Specific music literacies, for example tablatures, solfege, rap notation
  • Music literacy in the music industry
  • Music literacies around the globe
  • Ethnographic and empirical approaches to music literacy
  • The history of music literacy
  • Music literacy, music theory and analysis
  • Music literacy and technology
  • Music literacy and social justice
  • International perspectives on Western music literacy in music education
  • Western music literacy and decolonisation

We are glad to receive proposals from anyone whose research, work or practice intersects with music literacy in any way. This includes, but is not limited to: performers of music in any genre and including both professionals and community musicians; composers, arrangers and producers; teachers of any age group or ability from pre-schoolers to conservatoire students; policymakers; music industry professionals; managers working in arts and education organisations of any kind; journalists and writers about music; music students; parents of children who are learning music; and academics from any relevant discipline.

We invite proposals in a wide range of formats, including but not limited to:

  • Papers of 20 minutes from individuals or groups
  • Interventions of 5-10 minutes from individuals or groups
  • Poster presentations
  • Other non-conventional contributions

We also invite individuals to put themselves forward to participate in one of the roundtables on the following themes:

  1. International perspectives on Western tonal music literacy in education
  2. Music literacy, decolonisation and social justice
  3. Music literacy, research and education policy
  4. Music literacy and the music industry

If you are thinking about making a proposal, you are most welcome to contact Dr James Olsen, Chair of the Organising Committee, with any questions you have by emailing summit2024@sma.ac.uk.

Submission of proposals

Abstracts should be no longer than 250 words and should clearly state:

  • the format of the proposal (length, number of speakers etc.)
  • any audio-visual requirements

If you wish to put yourself forward to participate in one of the four roundtables, you do not need to provide an abstract. Please instead provide a statement no longer than 250 words setting out any particular aspects of music literacy which interest you, and how you might contribute to discussion.

Abstracts or statements should be accompanied by a CV for each participant, each no longer than 150 words.

Please submit proposals as Word-compatible files.

The summit will take place in person only, and that it will not be possible to present papers remotely. The language of the summit will be English.

Deadline for proposals

Proposals must be submitted by 15 March 2024. Selection results will be released by 19 April 2024.

Enquiries and proposals should be sent to the organisers at summit2024@sma.ac.uk.

Organising Committee

Dr James Olsen (Chair), University of Cambridge
Dr Oliver Chandler, University of Oxford
Dr Elisabeth Giselbrecht, King’s College London
Dr Sarah Moynihan, University of Manchester
Dr Jessica Pitt, Royal College of Music
Dr Christopher Tarrant, Newcastle University
Professor Eric Wen, Curtis Institute of Music
Dr Edward Wickham, University of Cambridge

Contact

If you have any questions about the summit, please contact the Organising Committee by emailing summit2024@sma.ac.uk.