SCSM Conference: Belmont University March 13–15, 2025
CALL FOR PAPERS
Society for Christian Scholarship in Music
Annual Meeting
March 13–15, 2025
Belmont University, Nashville, TN
The Society for Christian Scholarship in Music seeks proposals for its upcoming annual meeting, which will take place March 13–15, 2025, at Belmont University in Nashville, TN.
Individual papers, research posters, panels, and lecture recitals on any topic related to music and the study of Christianity are welcome. We invite submissions representing a variety of approaches and perspectives, including ethnomusicology, historical musicology, theory and analysis, philosophy, theology, liturgy, congregational music, as well as other methodologies.
Belmont University: We want to invite special topic papers, panels, poster boards, or lecture-recitals on Choral Singing, whether on the concert stage or within congregations.
Guidelines for proposals:
Note: All submissions should have a clear title.
• Individual Paper Proposals should clearly describe the argument, evidence, and research findings, situate the work in relation to previous scholarship, and articulate how the research contributes to Christian scholarship in music. The identity of the author should not be divulged in the body of the proposal. Maximum length: 350 words. Only one individual proposal may be submitted. Individual papers are 25 minutes.
• Research Poster Proposals should follow the same format as Individual Paper Proposals above. The program will include a designated time for research poster presentations, with 5 minutes of introductory remarks from each presenter. Please clearly indicate if you would like your proposal to be considered: (1) as a paper, (2) as a research poster, or (3) either paper or research poster.
• Panel Proposals should include a summary of the importance of the panel topic by the panel organizer (maximum length 350 words). The organizer should also include a proposal for each paper prepared by individual panelists following the guidelines for Individual Proposals, along with each panelist’s contact information. Panel Proposals will be considered only as a whole, the session’s coherence being an essential part of the evaluation process. A panel is 1 hour and 45 minutes, including time for questions.
• Lecture-Recital Proposals should identify the music to be performed, including approximate timings and performing forces, and clearly describe the substance of the lecture component as outlined for Individual Proposals. Please include a 5-to-10-minute recording of your performance. Please note clearly at the top that this is a Lecture-Recital proposal. Maximum length: 350 words, plus list of repertoire. Lecture recitals are 40 minutes + 10 minutes of Q&A.
The Society for Christian Scholarship in Music promotes the exploration of connections between Christian faith and the academic study of music. We are a cross-disciplinary society including ethnomusicologists, music theorists, musicologists, scholars of liturgy and of church music, theologians, and practicing church musicians. The Society understands itself as having an ecumenical Christian identity, reflecting the worldwide diversity of Christian traditions. The Society also sees it as vitally important to learn from scholars outside those traditions, and scholars who do not identify as Christian are welcome to join as full members.
STUDENTS: SCSM encourages submissions from current graduate students. A $250 prize will be awarded for the best paper presented by a graduate student at the meeting. Papers offered for consideration should be submitted by February 15, 2025. Application instructions for the graduate student prize will be provided upon acceptance of the paper for the program and will be posted on the society’s website. In addition, graduate students whose proposals are accepted are eligible to apply for travel assistance from the SCSM Graduate Student Travel Fund.
Please send submissions or questions to program chair Chelle Stearns at scsm.news+Belmont25@gmail.com. In the body of your submission e-mail, please identify your affiliation, preferred e-mail for communication, and if you are a student. Please submit your proposal as a Word file.
Note: We are planning on an in-person meeting, with the possibility of online presentations. When submitting a proposal, please indicate whether you intend to present in person or via online. Regardless, all conference participants need to be available during the days of the conference for synchronous sessions.
Proposals must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. on November 1, 2024, in order to be considered. All proposals are evaluated by the program committee in a blind peer review process. Applicants will be notified of the program committee’s decision in late November.
Conference presenters are required to become members of the society for the year of the conference. Conference registration is open to all interested persons: undergraduate and graduate students, as well as independent and affiliated scholars.
For more information about SCSM and about previous conferences, see www.scsmusic.org.
