MSA Gender and Sexuality Study Day

“Music Research and Cultural Theory: Bridging the Divide”

University of Newcastle, 25 September 2009
Convenors: John Phillips, Jodie Taylor

Preceding the 2009 MSA National Conference, 26–28 September

The Gender and Sexuality Study Day will be held on Friday 25 September, 9 am to 5 pm, in Room UNH416, 4th Floor, University House (also known as Nesca House), Auckland St, diagonally opposite from the Conservatorium. .

In line with the “Bridges – Transformational Journeys” theme of the conference, “Music Research and Cultural Theory: Bridging the Divide” will offer delegates the opportunity to engage with ideas and perspectives that are now commonplace in many areas of cultural studies and to better understand their application within music studies.

In the spirit of the conference, for which bridges may “provide paths to liberation or discovery”, we see this as an opportunity to build bridges between the praxis of cultural studies and that of music researchers, some of whom, thirty years after the emergence of “new musicology”, remain diffident or uncertain. Yet music, as Ruth Solie writes, has an “unquestioned ability … to structure and shape individual awareness, individual subjectivity and social and cultural formations”. What role do the concepts of post-structuralism, post-feminism, performativity, queer theory, so significant in the theorising of other humanities disciplines today, play in the discourse of musicology?

If the bridge metaphor also signifies our attempts “to reach others in the quest to build a more compassionate world”, we might also see this as an opportunity to better understand “voices at the margins” – be those margins racial, class, gender, sexual or other – and become more aware of the tendency within our own discipline to perpetuate (however unwittingly) hegemonic notions of what constitutes “music” and “music research”.

In the spirit of building interdisciplinary bridges, we have invited three speakers from different fields of cultural studies, including music, to speak about their understanding and use of cultural theory in their work. Dr Cary Bennett (University of Newcastle) will firstly explain the key concepts by way of an outline of the work of Judith Butler, whose writings have been so significant for our contemporary understanding of gender and sexuality. Dr Rebecca Beirne (University of Newcastle) will discuss her work on queer identities, and Dr Scott Harrison (Griffith university) his work on masculinities and the voice.

The morning will conclude with a panel discussion entitled “Thinking critically about gender and sexuality in music praxis and research” in which our three key speakers will be joined by Dr John Phillips (University of Adelaide), Dr Jodie Taylor and Dr Brydie-Leigh Bartleet (both Griffith University).

The afternoon session will be devoted to a practical workshop entitled “How do we use cultural theory in our own research?”. Participants are welcome to speak off the cuff or bring along a short piece of writing (say, 500 words) to share with the group about their experiences of music in relation to issues of gender/sexuality – whether in music appreciation, through scholarship or their own research and writing praxis. We will then discuss these points collectively.

All MSA members and conference delegates are warmly welcome to join us for this free special event. Expressions of interest in attending would be appreciated; please drop an email to the convenors, John Phillips, jphil@iprimus.com.au, or Jodie Taylor, jodie.taylor@griffith.edu.au.

Gender & Sexuality Study Day Programme