The Society for American Music invites proposals for papers, concerts, lecture-performances, full panels of 3 or 4 papers, and other useful events for its 30th annual conference in Cleveland, 10-14 March 2004. The postmark deadline is August 15, 2003.

This will be a joint meeting with the Association for Recorded Sound Collections.

Ideas for papers and sessions could be inspired by any of the following:

• the proximity of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• the sesquicentennial of John Philip Sousa's birth
• the question of theorizing American music studies
• the collaboration with ARSC members

Guidelines:
Individual or joint papers should be no longer than twenty minutes. Performances should be no longer than thirty minutes and may include a short lecture component. Presenters do not need to be members of the Society, but are required to register for the entire conference. Performances are not remunerated. The committee encourages proposals from persons who did not present at the 2003 meeting in Phoenix, but all proposals will be considered and judged primarily on merit.

How to submit a proposal:

1. Send six copies of your proposal, only one of which includes your name, address, phone, and email address. The other five copies should have no such identifying information. The proposal should be no longer than 350 words, and it should include mention of any audio-visual needs.
2. Proposals for performances without a lecture component should include six copies of a 100-word abstract and six copies of an audio CD. Again, only one of each should contain identifying information. CDs will not be returned.
3. For complete sessions or proposals involving unusual formats, the proposer should include six copies (five without identifying information) of an additional statement explaining the format and the rational for the session. Individual papers or performances in such sessions should follow the guidelines for individual submission, but all should be submitted together.
4. The committee will normally acknowledge receipt of submissions and communicate its decisions by email. If you would prefer to have the committee communicate with you by post, please include two stamped, self-addressed envelopes with your submission.
5. Successful submitters will be expected to provide a 100-word abstract via email by December 10 for publication in the conference program.

All materials must be postmarked on or before August 15, 2003, and should be sent to the address below.

More information about the Society for American Music may be found on our website below.

The Society was founded in 1975 and was first named in honor of Oscar G.T. Sonneck, early Chief of the Music Division in the Library of Congress and pioneer scholar of American music. The Society for American Music is a non-profit scholarly and educational organization incorporated in the District of Columbia as a 501 (c) (3) and is a constituent member of the American Council of Learned Societies.

Liane Curtis, Public Relations Chair for the Society for American Music Lcurtis@brandeis.edu