The Department of Music and Sound at Staffordshire University will once again be hosting NoiseFloor in May 2022.

Key Dates

• NoiseFloor – Thurs 12th and Fri 13th May 2022
• Deadline for abstract submissions: Friday 4^th February 2022
• Notification of acceptance: from Monday 7^th March 2022
• Deadline for registration: Friday 15th April 2022

Submissions portal: http://staffordshire.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3VQPuhKuQYf06eG

Our theme for 2022 is Tradition.

Tradition, in a quotation often attributed to Gustav Mahler, is “not the handing down of ashes, but the preservation of fire”. John Cage, by contrast, famously talked of creating music “free of individual taste and memory…of the literature and “traditions” of the art”. Thus, any notion of tradition in contemporary music can be paradoxical: we are searching for new and innovative ways of expression, but we do so within a context of established histories, cultures, and performance practices. Are our traditions guiding us towards the future or trapping us in the past? Also, to what extent do we need to examine our own histories in the light of current debates on decolonization and widening participation? Are we preserving fire or handing down ashes? Or are we simply trapped by our own individual tastes and memories?

Compositions, performances, and other works addressing this and related themes are encouraged; as are proposals for presentations, lecture recitals, panel discussions, workshops, and other contributions. As always, proposals for other relevant topics are also welcome.

Submissions should fall into one of the following categories:

• 20-minute paper presentations (with 5 minutes for questions)
• 35-minute lecture recitals (with 5-minutes for questions)
• Fixed acousmatic works (up to 8 channel)
• Acoustic instruments (with or without electronics)
• Music and interactive systems (2 channel audio with video)
• Audiovisual music (Fixed media 2 channel audio with video)
• Workshops
• Panel discussions

Please note that we are unable to provide performers or instruments. Contributors will be expected to make their own arrangements.

For NoiseFloor 2022, we are planning to hold the event in person on our campus in Stoke-on-Trent. However, this decision will be reviewed periodically, and we may move to a hybrid or online only approach nearer the date if it is no longer possible or responsible to host a face-to-face event. Any changes will be announced on our website.

Registration: The fees are £60 for presenters and for attendees, £35 for students. Concessions will be available for students of Staffordshire University. There is no submission fee. Contributors are expected to attend the event.