Listening to music: people, practices and experiences

The conference is held as part of the Listening Experience Database (LED) Project www.open.ac.uk/Arts/LED

The keynote speaker will be Professor Simon Frith.

How have people responded to listening to music in their everyday lives?

We have access to plenty of professional critical opinion, but what new insights are offered by an examination of the observations and feelings of ordinary listeners – what can we learn about the effects of music, its cultural value and the manner of its consumption in a range of social, historical and geographical contexts?

The LED (Listening Experience Database) Project focuses on the building and interrogation of a large database of personal listening experiences, with the aim of establishing a more robust evidential base for the exploration of such questions.

As we come to the end of the first phase of the project, the conference is an opportunity to take stock of progress to date, to look ahead to future developments, and – crucially – to examine some of the themes and approaches to the study of music that may be supported by the mass of evidence of listening experiences that the database is accumulating.

Please click here for the detailed programme.

To register, go to: http://www.rcm.ac.uk/events/seasonhighlights/listeningtomusic/. The early-bird registration fees are as follows:

The early-bird day rate is £30 (£24 concessions for students, unwaged, retired), to include tea/coffee and lunch.
The early-bird weekend rate is £55 (£40 concessions for students, unwaged, retired), to include tea/coffee and lunch.

After 2 October 2015, the registration fees will be increased to:

£35 full day rate, £28 reduced
£65 full weekend fee, £50 reduced

In order to claim a concession ticket, you will need to phone the RCM Box Office. The number is: +44 (0)20 7591 4314 (weekdays 10am – 4pm).

Please email arts-listening-experience@open.ac.uk to advise us of any special dietary requirements.

The deadline for registrations is 4pm on Friday 16 October 2015.

For directions to the Royal College of Music, go to http://www.rcm.ac.uk/events/visitorinformation/location/

Please feel free to address any queries to the conference organisers, Dr Helen Barlow and Simon Brown, at arts-listening-experience@open.ac.uk