Dance Music Sex Romance: Pop and the Body Politic

April 16 - 19, 2009
Seattle, Washington

2009 Panels >>

2009 Bios/Abstracts >>

Hotel/Travel Information >>

With thanks to Prince for the title, this year's Pop Conference is ready to dance, sing a love song, and contemplate what it means for music to be embodied and for bodies to lose control. More than 125 presenters will speak over the course of four days. The theme has produced talks on such topics as ragtime and reggaetón, Serge Gainsbourg and Flashdance, groupies and divas and whether there is any sex to be found in indie rock. Please check out the full schedule, including presenters bios and paper abstracts.

We are also proud to announce two keynote appearances. Lovesong writer supreme Diane Warren is one of pop music's most influential but rarely interviewed figures, responsible for more than 80 Top 10 hits over the past quarter century, including "How Do I Live," "Un-Break My Heart," "If I Could Turn Back Time," and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." Nona Hendryx has been dance music sex romancing for almost fifty years, as a songwriter and singer in Labelle ("Lady Marmalade") and Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, a solo performer who bridged underground and pop, and a touring member of Talking Heads. A third artist session will feature singer Asha Puthli, who brought operatic and Indian classical music training to jazz collaborations with Ornette Coleman and cult 1970s solo albums later sampled by the likes of Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and the Neptunes. Registration
Conference attendance is free to the public, but space is limited and pre-registration is strongly recommended. A confirmation email will be sent upon completion with conference details. Please note: many of the presentations and lectures are adult-oriented and candid in nature - some material may not be suitable for all ages.

Register online >>

Or call 206.770.2745 and an Education staff member will follow up with a registration confirmation.
The Pop Conference at EMP|SFM, now in its eighth year, joins academics, critics, performers, and writers of all kinds in a rare common discussion. Our second collection, Listen Again: A Momentary History of Pop Music, was recently published by Duke University Press. The conference is sponsored by the American Music Partnership of Seattle (Experience Music Project, the University of Washington School of Music, and KEXP 90.3 FM), through a grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Main image: 2008 Keynote Panel featuring Shannon Dudley, El Vez, Martha Gonzalez, Raul Pacheco and Louie Perez. Photo by Chona Kasinger