This year’s Pop Conference examines how pop’s contraptions have reflected, inflected and mediated musical history, exploring the conference theme of The Pop Machine: Music and Technology. Details are being finalized, so be sure to check back for information on Pop Conference registration, presenter bios and paper abstracts as well as a full Pop Conference schedule.

 

The Pop Conference at EMP|SFM, now in its ninth year, joins academics, critics, performers, and dedicated fans in a rare common discussion. The conference is sponsored by the American Music Partnership of Seattle (Experience Music Project, the University of Washington and the Simpson Center for the Humanities, and KEXP 90.3 FM), through a grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. This year’s program committee members are: writer and filmmaker Raquel Cepeda, Jasen Emmons (EMP|SFM), musician Sean Nelson, Tavia Nyong’o (New York University), Lauren Onkey (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum), Ann Powers (Los Angeles Times), Jody Rosen (Slate), Barry Shank (Ohio State University), Tyina Steptoe (University of Washington) and Tim Taylor (University of California, Los Angeles).