International Association for the Study of Popular Music

International Association for the Study of Popular Music
Name	International Association for the Study of Popular Music
Abbrev	IASPM
Formation	1981
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	Paris
Language	English, French
Leader title	President

International Association for the Study of Popular Music is an international learned society dedicated to the scholarly study of popular music, founded in 1981 to bring together researchers, educators, and practitioners from diverse regions. It functions as a forum for interdisciplinary exchange among scholars associated with institutions such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Columbia University, University of California, Los Angeles, and Sorbonne University. The association engages with cultural bodies including UNESCO, European Commission, British Library, Library of Congress, and National Library of Australia.

History

The association was formed following meetings among scholars from University of York, Goldsmiths, University of London, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, McGill University, and University of Toronto and drew early participation from figures connected to Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Madonna studies. Founding activities intersected with conferences at Royal Festival Hall, Camden Town, Sydney Opera House, Lincoln Center, and Paris Plage and involved collaborators from British Academy, Social Science Research Council, Humanities Research Center, Australian Research Council, and Canada Council for the Arts. Over subsequent decades the association expanded contacts with research centres at Max Planck Society, CNRS, Smithsonian Institution, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and National Endowment for the Humanities.

Organization and Governance

Governance is conducted through an elected council with officers drawn from universities such as King's College London, New York University, University of Melbourne, University of São Paulo, and University of Cape Town. The constitution and bylaws were influenced by comparative models used at International Council for Traditional Music, Society for Ethnomusicology, American Musicological Society, Royal Musical Association, and Association for Recorded Sound Collections. Committees liaise with funding bodies like Wellcome Trust, Arts and Humanities Research Council, European Research Council, National Endowment for Science, and Canada Foundation for Innovation to administer grants, fellowships, and ethics oversight.

Conferences and Events

IASPM convenes biennial and regional conferences hosted at venues including University of Chicago, University of British Columbia, University of Amsterdam, University of Cape Town, and University of Tokyo. Past keynote speakers have been affiliated with Berklee College of Music, Juilliard School, Royal College of Music, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, and Humboldt University of Berlin. The association coordinates panels that connect with festivals and events such as South by Southwest, Glastonbury Festival, SXSW, WOMAD Festival, and Montreux Jazz Festival, and organizes workshops in partnership with British Council, Asia-Europe Foundation, Latin American Studies Association, African Studies Association, and European Society for Literature, Science and the Arts.

Publications and Research

IASPM supports peer-reviewed journals, edited collections, and working papers produced in collaboration with publishers and presses including Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Routledge, Bloomsbury Academic, and Manchester University Press. Research topics span studies of Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Kraftwerk, K-pop, Reggaeton, Afrobeats, Hip hop, Punk rock, Disco, Electronica, R&B, Country music, Fado, Flamenco, Samba, Tango, Bossa Nova, Bollywood music, J-pop, C-pop, Highlife, Zouk, Ska, Grime, IDM, Noise music, Ambient music, and World music trajectories. Collaborative projects have been funded through grants from European Cultural Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and Rockefeller Foundation and have produced bibliographies, archives, and datasets housed at British Library Sounds, Library of Congress Packard Campus, UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive, National Film and Sound Archive, and Smithsonian Folkways.

Regional and National Chapters

Regional and national chapters operate across continents with active networks in Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania connecting institutions such as Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, University of Buenos Aires, University of Lagos, University of Nairobi, University of Ghana, Peking University, University of Hong Kong, National University of Singapore, and University of Auckland. Chapters collaborate with local cultural organizations including Teatro Colón, Sydney Theatre Company, National Centre for the Performing Arts (India), Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Royal Albert Hall to facilitate research exchanges, doctoral training, and public outreach.

Awards and Recognitions

The association confers prizes and recognitions that mirror practices at Mercury Prize, Grammy Awards, Pulitzer Prize, Nobel Prize in Literature, and Turner Prize in their public profile while remaining academic in scope; awards include best article, lifetime achievement, and early career researcher prizes judged by panels drawn from Royal Society, Academy of Social Sciences, British Academy, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Australian Academy of the Humanities. Recipients have included scholars associated with Indiana University Bloomington, Princeton University, Yale University, Harvard University, and University of Michigan and practitioners whose work is archived at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Country Music Hall of Fame, and National Recording Registry.

Category:Learned societies Category:Musicology organizations