EMP Pop Conference 2012 (plus 2011 Conference Slight Return)

Last February I had the pleasure to attend and present at the 2011 EMP Pop Conference, which for the first time in its history ventured away from EMP's home base in Seattle and moved down the coast to Los Angeles.

Well, next March, March 22 through 25, 2012, to be exact, the Conference continues its road-trippin' by holding the 2012 EMP Pop Conference at NYU. Jointly sponsored in 2012 by The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU and the EMP Museum, this year's Pop Conference is also held jointly with the annual conference of the US branch of IASPM, the International Association for the Study of Popular Music.

This year's conference theme is "Sounds of the City," and while a related kids-music topic fitting it doesn't immediately leap to mind, I'm sure given a little time I could make it work. But even if kids music isn't represented, I wholeheartedly endorse the conference as worth your time from an attendance perspective. I think a lot of regular readers here are music geeks and therefore will really love the weekend. Registration is free for everyone. More details here.

And in case you're wondering what the presentations are all about, a nearly complete list of audio recordings from 2011 conference are available for a free download here (go back and read my summary for some of my favorites), with my presentation on They Might Be Giants, Dan Zanes, and other reasons for the rise of kids' music ("Pay Me My Money Down") #32 on the list alphabetically. Also features a brief but passionate defense of Raffi, so check it out.