Call for Papers: Journal of Music, Technology & Education

Special Issue: ‘DIY Music Making’

View the full call here>>

https://www.intellectbooks.com/journal-of-music-technology-and-education#call-for-papers

This Special Issue is dedicated to exploring the concept and phenomenon of DIY (do-it-yourself) and independent (indie) music making in relation to technology and education. Music technology has played an integral role in both historical and contemporary iterations of DIY and independent music making and is increasingly present in more institutional settings of music education. DAWs, in particular, are key components in modern approaches of music making, such as self-production, self-management, creativity, and other activities carried out by independent artists and bedroom producers. The focus of this issue concerns questions, perspectives, practices, ideas, and social contexts of DIY music making which may include, but are not limited to: 

• creation-centred and sociocultural experiences concerning autonomy, authenticity, independence (indie) and self-sufficiency

• intersections with other scholarly fields such as philosophy, sociology, psychology, musicology, anthropology, etc.

• educational settings and approaches such as informal or self-directed learning, formal music learning, community music, student-centred or project-based learning

• research methods, theoretical frameworks, worldviews and epistemological foundations of any kind

• It should also be noted that although DIY music making is sometimes carried out in solitude, it does not inherently happen alone, and can also be considered to encompass the idea of DIWO (do it-with-others). 

The following prompts are offered as further means of guiding potential submissions:

• What are the potential benefits, drawbacks, or logistical challenges of DIY practices in classroom settings? How does (or should) DIY music making differ inside and outside of formal education settings? How does the role or impact of technology change depending on the setting? 

• What skills, competencies, and outlooks are required to ‘teach’ DIY music making? What roles and functions can the teacher play in this kind of learning? What do/could these pedagogical approaches look like?

• What do/could the practices of DIY music making look and sound like in different cultural contexts? How is music technology harnessed in different cultural contexts that engage in DIY practices?

• What roles and functions can technology play in DIY music making? How are specific musical tools, technologies, or creative applications aligned or not with DIY music making? What does it mean to ‘do it yourself’ with (and/or without) music technology? 

• How does this differ from informal learning and other related concepts in the field of music education?

Please submit manuscripts of 6000–8000 words (double-spaced, Times New Roman, font size 12, including references) by 1 June 2025 for the attention of Guest Editor Lloyd McArton via the JMTE webpage: https://www.intellectbooks.com/journal-of-music-technology-and-education

Please refer to the Intellect Style Guide when preparing a submission: https://www.intellectbooks.com/journal-editors-and-contributors#style-guide

Less traditional format submissions are also welcomed for the Practices and Perspectives section of the journal.