Middle Atlantic Folklife Association

2007 Joint Conference of the
Middle Atlantic Folklife Association & Mid-Atlantic Chapter
of the Society for Ethnomusicology
College of William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia
March 30 - April 1, 2007

Folklorists and ethnomusicologists from the Middle Atlantic Region will join together March 30 – April 1 at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, for the first joint meeting of the Middle Atlantic Folklife Association (MAFA) and the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology MACSEM). “Engaged Scholarship and Performance: Cultural Research and Practice in the Mid Atlantic Region” is the theme for the meeting. We will explore public and applied practice in folklore and ethnomusicology as well as other disciplines and engage with the complex issues surrounding folklorists and ethnomusicologists who perform the traditions they study; what it means for us to act in multiple roles as scholar, presenter and advocate; and problems and opportunities of collaboration with communities presenting their own traditions.

The 2007 annual meeting will include a field visit to Colonial Williamsburg’s Revolutionary City Program and a discussion of its representation of the American Revolution and African American culture with Dr. Rex Ellis, a historian who is the Vice President of Colonial Williamsburg. A pre-conference workshop in audio recording led by Andy Kolovos will introduce the fundamentals of sound and audio recording, archiving, collections management and the latest recording equipment and microphones, and provide experience in using this equipment. Joint sessions with MACSEM include performances and readings by ethnomusicologists and folklorists, and discussion of issues relating to performance of the traditions which we study. Dr. Barbara Hampton will deliver the conference’s keynote address, “Translating Ga Voices: From Local Activists to Empowered Global Assemblage.” MAFA conference sessions will be informal and highly participatory. Folklorists and ethnomusicologists will be featured along with guests from other disciplines, including noted cultural tourism scholar Dr. Erve Chambers. All MAFA registrants are welcome to attend MACSEM organized sessions, which will deal with ethnomusicology and political activism, government and the arts, and cultural tourism.

Registration for the pre-conference audio workshop is limited to 20, so we urge you to register now. If you plan to attend the Friday, March 30th session at the Revolutionary City Program at Colonial Williamsburg, remember to check the pre-registration box for this program, and you will be placed on a list for complimentary admission to this specific area of Colonial Williamsburg.

MAFA Conference Planning Committee

Robert Baron (Chair), Betty Belanus, Doris Dyen, Darcy Fair, Divya Kumar, Elinor Levy, Douglas Manger, Ellen McHale, Iveta Pirgova, Rory Turner, Sally Van de Water, Margaret Yocom

Please download and complete the attached registration form and take a look at the full conference schedule and announcement for more information.