Call for Proposals – Oxford Handbook of Arrangement Studies Call for Submissions Publications

The Oxford Handbook of Arrangement Studies seeks proposals for the final round of contributions to a volume with several chapters published and in production. Arrangement Studies is a subfield within musicology that examines the reconfiguration of preexisting music not only as a practical craft, but also as a rich site of cultural, political, and aesthetic meaning. Building on work in critical theory, hermeneutics, media studies, historiography, and score analysis, this field invites us to rearrange the boundaries of composition, performance, and reception.

The volume unites a range of perspectives on arrangements, emphasizing how they engage with the narratives of music history, performance, identity, and mediatization. Additional contributions may address traditionally recognized forms such as transcriptions, orchestrations, or theme-and-variations, as well as arrangements emerging from popular music, film, television, games, and digital media. Proposals meeting one or more of the following approaches are particularly encouraged:

• Engage with race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and/or other axes of identity
• Address issues of authorship, reception, and/or cultural politics
• Consider the role of arrangement in mediating historical narratives
• Explore arrangement through new media, technology, and/or interdisciplinary approaches

Proposals should situate the chapter within relevant scholarly conversations, clarify the primary repertoire or case studies, and indicate how the work advances the methodological and philosophical aims of Arrangement Studies as outlined in the précis. Chapters should aim for accessibility to readers across music studies.

Proposal Submission Guidelines: In 400–600 words, please describe the chapter’s argument, scope, and significance. Identify one or more of the thematic areas in the volume’s structure (see précis) and highlight the chapter’s potential contribution to broader musicological and interdisciplinary conversations.

Timeline:

• Proposal Deadline: December 1, 2025
• Notification of Acceptance: January 15, 2026
• Full Chapter Deadline: July 15, 2026

Accepted final chapters will be 6,000–8,000 words in length (including notes and bibliography) and must conform to Oxford University Press style guidelines.

Please submit proposals and queries to rbanagale -at- coloradocollege.edu with the subject line: “Oxford Handbook of Arrangement Studies”