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The Popular Music Study Group of the American Musicological Society and the Center for Popular Music Studies at Case Western Reserve University, in collaboration with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Library & Archives
2026 Junior Scholar Symposium
Case Western Reserve University
June 16–18, 2026
Application Deadline: February 16, 2026
The Popular Music Study Group of the American Musicological Society and the Center for Popular Music Studies at Case Western Reserve University, in collaboration with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Library & Archives, will host their 7th biennial developmental symposium June 16–18, 2026. We welcome applications from recent PhD graduates and ABD candidates, as well as from tenure-track, non-tenure-track, and part-time faculty. Applicants can come from any disciplinary background.
Aimed towards scholars of popular music interested in or working in academic positions, the Junior Scholar Symposium consists of writing workshops, professional development workshops, and group discussions. A substantial part of the program includes workshopping a journal article or book chapter with senior scholars and other symposium participants. This year, the program will include a visit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Library & Archives.
Our senior scholars this year include Norma Coates, Daniel Goldmark, Nadine Hubbs, Loren Kajikawa, Maureen Mahon, and S. Alexander Reed.
The symposium will take place on campus at Case Western Reserve University, and the Center for Popular Music Studies provides free on-campus dormitory housing for Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Participants will be expected to cover their own meals and travel to the conference. A registration fee of $75 covers fees related to the symposium, but there are a limited number of scholarships for those for whom this cost is prohibitive.
To be considered for this symposium, applicants should submit the following to Victor Szabo (vszabo@hsc.edu), Chair of AMS-PMSG, no later than February 16, 2026: 1) a current CV; 2) a brief letter explaining how this symposium might benefit you; and 3) a 10-15-page preliminary excerpt of an unpublished article or book. Attendees will have the opportunity to provide a more complete and revised version of their excerpts for the symposium itself.
