[AUDITORY] Conference on Microrhythm and Groove

[Werner Goebl <goebl@xxxxxxxxx>]

*Rhythm under the Microscope: An Interdisciplinary Conference on 
Microrhythm and Groove in Popular Music*

25–27 September 2024, mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts 
Vienna, Institute of Popular Music

Organized by Ralf von Appen in Collaboration with David S. Carter 
(Loyola Marymount University)

Keynotes: *Anne Danielsen* (RITMO, University of Oslo) and *Justin 
London* (Carleton College)

*Call for Paper Presentations and Workshops*

Since Charles Keil (1987) argued that very small variations in timing, 
which he called “participatory discrepancies,” were crucial for a 
sensation of groove, microrhythm has been the subject of much 
scholarship in a variety of disciplines. Researchers have struggled to 
find convincing empirical evidence for the aesthetic effects proposed by 
Keil. Today, however, numerous studies show that timbre, center 
frequency, dynamic envelope, and duration influence the perception of 
rhythmic “feel” at least as much as timing. Recently, Danielsen et al. 
(2024, 180) suggested distinguishing between microtiming and 
microrhythm, using the latter as a broader term that encompasses not 
just timing but also these additional aspects.

The range of disciplines, methods, and objects of investigation has 
reached an impressive breadth: neuroscientists, psychologists and music 
theorists investigate a wide variety of folk music, jazz, rock, hip-hop, 
and electronic dance music using interviews, motion capture devices, and 
onset detection algorithms, among other tools. While many such studies 
have been conducted in controlled laboratory settings, analyzing 
commercial recordings remains a challenge, particularly in the cases of 
songs recorded without a click track.


Microrhythmic phenomena are also currently attracting a lot of attention 
on popular platforms such as YouTube, in part due to the wave of 
interest in the microrhythmic manipulations of pioneer J Dilla and the 
many producers and drummers inspired by his music. At the same time, 
user-friendly software is making it easy for the next generation of 
music producers to achieve similar effects.

This conference seeks to bring together musicians and scholars from 
various disciplines to connect their different perspectives and further 
the current state of microrhythm and groove research. Paper 
presentations should be 25 minutes long, with an additional 10 minutes 
allotted for questions and answers. We also encourage scholars to submit 
ideas for 90-minute workshops in which a group of participants would 
have the opportunity to learn about current research methods or new 
software and implement them.Artistic research is also highly welcome.

Applicants can submit a maximum of one presentation proposal and one 
workshop proposal.

Topics of proposed papers and workshops might include but are not 
limited to:

●New methods for measuring microrhythmic phenomena, including the use of 
AI tools

●Microrhythm and bodily movement

●Perception of microrhythm and its neurological basis

●The effect of timbre, pitch, duration, etc. on the perception of groove

●Manipulation of microrhythm in digital music creation

●Relationships between the timing of multiple instruments in a band, 
played live or manipulated in the studio

●Expressive timing in rap vocals

●Teaching microrhythm in music education

●Microrhythm in specific folk musics

●Identifying microrhythmic “fingerprints” of famous recording artists

*Submission*

Please submit your abstract by *May 27*, 2024 to rhythm-ipop@xxxxxxxxx 
<mailto:rhythm-ipop@xxxxxxxxx>. Abstracts should be between 400-700 
words (references not included in the word count).

Authors will be notified of acceptance by June 14, 2024.

For further information, please contact rhythm-ipop@xxxxxxxxx 
<mailto:rhythm-ipop@xxxxxxxxx>. Details about registration will be 
forthcoming.

Conference website: https://www.ipop.at/rhythm/ 
<https://www.ipop.at/rhythm/>


__________________________________________
*
*
*Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ralf von Appen*

Leiter desInstituts für Popularmusik

mdw - Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien
Anton-von-Webern-Platz 1, F 107
A-1030 Wien

Tel.: +43-1-71155-3810
von-appen@xxxxxxxxx
www.ipop.at
www.mdw.ac.at