The 1-day public symposium as a format for acoustics dissemination

Abstract

The 1-day public seminar or symposium is a combined education and dissemination format that has been successfully applied by the Music Acoustics group at KTH in Stockholm, about once a year for the past 25 years. Such a seminar is typically structured as a full morning and afternoon of scheduled, invited lectures on a particular theme, followed by a public evening concert or other performance that corresponds to the theme. One or two international guests are keynote speakers, while the bulk of the program is contributed by leading Scandinavian researchers, teachers, and performers. The target style for the presentations is that of an introduction or overview for the interested and motivated but nonexpert academic. The topics are chosen for their expected public appeal, from ongoing or recent research activities in music acoustics and voice acoustics. Recent topics have included ‘‘Music and motion,’’ ‘‘Real-time biofeedback in voice therapy and pedagogy,’’ and ‘‘Randomness and noise in music.’’ Attendance usually ranges from 70 to 200. When possible the lectures are also published in book form, complete with sound examples. Aspects of content, public relations, and the financing of such symposia are discussed.