As we prepare for our annual business meeting in Bloomington in November, I invite your participation in two new efforts that grow out of our survey results from earlier this year. Based on your responses, we are going to change up the business meeting structure and open the possibility of a SAMR-organized publication series.

Tune swap

First, we are excited to return to a business meeting that includes a workshop or something similar. For this year, we will use that time to do a “tune swap.” If you have a piece of Arab music that you have used with an ensemble, as a pedagogical tool, or otherwise would like to share with the group, you can send me the music, translation, recording, or any other relevant material before the meeting and I will make and bring copies to share. (My email is chris.witulski@gmail.com.)

Since the conference is within driving distance for Beau Bothwell (our chair-elect) and I, we will plan on bringing as many instruments as we can fit into our cars. This way, we can play these tunes without everyone having to worry about TSA security checks. It would be helpful for me to have your materials by the end of October so that I have time to prepare and copy them for the group.

Publication efforts

The other project is an effort to organize publication efforts on topics related to Arab music. I am reaching out to academic publishers (and will hopefully have updates at the meeting) about their interest in a potential edited volume or journal special issue. We will have a specific call for papers shortly, but it is worth noting that while SAMR can help make these kinds of things happen, SAMR leadership does not have to have the role of editor. If you would like to propose a theme for a volume or issue (which direction we go likely depends on the number and type of submissions we receive), or would like to serve as an editor or co-editor, please let me know in the next week or so. Otherwise, we will develop a call around a broad theme that is open to scholarship from within and outside of the membership.

As an organization, we would like to help these editors and authors as potential peer reviewers or in other similar roles. By no means would anyone be required to participate, but it will provide an opportunity for our group to further work related to our field.

Nominations

Last year, we made the choice to elect a chair-elect for a two year term following each meeting. The chair-elect would serve for a year before taking on the chair role in the second year of service. The election will happen online with the deadline coming after our meeting so as to allow for those who cannot be in Bloomington to participate. As the incoming chair, Beau will organize this and details will follow. You can email me if you have any questions about the position or would like to nominate yourself. The nomination deadline follow the meeting in November, most likely November 18th.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with any thoughts or ideas and send along a song or two for us to learn at the meeting! I look forward to seeing many of you then.

Chris