STONY BROOK, NY — A symposium dedicated to the work of Long Island's own music man, Billy Joel, is in the works at the Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook.
The venue has invited fans, scholars, critics, musicians, and students to submit individual papers to its first “The Billy Joel Symposium,” which will be held on June 6 and 7.
The deadline for submissions is Jan. 15.
The event will be devoted to the music, lyrics, themes, and cultural impact of Joel.
Tom Needham, the venue's vice chairman and executive director of the symposium, said Joel’s "body of work functions as a mirror of contemporary America, reflecting social change, personal experience, and collective memory."
“We welcome research that considers his recordings, performances, and lyrics as vital cultural texts, ripe for rigorous analysis and critical engagement," he added.
The venue is welcoming submissions on topics including (but not limited to):
- Lyrics and Narratives: Storytelling, character studies, social commentary
- Music and Style: Harmonic language, piano-centered composition, genre fusion (e.g., rock, pop, jazz, classical)
- Place and Identity: Suburban Long Island and New York as cultural landscapes
- History and Memory: Nostalgia, generational commentary (e.g., “Allentown,” “We Didn’t Start the Fire”)
- Performance and Persona: Joel’s stage presence, Madison Square Garden residency, audience relationships
- Comparative Perspectives: Joel alongside Elton John, Dylan, Springsteen, McCartney
- Reception and Criticism: Popular acclaim vs. scholarly neglect, canonization in American song
- Cultural Impact: Joel in film, television, and cultural memory
- Biographical and Historical Contexts: intersections of Joel’s personal story with larger cultural and political shifts
Submissions should include an abstract between 250 and 300 words, a short biography of about 100 words with a name, affiliation, and contact information. The format should include a single PDF or word document with an abstract and bio together.
Final Presentations, including a Question and Answer session, will last 20 minutes and 10 minutes, respectively.
The symposium's committee will review all proposals, and accepted papers may be grouped by a theme into 90-minute panels. Presenters will be notified of their panel assignment when acceptances are sent. Selected papers may be considered for inclusion in an edited collection or digital proceedings published by the venue.
For more information, email info@limusichalloffame.org.
Source: https://patch.com/new-york/threevillage/work-long-islands-own-music-man-billy-joel-will-be-studied-symposium-stony
