Foundations of The Future

The Early Childhood Music & Movement Association (ECMMA) and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Early Childhood Music Special Research Interest Group (ECM SRIG) announce a call for presentations at the ECMMA 2023 Biennial International Convention at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville campus June 25–June 28, 2023.

CONVENTION THEME: “Foundations of the Future”

The 2023 convention theme celebrates the role of early childhood music and movement in providing foundations for both young children and the individuals who make music with them. The foundational areas may include:

• Increased connections - including global connections and interpersonal connections. Topics related to these connections can be related to (a) diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB), (b) social-emotional learning (SEL), (c) empathy, (d) connections within school settings, (e) connections within home settings;
• Child and adult development, including developmentally appropriate practice (DAP). This can include topics related to working with children with special needs and learning disorders as well as gifted children.
• The use of technology.
• Beginnings of lifewide music making.
• The pedagogical practices of tomorrow.

Session proposals should be related to any of the foundational areas discussed above. 

Important Dates and Deadlines 

• Deadline for proposal submissions: Wednesday, February 15, 2023, 11:59p EST
• Notification of acceptance: Friday, March 3, 2023, 11:59p EST 
• Deadline for presenter acceptance: Wednesday, March 20, 2023, 11:59p EST; Presenters must register for the convention by this date/time to be able to accept the offer to present at the convention.

Session Formats

Submissions related to early childhood music and movement and the convention theme will be accepted in the following formats: 

Option 1) Practical Workshop: Selected presenters will engage convention participants in an interactive workshop-style presentation focusing on techniques and strategies applicable to early childhood music and/or movement education contexts. Workshops may vary in length and session length will be provided upon session acceptance. Multimedia formats are encouraged.

Option 2) Practical Poster & Lightning Talk: Selected presenters will share information focusing on techniques and strategies applicable to early childhood music and/or movement education contexts. Presenters will prepare a poster (dimensions: 48” x 36”) to be hung and 1-minute lightning talk to be delivered prior to the poster session.

Option 3) Research Talk: Research of any type must be completed at the time of the submission to be considered for a research talk. Selected authors will share findings from an original research project and implications for policy and/or practice in regard to early childhood music and movement. Talks may vary in length and proposals may be selected for a research forum. Notification of session length and applicable grouping(s) that will align with the conference schedule will be provided upon session acceptance.

Option 4) Research-to-Practice Workshop: Research of any type must be completed at the time of the submission to be considered for a research-to-practice workshop. Selected presenters will share the results of research (their own or others’) and how they inform practical applications for early childhood music and movement settings. They will also engage convention participants in an interactive workshop-style presentation focusing on applying the researcher’s procedures and outcomes to early childhood music and/or movement education contexts. Workshops may vary in length and session length will be provided upon session acceptance. Multimedia formats are encouraged.

Option 5) Research Poster & Lightning Talk: Completed or in-progress research of any type will be considered for a research poster and lightning talk. Selected authors will share information related to their original research project and applicable implications regarding early childhood music and movement. Authors will prepare a poster (dimensions: 48” x 36”) to be hung and 1-minute lightning talk to be delivered prior to the poster session.

Submitting a Session Proposal

• Submissions not adhering to the guidelines will not be considered. Please carefully follow all submission guidelines when drafting your proposals.
• Proposals must be submitted online. Although you should be able to save your work and return to it at a later date, it is recommended that you gather the information indicated below prior to beginning a proposal.
• The link to submit proposals will be active from Tuesday, December 27, 2022 at 5:00pm EST to Wednesday, February 1, 2023 at 11:59p EST. The link is below.
• Prepare to submit the following information:
  • Author bio(s) (up to 300 characters, approx. 50 words) highlighting previous experiences related to early childhood music and movement. Up to five authors can be included on a single submission.
  • Foundational area that your proposal aligns with (e.g.,Increased connections; Child and adult development and/or DAP; The use of technology; Beginnings of lifewide music making; The pedagogical practices of tomorrow).
  • Intended audience(s)
  • Intended audiences’ previous experience with music and/or movement (i.e., novice, some experience, experienced)
  • How much of the information has been shared previously
  • Three learning outcomes (After attending this session, attendees will be able to...)
  • Up to five relevant references and/or resources.
  • Keywords (up to 5)
  • Title as it would appear in the convention program (up to 150 characters, approx. 15 words)
  • Abstract (up to 300 characters, approx. 50 words) as it would appear in the conference program  
  • Session format and type:
    1. Practical Workshop
    2. Practical Poster & Lightning Talk
    3. Research Talk
    4. Research-to-Practice Workshop
    5. Research Poster & Lightning Talk  
  • Detailed summary (up to 4500 characters, approx. 750 words) that addresses the items below based on the type of session:
    • Practical Workshops and Practical Poster & Lightning Talks
      • What is already known/believed about your topic and why your presentation is valuable (up to 1500 characters, approx. 250 words).
      • How your session relates to one of the conference foundational areas (up to 1500 characters, approx. 250 words).
      • A description of how you will engage your audience beyond Q&A (up to 1500 characters, approx. 250 words).
    • Research Talks and Research-to-Practice Workshops
    • Research must be completed at the time of the submission to be considered for a research talk or research-to-practice workshop.
    • Create a description that explicitly states the purpose of the research, theoretical framework, questions or problems of the study, participants, analysis, results, and implications for policy and/or practice. 
    • Research-to-Practice Workshop, also address:
      • What is already known/believed about your topic and why your presentation is valuable (up to 1500 characters, approx. 250 words).
      • How your session relates to one of the conference foundational areas (up to 1500 characters, approx. 250 words).
      • A description of how you will engage your audience beyond Q&A (up to 1500 characters, approx. 250 words).
    • Research Poster & Lightning Talk
      • Research that is in-progress or completed at the time of submission will be considered for a poster and lightning talk.
      • Create a description that explicitly states the purpose of the research, theoretical framework, questions or problems of the study, participants, and analysis. For completed research, also state results, and implications for policy and/or practice. 

Review Process

• Submitters will receive a receipt of confirmation within 48 hours of submission.
• For practical proposals (i.e., practical workshops, practical poster & lightning talks), contact Mike Ruybalid (VP Convention Programming, mruybalid@ecmma.org) with questions or concerns.
• For research proposals (i.e., research talks, research-to-practice workshops, research poster & lightning talk), contact Christina Svec (Chair, ECM SRIG, csvec@iastate.edu) with questions or concerns.
• Submissions will be distributed to proposal reviewers. Proposals will be reviewed without authors’ identifying information. 

International Journal of Music in Early Childhood (IJMEC)

After acceptance to present at the convention, presenters are invited to submit their work as a manuscript for possible publication in the International Journal of Music in Early Childhood (IJMEC). Identifying information about the author(s) will be removed from the manuscript prior to review and authors will be contacted regarding acceptance decisions throughout the review process.

Terms and Conditions

• Submitting a proposal indicates authors’ commitment to attend the convention and present on the date and time assigned by the convention organizers. 
• Early childhood music and movement professionals are strongly encouraged to be members of ECMMA. To join or renew your membership: https://ecmma.org/members/individual-members/
• All presenters must register to attend the convention by Wednesday, March 15, 2023 to confirm their acceptance and be included in the program.
• Presenters are responsible for their own convention registration, travel, room, and board.
• All rooms include a projector, screen, and sound system. AirPlay will also be available for both Mac computers and PCs. Authors presenting workshops and talks are responsible for supplying a laptop computer, as well as necessary cords and adapters. While AirPlay is available, authors should bring the necessary cables to hardwire their connection should the AirPlay functionality not work properly.
• Presentations of any type may not be an endorsement for a commercial or for-profit program.
• Presentations done in any format should include a printed handout. A digital version of the same handout may also be requested by convention organizers.
• Authors provide permission for ECMMA and NAfME’s ECM SRIG to share session content, information, and materials for accepted submissions (e.g., via professional website(s), convention program).
• Posters will be hung and poster & lightning talk presenters must stand next to their poster during the designated presentation time and must provide a digital slide/poster to the convention organizers to display. 
• Research talks may be selected for a roundtable, forum, or panel discussion.
• If selected for a forum, presenters must bring a digital version of the presentation on a flash drive. PowerPoint is recommended.

To submit a proposal, please click here: https://forms.gle/wUa13ggUfucvrxwKA.