Call for Contributions – International Journal of Music Mediation (IJMM)

Musikvermittlung ist eine kulturelle Praxis, die darauf abzielt, vielfältige Beziehungen zwischen Menschen und Musik herzustellen. Zu diesem Zweck entwickeln Musikvermittler:innen eine breite Palette von Präsentations- und Partizipationsformaten. Obwohl es sich bei der Musikvermittlung um ein relativ neues Fachgebiet handelt, wurden bereits beträchtliche Forschungsergebnisse erzielt. Die meisten dieser Forschungsergebnisse sind jedoch in erster Linie in nationalen Kontexten durchgeführt worden. Nach jüngsten Bemühungen, die Forschung zur Musikvermittlung zu internationalisieren, zielt die Gründung des International Journal of Music Mediation (IJMM) darauf ab, auf diese ersten Ansätze einer internationalen Ausrichtung aufzubauen und diese Entwicklung weiter voranzutreiben. Ziel der ersten Ausgabe ist es, ein gemeinsames Verständnis von Musikvermittlung zu entwickeln. Dafür können unter dem Titel „DOING MUSIC MEDIATION – International perspectives on a multi-faceted practice“ Beiträgen eingereicht werden, die sich mit den zentralen Merkmalen der Musikvermittlung befassen.

Music mediation is a cultural practice that aims to establish diverse relationships between people and musics. To this end, practitioners in the field of music mediation – e.g. music mediators, music educators, community musicians, instrumentalists, singers/vocalists, composers, curators, concert designers, participatory and/or teaching artists – produce a wide variety of presentational and participatory formats that include novel concert formats (such as moderated or staged concerts, curated music performances and installations, relaxed and inclusive performances, immersive digital or hybrid concerts), concert-related activities (such as introduction talks, podcasts, creative workshops, and school projects), community building and socially engaged projects (including performing in hospitals, hospices, detention centres, and refugee centres, and collaborating with community orchestras/choirs/operas/creative ensembles), and various media formats (such as program notes, radio broadcasts, apps, games, podcasts, and other digital or hybrid formats).

Despite being a relatively new practice, music mediation has already garnered substantial research attention. However, most scholarly findings have primarily circulated within national contexts. Recent efforts to internationalize research on music mediation include the publication of the anthology “Tuning Up! The Innovative Potential of Musikvermittlung” (Chaker/Petri-Preis 2022) and the organization of two conferences: “Rencontres Internationales sur les Médiations de la Musique” (Université de Montréal, 2022) and “Turning Social! On the Social Transformative Potential of Music Mediation” (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, 2023).

The establishment of the International Journal of Music Mediation (IJMM) aims to build upon these initial steps towards internationalization and to further advance this trajectory.The aim of the first issue is to develop a common understanding of music education. The “call for contribution” invites submissions, that explore the central characteristics of doing music mediation.


Guiding questions can encompass but are not limited to:

  1. Definitions:
  • What does doing music mediation mean in a variety of national and cultural contexts? What similarities and differences can be observed relating to how doing music mediation is perceived?
  1. Theoretical Foundations:
  • What theoretical and philosophical assumptions underlie the practice of music mediation?
  • How do these conceptual foundations shape and impact the realization of music mediation practices?
  1. Comparative Perspectives:
  • In what ways does music mediation intersect with other practices such as community music, creative, collaborative and socially engaged music making, music education, concert design, or audience development?
  • What commonalities and distinctions exist between music mediation and these related fields?
  1. Historical Development:
  • How has the practice of music mediation and comparative practices evolved in different countries?
  • What role did/do national cultural policies and public discourses play in shaping the trajectory of music mediation, particularly in terms of cultural participation?
  • Which history(ies) of music mediation are told and passed on locally?
  1. Specific Practices and Competencies:
  • What are the distinctive practices employed in various music mediation formats?
  • What competencies are essential for practitioners engaging in these diverse music mediation practices?
  1. Practitioners and Framework Conditions:
  • Who engages in music mediation, and how do the framework conditions, including organizational structures, policies, and public discourses, influence their work?
  1. Personal Goals and Beliefs:
  • What individual goals and beliefs underpin the actions of practitioners in the field of music mediation?
  • How do these personal goals and beliefs inform and guide their approach to music mediation?

The exploration of these questions will not only enhance our understanding of music mediation on an international level but will also establish the groundwork for additional topics in the International Journal of Music Mediation (IJMM).

Contributions from theoretical, empirical and artistic research as well as reflections on practice and portraits or interviews with music educators can be submitted. If you are interested in writing a book review or a conference report, please contact the IJMM team with your proposals.

Deadline for contributions: May 31, 2024

Texts can be submitted by utilizing the upload feature on the IJMM website, scheduled to be launched in February.

Download Styleguide
Download Author Guidelines

For further inquiries please send an email to the editorial team:


About the Journal

The International Journal of Music Mediation (IJMM) is an interdisciplinary, English-language, double-blind peer-reviewed open access journal dealing with music mediation as a hybrid discipline in all its facets. It is edited by Axel Petri-Preis (mdw), Irina Kirchberg (Université de Montréal; Artenso) and Irena Müller-Brozovic (Anton Bruckner University) and published by mdwpress.

The core of the journal consists of scholarly articles that reflect the most current state of the academic discourse. In addition, the journal is open to practice reflections, interviews by and with practitioners from the field, portraits and conference reports in order to facilitate an exchange between research and practice. Book reviews promote awareness and critical engagement with relevant, current literature on the topic.

IJMM encourages a diversity of approaches and methods, and invites contributions from empirical, theoretical and artistic research.

The journal addresses the scholarly community as well as the field ofpractice (music mediators, musicians, cultural organizations, policy makers) and also serves as a useful resource for students.

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Link

International Journal of Music Mediation (mdw Press)