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Congress of the Swiss Sociological Association 2019The Future of WorkSeptember 10-12 2019, University of NeuchâtelLive music has long been neglected by music scholars (Frith, 2007); however it isnow subject to renewed interest. Recently, researchers have focused on theeconomics of live music (Holt, 2010; Guibert and Sagot-Duvauroux, 2013; Behr et al.,2016) and the work of musicians (Perrenoud, 2007; Bennett, 2017; Perrenoud andBataille, 2017). However, the "support personnel" (Becker, 2010) needed in order toproduce concerts is still not frequently studied. Little is known about the differentoccupations (technicians, bookers, programmers) and organizations (festivals, ticketretailers, public funders) required to produce concerts, but also to market live music,and to exploit it in other formats (e.g. live broadcasting, recording). In order toaddress this gap, this workshop proposes to explore three areas of investigation.Axis 1: From amateurs to professionalsThe question of professionalization is a central issue in the live business. While manyindividuals still continue to receive on-the-job training, the aim here is to examine theforms of learning specific to concert professions, but also their transformationsbrought about by the gradual implementation of training programs. In addition, a largeproportion of concert organizers work on a voluntary basis (from small associativestructures to larger events). Since the 1990s, for example, the Montreux JazzFestival has made extensive use of this workforce to ensure the running of the event.What are the forms of engagement of these volunteers? How do these forms ofemployment shape the functioning of concert organization and production structures?What are the boundaries between volunteers and professionals in terms of practicalknowledge?Axis 2: Working in the gig economyThe aim here is to reflect on the forms of employment specific to the live world, whichare characterized by short-term contracts and intermittency. While some researchhas been done on this issue from the perspective of artists and musicians (Menger,2002; Perrenoud and Bataille, 2017), we believe it necessary to extend this questionto all the occupations involved in producing concerts. For example, since the 1960s,the Montreux Jazz Festival has used audiovisual service providers to massivelyrecruit technicians on fixed-term contracts to record concerts during the festival.Moreover, while the gig economy model has long characterized music employment(Cloonan and Williamson, 2017), the influence of GAFAs (Hesmondhalgh and Meier,2018) or start-ups from the sharing economy, such as AirBnB or Sofar Sounds, haveput back to work the question of the integration of professionals into the live musicindustry. Moreover, if these new forms of live music market bring in new actors, don'tthey dispose with others?Axis 3: A shifting concert ecologyIf the concert is an ecology (Behr, et al., 2016), it is undergoing transformation. Thesuccessive introduction of different technical devices reworked both the forms of workorganization and professional skills. These innovations have given rise to newbusinesses and new distribution formats. We may think, for instance, of thewidespread use of live broadcasts, whether on the now indispensable screens thatsurround stages, or remotely in cinemas (as it is done in many cities by theMetropolitan Opera of New York). The aim here is to examine the transformations ofknowledge linked in particular to the digitization of working tools (Théberge, 2012),but also to place these transformations in the long history of the co-evolution of musicprofessions and technical devices (Kealy, 1979).This call relates to the activities of the Research Comity of Sociology of the Arts andCulture (CR-SAC) that celebrates its 10 years of foundation in 2019. It is linked to twofurther calls: “The Future of Work: Art and Artists?” and “Artistic work in anentrepreneurial context”.Abstract submission:To be sent at alexandre.camus@epfl.ch and loic.riom@mines-paristech.fr by 20April 2019 with title of the presentation and a summary stating the research question,the theoretical framework, the method, the fieldwork and the main results (maximum500 words, excluding references). Please specify full name, institutional affiliation andemail address.Organizers:Alexandre Camus (Metamedia Center, EPFL/CSI, Mines ParisTech) et Loïc Riom(CSI, Mines ParisTech)Contact: loic.riom@mines-paristech.fr References:Becker Howard S (2010), Les mondes de l’art, Paris: Flammarion.Behr Adam, Brennan Matt et Cloonan Martin (2016), Cultural value and culturalpolicy: some evidence from the world of live music, International Journal of CulturalPolicy, 22(3), pp. 403–418.Behr Adam, Brennan Matt, Cloonan Martin, Frith Simon et Webster Emma (2016),Live concert performance: An ecological approach, Rock Music Studies, 3(1), pp. 5–23.Bennett H. Stith (2017), On becoming a rock musician, New York: COlumbiaUniversity Press.Cloonan Martin et Williamson John (2017), Introduction, Popular Music and Society,40(5), pp. 493‐498.Frith Simon (2007), La musique live, ça compte..., Réseaux, 2, pp. 179–201.Guibert Gérôme et Sagot-Duvauroux Dominique (2013), Musiques actuelles: ça parten live, Paris : IRMA, Centre d’Information et de Ressources pour les MusiquesActuelles.Hesmondhalgh David et Meier Leslie M (2018), What the digitalisation of music tellsus about capitalism, culture and the power of the information technology sector,Information, Communication &#38; Society, 21(11), pp. 1–16.Holt Fabian (2010), The economy of live music in the digital age, European Journalof Cultural Studies, 13(2), pp. 243–261.Kealy Edward R (1979), From craft to art: The case of sound mixers and popularmusic, Sociology of Work and Occupations, 6(1), pp. 3–29.Menger Pierre-Michel (2002), Portrait de l’artiste en travailleur, Paris: Seuil.Perrenoud Marc (2007), Les musicos: Enquête sur des musiciens ordinaires, Paris:La Découverte.Perrenoud Marc et Bataille Pierre (2017), Être musicien· ne interprète en Suisseromande. Modalités du rapport au travail et à l’emploi, Swiss Journal of Sociology,43(2), pp. 309–333.Théberge Paul (2012), The end of the world as we know it: The changing role of thestudio in the age of the Internet, in Simon Frith et Simon Zagorski-Thomas (Éd.), Theart of record production: An introductory reader for a new academic field, Londres etNew York : Routledge, pp. 77–90. Concert Live Hang Up Dj Sound Live Music, https://www.maxpixel.net/Concert-Live-Hang-Up-Dj-Sound-Live-Music-2089814