KEXP
When it comes to music, people usually get together to listen to it, dance to it, or play it. Not chat about it. Yet every April since 2003, folks from around the globe have been gathering at the Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum to talk about music. The event is called the Pop Conference. This year’s conference starts today, Thursday, April 15, and runs through Sunday, April 18, at EMP|SFM and the theme is “Music and Technology.” On Friday alone, attendees can learn more about jazz and the blues, not to mention the EMP’s upcoming exhibit on Nirvana. Or conference go-ers can check out sessions on retro technologies, recording studios, and music and science. On Saturday and Sunday, there are conversations on electronic dance music, digital technologies, women in music, hip hop, world music and plenty more. The event kicks off Thursday with an opening reception and roundtable with Nile Rodgers, Joe Henry and Janelle Monáe. Online registration is now closed but day-of registration is still open. Click the above link for a full schedule and registration information.

EMP|SFM
The ninth annual Pop Conference (April 15-18) revolves around stories of sounds and the machines that make them. From the player piano to Autotune software (both topics here), pop’s contraptions have constantly reshaped musical history. Look for sessions on cellphones, recording studios, the black voice remixed, and fandango jarocho, presentations on everything from vinyl/cassette fetishism and post-punk reverb to Public Enemy’s Bomb Squad and Andy Warhol’s tape recorder. Queen’s Freddie Mercury will be deconstructed by an all-star cast of critics and academics; an equally notable cohort of veterans will dissect whether the music scene was as jolted by technology in the 2000s as it appeared. Note: this conference is not aimed at gearheads. These sessions will allow you to hear the voices that wrap flesh around the wiring. Conference attendance is free to the public, but space is limited and pre-registration is recommended. For more details about the conference or to register, follow the above link.