Billy Joel performs on stage sitting at his piano in 2024.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)Long Island native Billy Joel is, without a doubt, one of the best musicians and entertainers ever. While I can’t honestly say he may not be my number one favorite, he’s pretty darn close, and I’ve always been so impressed by all his unbelievable talents and accomplishments.
He’s got the whole musical package. There are good singers, great musicians, awesome songwriters and lyricists, but few have been born with all of them. His music, lyrics, singing ability, and mastery of his musical instrument are all amazingly impressive.
There’s a good chance you agree with me, and perhaps you’d like to write about it as I am right now. The Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) is asking us to do so. They want Billy Joel fans, scholars, critics, musicians, and students to submit individual papers to their first “The Billy Joel Symposium.”
LIMEHOF Inductee Billy Joel Symposium
The Billy Joel Symposium will be held the weekend of June 6th at the Hall of Fame in Stony Brook, New York. The deadline has been extended, however, it's just a couple of weeks away. We have until January 26th to submit, and it’s free to enter.
LIMEHOF Vice Chairman and Billy Joel Symposium Executive Director Tom Needham said, “Billy 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.”
LIMEHOF welcomes submissions on topics including (but not limited to) “lyrics and narratives, including storytelling, character studies, and social commentary.”
Another preferred topic includes “music and style, discussing harmonic language, piano-centered composition, and genre fusion.”
Others include place and identity, history and memory, performance and persona, comparative perspectives, reception and criticism, cultural impact, and more.
To get more information here.
