Joint release: CQU and Australian Institute of Country Music Aussie country music has been deemed worthy of academic study and leading researchers will muster in Gympie (August 23-25) for the nation's first conference on the genre.

The academics will dissect Kasey Chambers' vocal twangs, slides and sobs, and Graeme Connors career will be under the microscope. Colin Buchanan's success in bringing Christian country to inner city youths will be examined.

The conference will hear the paradox of how modern country music, with its focus on location and country, has helped indigenous people revive their sense of heritage and community identity.

Conference goers will hear how country music is borrowing from orchestral composition techniques and why all country performers need management skills. The use of 'place' by performers such as Tex Morton, Chad Morgan, Slim Dusty, Dougie Young and Geoff Mack is also on the agenda. The conference, an initiative of the Gympie-based Australian Institute of Country Music, is sponsored by Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music (part of Central Queensland University) and will be held in conjunction with the nearby National Country Music Muster. Graeme Connors is expected to be present to respond to the paper on his career in word and song.

The keynote address will be presented by Professor James Atkenson from the College of Education at the Tennessee Technical University USA.

ENDS For interview call Geoff Walden from the Australian Institute of Country Music Phone 07 5482 8644 Mobile 0418 792 159 . To contact individual speakers call Marc Barnbaum on 07 4923 2558 or m.barnbaum@cqu.edu.au.