Our spring issue "Syncopation" marks our second year in publication and kicks off the first of four issues this year to contemplate the interplay between sound, visual stimuli, the written word, and lived experience. In 2024, we turn our lens to these multiform layers that dynamically shape our perception and expression alike.

For Issue 5 "Syncopation" specifically, we invite contributors to explore the multitudes of this musical form and how it reflects back into our lives. On a literal level, syncopation layers one or more disparate rhythm schemes into the same musical piece or segment. A syncopated rhythm can disrupt, accentuate, and/or obscure the initial theme, bringing with it any combination of surprise, whimsy, color, clarity, confusion, stark and/or complex emotion. What story do these layers tell? Where do we see and feel syncopation, within and beyond music? How do we experience syncopation in everyday life, society, socially? How do we express this visually?

These are just a few initial prompts; we look forward to reading and viewing your own takes on this issue's theme!

Note: Please keep an eye out for our inaugural Musical Ekphrastic Challenge in the coming weeks, which will also directly tie into this theme.

Submit up to 6 pieces; can be uploaded as separate files (.jpg, .png)
All artwork must be original.
Please include: 1) Image title, 2) Date, 3) Medium, 4) Dimensions
- Artists retain all rights
- We encourage simultaneous submissions (please notify us if your work is accepted elsewhere)
- We consider previously published material; please label it as such
- We particularly welcome submissions from traditionally marginalized voices, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and the neurodivergent
- We do not currently pay our contributors; we hope to in the future