Aspen Music Festival's Deep Focus Enriching the Aspen Experience: Publishing Academic Research During COVID-19
- Alethea Kilgore
- Apr 27
- 2 min read
Updated: May 1
Introduction
Most university libraries during the pandemic would have had a similar sign to the one shown in the photo above, which states, "Library Staff Only." However, it is also true that academics from every field of study and nation would have experienced the phenomenon of the critical significance of the heightened advancement of educational technology in the 21st century, whereby even during a horrific pandemic, such as COVID-19, access to education and our ability to share knowledge was still achievable.
Publishing Academic Research During COVID-19
March 2020 is a month that will be embedded into the minds of those working in academia for many years to come. Before this time, it was unthinkable to faculty, students, and staff that within just a few weeks, we would be unable to efficiently utilize university libraries, travel, and physically go to a classroom to teach, learn, and share knowledge. However, amid this difficult time in recent history, we knew something that we might have once thought impossible: how the heightened advancement of educational technology in the 21st century could sustain academic engagement across the globe during a pandemic. While online universities had existed since the mid-1980s, it was nearly inconceivable before March 2020 that most secondary and post-secondary education institutions across the globe would be operating online for almost a year, and in some cases longer. This phenomenon was possible because of significant advancements in online learning management systems, such as Canvas and Blackboard, online libraries and archives, and other crucial online teaching tools, such as online textbooks and educational videos published on YouTube.
Another critical concern among academics during the COVID-19 pandemic was finding publication opportunities. Many businesses, including private and public institutions of learning, were concerned about decreased revenue and how to maintain operating costs. This was especially significant in higher education since many colleges and universities experienced reduced student enrollment, directly impacting institutional revenue. Likewise, publishing companies were concerned about endorsing new authors and publishing new research due to increased financial risks. However, like higher education institutions, publishing companies began relying more heavily on technological advancements, whereby e-commerce became their primary source of revenue during the pandemic. During COVID-19, publishing companies were not the only corporations that participated in publishing new and valuable research in an online forum. Therefore, contrary to the initial concerns of faculty, students, and researchers, many people in academia found themselves with increased opportunities to publish during the pandemic. In fact, by the end of the pandemic, e-commerce increased by over 50 percent and remains one of the primary publishing methods in 2025.
In August of 2022, the world-renowned music organization, Aspen Music Festival and School, requested me to publish an article based on my research on American composer Margaret Allison Bonds (1913-1972). This article was a part of their ongoing online publication in music research called Deep Focus Enriching the Aspen Experience. The article I wrote, entitled "Illuminations of the Art Songs of Margaret Allison Bonds (1913-1972)," focuses on Margaret Bonds's song cycle Songs of the Seasons, which includes the poetry of the famous Harlem Renaissance writer, Langston Hughes (1901-1967). To read the full article, click the link below. Thanks for reading!
Dr Alethea Kilgore