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Department News
Welcome to the web site for the Department of Music Theory. Please browse through our pages for information about Music Theory at the Peabody.
THE 2007-2008 SCHOOL YEAR
For the 2007-2008 school year, the Department of Music Theory expects to teach approximately 280 undergraduate students in 18 sections of undergraduate Music Theory, 14 sections of Keyboard studies, and 12 Sections of Ear-training. We will also teach approximately 300 students in 23 Music Theory seminars.
WELCOME ADJUNCT FACULTY
The Department of Music Theory welcomes back its distinguished faculty member, Thomas Benjamin. Dr. Benjamin, an active composer, is also the author of several articles and books on music theory and musicianship pedagogy. During 2007-08 he will teach seminars in Tonal Chromaticism and Renaissance Counterpoint.
In addition, Judah Adashi will teach Instrumentation in the Spring of 2008.
We would also like to welcome three new faculty to the ranks of our adjuncts. Michael Boyd, Amy Kirsten and Sarah Kuzmak will teach Theory I during the 2007-08 academic year.
On the Homewood campus, John Crouch will teach Rudiments and Music Theory and Musicianship, Level 1; Travis Hardaway will teach Rudiments and Music Theory and Musicianship, Levels 1 and 3; and David Smooke will teach Music Theory and Musicianship, Levels 2 and 3.
Finally, we welcome four of our Masters of Music Theory Pedagogy students who are teaching Music Fundamentals. Charles Halka, Adam Knauss and Lark Powers will teach Music Theory Fundamentals classes under the supervision of Mark Janello, and Doug Buchanan will teach Ear Training Fundamentals under the supervision of Clinton Adams.
DEPARTMENT MEETINGS
The faculty of the Music Theory Department will meet on the following dates in 2007-08. All meetings are on the first Thursday of the month (except for the first meeting, which is on the second Thursday in September.) All meetings will be held from 12:00-1:30 p.m. in the conference room on the fifth floor of the Elderhostel building.
FALL SEMESTER
September 13
October 4
November 1
December 6
SPRING SEMESTER
February 7
March 6
April 3
May 1
Students who wish to have petitions considered should submit them in writing to the Chair, Dr. Kip Wile, one week in advance of scheduled meetings.
FACULTY NEWS
Paul Mathews' book, Orchestration: An Anthology of Writings, was published by Routledge in October 2006. Paul is also co-writing a second book with Phyllis Bryn-Julson entitled Inside Pierrot Lunaire, which is being published by Scarecrow Press and will likely be released in early 2008. Finally, Paul is serving as Local Arrangements Chair for this year's national meeting of the Society for Music Theory, which will take place in Baltimore on November 15-18, 2007.
Congratulations to Courtney Orlando, who is marrying former faculty member Ken Osowski in October! (Ken is now teaching at York College of Pennsylvania.) Courtney's New York-based contemporary chamber music group, Alarm Will Sound, will be recording its first CD with Nonesuch. It's a concept CD featuring music that is rhythmically complex in one way or another. Pieces include those by Ligeti, Josquin, Birtwistle, and Nancarrow, among others. The CD release concert will take place at Carnegie Hall in February of 2008. In addition, Courtney's Peabody-based group, CAGE, will present concerts on November 10 and February 16 this year. Programs will include music of Franghiz Ali-Zadeh and Thomas Ades. Finally, Courtney is excited to be offering advanced ear training at Peabody for the first time. The first semester will focus on 20th and 21st century techniques, while the second semester will explore improvisation in different tonal forms and styles.
