Theory Dissertations and Alumni

Theory Dissertations and Alumni

CUNY Music Theory Dissertations and Alumni

The music theory dissertations authored by students and graduates in the CUNY Music Theory Program deal with a wide array of topics and areas. The following is a list of dissertations that current students are working on:

• Stephen Gomez, “Form in Hip-Hop: Techniques, Aesthetics, and Meanings.”
• Erin Johnston, “Symphonies that ‘Sing’: Reevaluating Voices and Vocality in Mahler’s Early Symphonic Works.”
• Christina Lee, “A Model for Hindemith Analysis: A Study of Hindemith’s Piano Sonatas.”
• Timothy Mastic, “Analyzing the Songs and Albums of Dave Matthews Band.”
• Nathan Pell, “Repetition and Division in Tonal Music.”
• Lina Tabak,  “‘I can’t feel it that way’: Theorizing Metric Complexity in Columbian Zapateo Genres. “
• Charles Weaver, “The Solesmes Theory of Plainchant Rhythm: Its Sources, Methods, and Influence”

The following is a list of the CUNY music theory dissertations completed since 1996, followed by the school where the graduate is teaching/has taught and/or their current employment:

• Drew Fleming, 2022. “Beat Construal, Tempo, Metric Dissonance, and Transgressing the Groove in Heavy Metal” (Manhattan College). 
• Kristi Hardman, 2022. “Experiencing Sonic Change: Acoustic Properties as Form- and Meter-Bearing Elements in Popular Music Vocals” (Colgate University).  
• Michèle Duguay, 2021. “Gendering the Virtual Space: Sonic Femininities and Masculinities in Contemporary Top 40 Music” (Indiana University).
• Simon Prosser, 2021. “A Schema-Theoretic Approach to Hierarchy in Eighteenth-Century Tonality” (Indiana University).
• Noel Torres-Rivera, 2021. “The Making of an Avant-gardist: A Study of Rafael Aponte-Ledée’s Early Life and Works (1957–1966)” (University of Missouri Kansas City).
• Ruka Shironishi, 2021. “Plainchant Accompaniment and Modal Harmony in Nineteenth-Century France” (Mannes College/ Juilliard).
• Xieyi Abby Zhang, 2019. “Tonicizations, Periods, and Period-Like Structures in the Music of Dvořák” (Georgia State University).
• Thomas Johnson, 2018. “Analyzing Genre in Post-Millennial Popular Music” (Skidmore).
• Ji-Yeon Lee, 2018. “Climax Structure in Late-Romantic Operas” (University of Houston).
• Alexander Martin, 2018. “Sunken II Chords and Inwardness: A Correspondence Complex in Robert Schumann’s LiederjahrSongs” (Stetson University)
• Aaron Harcus, 2017. “The Varieties of Tone Presence: On the Meanings of Musical Tone in Twentieth-Century Music” (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).
• Megan Lavengood, 2017. “A New Approach to the Analysis of Timbre” (George Mason University).
• Pedro Segarra, 2017. “Scholasticism and Formal Structure in Camille Saint-Saëns’s Fugues for Keyboard” (Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music).
• Ryan Kosseff-Jones, 2017. “Mahlerian Tonality: Challenges to Classical Foreground Structures in the Music of Gustav Mahler.”
• Loretta Terrigno, 2017. “The Protagonist’s Experience: Temporality, Narrative, and Harmonic Process in Brahms’s Solo Lieder” (Juilliard).
• Andrew Wilson, 2016. “Dual-Aspect Meter: A Theory of Metrical Consonance, Dissonance, Weight, and Variety.”
• Jason Hooper, 2016. “Heinrich Schenker’s Early Approach to Form, 1895-1921: Implications for his Late Work and its Reception” (University of Massachusetts Amherst).
• Ellen Bakulina, 2015. “The Problem of Tonal Disunity in Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All Night Vigil” (University of North Texas).
• Zachery Bernstein, 2015. “Reconsidering Organicism in Milton Babbitt’s Music and Thought” (Eastman).
• Drew Nobile, 2014. “A Structural Approach to the Analysis of Rock Music” (University of Oregon).
• Richard Porterfield, 2014. “Melodic Function and Modal Process in Gregorian Chant” (Saint Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church).
• Mario Mazzoli, 2014. “Emerging Musical Structures: A Method for the Transcription and Analysis of Electroacoustic Music” (Director, Gallerie Mazzoli). 
• Charity Lofthouse, 2014. “Rotational Form and Sonata-Type Hybridity in the First Movement of Shostakovich’s Fourth Symphony” (Hobart & Smith College).
• David Smey, 2014. “ Derivation of the Tonal Hierarchy from Basic Perceptual Processes” (Baruch College).
• Chris Segall, 2013. “Triadic Music in Twentieth-Century Russia” (Cincinnati College-Conservatory).
• Brian Moseley, 2013. “Twelve-Tone Cartography: Space, Chains, and Intimations of ‘Tonal’ Form in Anton Webern’s Twelve-Tone Music” (SUNY-Buffalo).
• Lisa Behrens, 2013. “Aaron Copland’s Twelve-Tone Music” (Hofstra)
• Edward Klorman, 2012. “Multiple Agency in Mozart’s Chamber Music” (McGill University).
• Rachel Lumsden, 2012. “Beyond Modernism’s Edge: Johanna Beyer’s String Quartet No. 2 (1936) and Vivian Fine’s The Race of Life (1937)” (Florida State University).
• Daniel Partridge, 2012. “Harmony, Form, and Voice Leading in the Mature Works of Antonin Dvorak “ (Senior Music Editor at Oregon Catholic Press).
• Andrew Pau , 2011. “An Analytical Study of Bizet’s Carmen: Melody, Text Setting, Harmony, and Form” (Oberlin College).
• Patricia Howland, 2010. “Formal Processes in Post-Tonal Music: A Study of Selected Works by Babbitt, Stockhausen, and Carter” (Rutgers University—ret.).
• Noriko Manabe, 2009. “Western Music in Japan: Children’s Songs, Hip-Hop, and Other Genres” (Princeton/Temple University).
• Inessa Bazayev, 2009. “Composing with Circles, Spirals, and Lines of Fifths: Harmony and Voice Leading in the Music of Nicolai Roslavets” (Louisiana State University).
• Thomas Robinson, 2009. “Pitch-Class Multisets” (University of Alabama).
• Ina Park, 2009. “A Transformational Approach to Inversional Relations.”
• Eve Poudrier, 2008. “A General Theory of Polymeter” (University of British Columbia).
• Nicolas Stoia, 2008. “The Musical Frameworks of Five Blues Schemes” (Duke University).
• Lawrence Shuster, 2008. “Transformational Harmony and Voice Leading” (Cornell University).
• Karen Mandelbaum, 2008. “The Late keyboard Rondos of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Issues of Genre, Form, and Voice Leading.” 
• Aleksandra Vojcic, 2008. “Rhythm as Form: Rhythmic Hierarchy in Postwar Music” (University of Michigan).
• Sigrun Heinzelmann, 2008. “Sonata Form in Ravel’s Pre-War Chamber Music” (Oberlin/Mozarteum University).
• Michael Berry, 2007. “An exploration of some non-tonal pitch-class spaces with implications for a theory of voice leading” (University of Washington).
• Kyle Adams, 2006. “A New Theory of Chromaticism from the Late Sixteenth to the Early Eighteenth Century” (Indiana University).
• Jamuna Samuel, 2005. “Dallapiccola’s The Prisoner” (University of Pennsylvania).
• Erez Rapoport (†), 2005. “Smoothing-Over of Formal Boundaries in Mendelssohn”(Rubin Academy, Tel-Aviv University)
• Catherine Losada, 2004. “Analysis of Collage” (Cincinnati College-Conservatory).
• Channan Willner, 2004. “Durational Pacing in Handel’s Instrumental Works” (New York Public Library).
• Jan Miyake, 2004. “Classical Form: Multiple Themes in Second Groups” (Oberlin College).
• Luann Dragone, 2003. “Music of Louise Talma” (Miss Luann’s Piano & Voice Coaching Studio).
• Marva Duerksen, 2003. “Organicism in 19^th-Century Music Theory” (Willamette College).
• Philip Stoecker, 2003. “Studies in Post-Tonal Symmetry” (Hofstra University).
• Peninah Kanovsky, 2003. “Metric hierarchy in music by Bartók, Copland and Stravinsky.”
• Steven Slottow, 2001. “Pitch Organization in the Music of Carl Ruggles” (University of North Texas).
• Robert Kosovsky, 2000. “Bernard Herrmann’s Radio Music for the Columbia Workshop” (New York Public Library).
• Matt Santa, 1999. “Studies in Post-Tonal Diatonicism: A Mod7 Perspective” (Texas Tech).
• Roy Nitzberg, 1999. “Voice-Leading in Expositions of Symphonies by Haydn” (Queens College).
• Frank Samarotto, 1999. “A Theory of Temporal Plasticity in Tonal Music” (Indiana University).
• Christopher Park, 1999. “Mozart’s Harmonization Exercises for Barbara Ployer” (Mannes).
• Mark Anson-Cartwright, 1998. “The Development Section in Haydn’s Late Instrumental Works” (Hofsta/CUNY)
• Sevin Yaraman, 1998. “The Waltz: A Musical Interpretation Through the Steps.” (Fordham University)
• Shaugn O’Donnell, 1997. “Transformational Voice Leading in Atonal Music” (CUNY).
• Lauren Longo, 1997. “Pietro Gianotti’s Le Guide du compositeur” (Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament).
• Ellie Hisama, 1996. “Gender, Politics, and Modernist Music” (Columbia University/University of Toronto).
• Steve Nuss, 1996. “Tradition and Innovation: The Music of Modern Japan” (Colby College).

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