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:

• 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.”
• Stephen Spencer, “A Multilevel Approach to the Analysis of Brightness in Post-Tonal Music”
• Lina Tabak,  “‘I can’t feel it that way’: Theorizing Metric Complexity in Columbian Zapateo Genres.”
• Alice Xue, “African Music’s Hidden Architectures: A Journey into Form and Structure”

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:

• Stephen Gomez, “Form in Hip-Hop: Techniques, Aesthetics, and Meanings.” (University of Alabama)
• Charles Weaver, “The Solesmes Theory of Plainchant Rhythm: Its Sources, Methods, and Influence” (Julliard)
• Drew Fleming, 2022. “Beat Construal, Tempo, Metric Dissonance, and Transgressing the Groove in Heavy Metal” (Schirmer Publishers)
• Kristi Hardman, 2022. “Experiencing Sonic Change: Acoustic Properties as Form- and Meter-Bearing Elements in Popular Music Vocals” (University of North Carolina-Charlotte).
• Michèle Duguay, 2021. “Gendering the Virtual Space: Sonic Femininities and Masculinities in Contemporary Top 40 Music” (Harvard University).
• Simon Prosser, 2021. “A Schema-Theoretic Approach to Hierarchy in Eighteenth-Century Tonality” (Mason Gross 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).
• 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 Liederjahr Songs” (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” (Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico)
• 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” (Eastman).
• 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” (McGill University).
• 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—ret.)
• 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” (Indiana 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.”  (William Paterson University).
• 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” (Queens College, CUNY)
• Sevin Yaraman, 1998. “The Waltz: A Musical Interpretation Through the Steps.” (Fordham University)
• Shaugn O’Donnell, 1997. “Transformational Voice Leading in Atonal Music” (CCNY).
• Lauren Longo, 1997. “Pietro Gianotti’s Le Guide du compositeur” (Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament).
• Ellie Hisama, 1996. “Gender, Politics, and Modernist Music” (University of Toronto).
• Steve Nuss, 1996. “Tradition and Innovation: The Music of Modern Japan” (Colby College).

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