About
music theorist
My research primarily deals with popular music, timbre, synthesizers, and recording techniques. My methodology is presented in my Music Theory Online article “The Cultural Significance of Timbre Analysis: A Case Study in 1980s Pop Music, Texture, and Narrative.” I proceed from a technical analysis of timbre via spectrograms and incorporate cultural and sociological research. I also dabble in music and media (particularly video game music). You can read more about my research on my Research page and throughout my blog.
professor
I am an Associate Professor of Music Theory at George Mason University, where I teach undergraduate core theory and graduate courses in advanced theory topics.
soprano
I am an active performer. I’m a soprano in the Schola Cantorum at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, DC. Prior, I was in the St. Gregory Choir in McLean, Virginia. In New York, I sang in the Renaissance Street Singers chorus, which performs in New York City every other Sunday (all concerts are free and open to the public), as well as in a quartet at the Church of the Holy Innocents in midtown New York City. I am also a pianist.
background
I hold a Ph.D. from the City University of New York, M.M. from The Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, and B.M. from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. I am originally from Cincinnati.