Music Theory

Cultivating a love for Orthodox liturgical music in children doesn't have to be a challenge. By pairing the vibrant tradition of hymnography with the visual world of iconography, diocese-led workshops invite young participants to discover the deep meaning behind the hymns they sing. Through scavenger hunts for festal icons, echo singing of troparia, and building musical literacy with hands-on foam notes, children ages five to fifteen engage with the life of the Church in a fun, memorable way. Th

Popular music studies have drawn scholars from across the social sciences, but what truly sets symbolic interactionism apart is not just its ethnographic chops or its sharp descriptions. It is the distinctive way interactionists build concepts—grounded in pragmatism—to capture how people co-create meaning in musical settings, from punk scenes to vinyl DJ culture. This special issue applies those frameworks to genres ranging from angry young women rockers to adult punk fans, reframing music itsel

Music weaves through Dante’s Divine Comedy in ways that transform not just the poem’s sound, but its meaning. From Casella’s sweet song in Purgatorio to the Platonic harmony of the spheres in Paradiso, trained musicologists now bring fresh eyes—and ears—to Dante’s text. Were melodies sung aloud? Did Dante adopt pagan theories of cosmic harmony? These three interconnected essays argue that reading the Comedy through the lens of music and grammar unveils the poet’s ethical and aesthetic journey fr

When musicians in Vanuatu sing reggae, when rappers in Finland craft rhymes against backdrop of American hip hop, and when Russian pop artists weave English into post-Soviet lyrics, language choices are never accidental. This collection investigates how language ideologies operate within global music styles, showing how genres from reggae to country music create socialities that transcend ethnic and national categories. By moving beyond the "methodological nationalism" of traditional linguistics

A landmark retrospective on the journal that professionalised music theory and analysis across the UK. Revisit the golden years of Schenker debates, the impact of Derrick Puffett on Tippett, Naomi Cumming on Bach’s Erbarme Dich, and the ever-tightening weave of formalism, critical musicology, and performance studies that made the field what it is today.

The late 1950s and 1960s were a rare moment when popular music became a battlefield for the soul of American society. From the freedom songs carried through the Highlander Folk School to the avant-garde jazz of John Coltrane and the contradictions of Bob Dylan and Frank Zappa, musicians were entangled in movements for civil rights, Black Power, and countercultural upheaval. This study acts as a roadmap through those tensions, asking how music could at once strive for political commitment and aes

For centuries, music has been central to how Germans see themselves, yet scholars often struggle to integrate sound into cultural studies. This article maps the rich landscape of German music scholarship — from the romantic paradigm and Wagner’s shadow to performance history, Adorno’s critiques, and new interdisciplinary methods. Learn how music, text, and culture intertwine without hierarchy.

For decades, ethnomusicologists studied music making within minority communities with a firm assumption: minorities exist only in relation to a majority. But what happens when that relational model doesn't fit? This collection of symposium essays argues for bold revisions to how the International Council for Traditional Music defines "minority", pushing beyond the European nation-state framework to include Indigenous groups, gender and sexual minorities, displaced persons, and other communities

A parent’s lullaby carries a world of meaning — but what happens when that private song joins UNESCO’s official list of Intangible Cultural Heritage? Since 2008, over 300 musical traditions have been designated for protection, yet each one also gains commercial momentum. We trace how flamenco, reggae, fado, tango, and Vallenato move from oral transmission into streaming charts, hotel experiences, and international festivals — and why heritage and industry belong together.

Far more than jigs and reels, the music of Newfoundland and Labrador spans Indigenous cultural revitalization, classical opera legacies, and vibrant diaspora scenes in mainland Canada. The first music-dedicated volume of Newfoundland and Labrador Studies traces this extraordinary diversity through methods ranging from song analysis and performance ethnography to media studies and community documentation.