Music Theory/Genre Theory

C. Joti Rockwell and Liz Pelly, keynote presenters

About the conference 

Recent years have witnessed renewed interest in questions of musical genre, ranging from thinkpieces on whether genre is irrelevant or stubbornly persistent in the 21st century, to critiques directed at the gatekeeping function that genre has historically served within the music industry. While recent research has fostered a deeper understanding of genre’s nature and sociohistoric functions, much of the discussion to date has paid less attention to how genre both mediates and is mediated by the sonic features of musical works, recordings, and performances. The Music Theory/Genre Theory conference seeks to address this gap. The time is ripe for music theory and analysis to be more fully integrated into discussions of genre, and for a reconsideration of genre’s importance for music theory and analysis.

By focusing on questions of genre, this conference hopes to prompt a reimagination of the discipline’s understanding of how different theoretical paradigms relate to different repertoires, as well as how music might or might not work for different audiences and contexts. Further, as a site where the sonic and structural elements of music are articulated in relation to its social, political, and economic dimensions, genre shows promise for opening up new vistas of music theory research.

For More information on speakers, schedule, and registration, visit the Conference Website