Sound Expertise

Sumanth Gopinath, an associate professor of music theory at the University of Minnesota, dives deep into the complex racial politics surrounding Steve Reich's music. He discusses the controversy of Reich's past remarks and how it intersects with his works, like 'Come Out,' that engage with civil rights issues. Gopinath also critiques the influence of African music in Reich's compositions, questioning cultural appropriation. The conversation extends to the broader implications of music in tackling social justice and the nuances of privilege and cancel culture.

What if feminist music history isn't just about elevating composers like Amy Beach and Clara Wieck Schumann, but also about understanding how everyday women made music? What is elocution, and how did a now-obscure genre of musical readings represent a cornerstone of American women performing in the nineteenth century? A conversation with Marian Wilson Kimber, professor of music at the University of Iowa.Show notes and more over at soundexpertise.orgQuestions? Thoughts? Share them with Will on Twitter @seatedovation

What happens when classical music takes seriously the work of Black avant-garde composers? What would a creolized musical world look like? And what is the relationship between scholarship and composing? A conversation with George E. Lewis, Edwin H. Case Professor of American Music at Columbia University.Show notes and more over at soundexpertise.orgQuestions? Thoughts? Share them with Will on Twitter @seatedovation

What does it mean to bring music of the distant past back to life? What happens when scholars focus not just on reconstructing the notes and words of Renaissance song but also on trying to recapture the lived experience of singing it? A conversation with Jesse Rodin, Associate Professor of music at Stanford.Show notes and more over at soundexpertise.orgHave a question or comment about the show? Tweet at us at @seatedovation

What can operetta tell us about everyday life in fin-de-siècle Vienna? Why has our understanding of Vienna been limited to high-art composers like Mahler and Schoenberg, and how might studying operetta change our perspective on the Austro-Hungarian Empire amidst the tumult of the early twentieth century? A conversation with Micaela K. Baranello, Assistant Professor of musicology at the University of Arkansas.Show notes and more over at soundexpertise.org

How should we understand the legacy of Richard Wagner, the most controversial composer in history? Why did Wagner's music and ideas once assume such a colossal influence on culture, and what does it mean that the multiplicity of that influence has been largely forgotten in light of his anti-Semitism? A conversation with Alex Ross, music critic for The New Yorker and author of the forthcoming book Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music.Show notes and more at soundexpertise.org 

What makes some songs, from Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" to Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It," sound so distinctively "1980s"? What is timbre, why does it matter, and how do music theorists study it? And did Michael Jackson write the music for Sonic the Hedgehog 3?! A conversation with Megan Lavengood, Assistant Professor and Director of Music Theory at George Mason University, about timbre and the Yamaha DX7 synthesizer.Show notes and more over at soundexpertise.org

Loren Kajikawa, an Associate Professor of Music at George Washington University, dives into the racial dynamics of music education. He questions the exclusive focus on classical music and its impact on representation within academia. Kajikawa advocates for a more inclusive curriculum that embraces genres like hip-hop. He also explores innovative transcription methods for hip-hop music and examines the relationship between sound and racial identity, highlighting how beats shape perceptions in the genre.

What if harmony isn't just about sounding good, but also about living together in a fractious time? How did sacred music in early modern Prague shape how people of different faiths existed alongside each other? A conversation with Erika Supria Honisch, Assistant Professor of History/Theory at Stony Brook University.Show notes and more over at soundexpertise.org

Trailer for a new podcast of weekly conversations with musicologists, ethnomusicologists, music theorists, and music critics, hosted by Will Robin and produced by D. Edward Davis. Episode 1 goes live on Tuesday, July 21.