ONGOING PROJECTS

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Master’s Thesis. McGill University Department: Schulich School of Music, Department of Research.

Advisor: Prof. Robert Hasegawa

Status: submitted for review

Abstract: to be published soon

Status: writing and presenting 

Abstract: to be published soon

Status: editing and presenting

Abstract: Korean contemporary popular music, or K-pop, is a well-established genre having reached (or nearing) the top of the Billboard Global charts with artists such as PSY ("Gangnam Style") and groups like BTS and BLACKPINK. To this date, K-pop remains an under-researched topic in the field of music theory; in response, this paper provides a non-exhaustive collection of common musical elements heard in recent K-pop hits. Topics that may appear theory-heavy will be discussed on tier levels to make them accessible to readers of different backgrounds, from fans to researchers. The main objective of this paper is to provide new, more diverse, material for the undergraduate-level popular music theory syllabus.

Status: writing

Abstract: There are numerous pedagogical approaches one can take to improve the delivery of the undergraduate post-tonal curriculum. However, these approaches may be rendered ineffective when a curriculum uses a minuscule sample of music styles (mostly comprising mid-1950s music) to exemplify post-tonal techniques. This paper argues that adding a variety of contemporary genres (e.g., pop, rock) which use the same, or slightly altered, post-tonal techniques will result in an increase in student engagement since contemporary commercial music (CCM) may be more relevant to them. For the purpose of this paper, two prog-rock tracks which use and transform common post-tonal techniques are analysed: "Cretaceous Chasm" by the American prog-metal supergroup Blotted Science, and "The Architect" by the British prog-rock band Haken.