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It is way too early in the morning for this, but apparently a scandal is brewing in music theory on race and diversity so I'm going to do my best to recap it for #academictwitter and #twitterstorians.
Consider it the musical equivalent of this convo: https://twitter.com/BazziNYU/status/1286740934466719744
Consider it the musical equivalent of this convo: https://twitter.com/BazziNYU/status/1286740934466719744
Music theorist Phil Ewell gave a plenary presentation at the Society for Music Theory (SMT) conference in 2019 called "Music Theory's White Racial Frame." https://vimeo.com/372726003
In the presentation, Ewell examined how, in spite of the field's efforts to diversify, music theory scholarship was still mostly white and the composers they taught were mostly white.
https://mtosmt.org/issues/mto.20.26.2/mto.20.26.2.ewell.html
https://mtosmt.org/issues/mto.20.26.2/mto.20.26.2.ewell.html
It was a data-driven presentation, more than anything else.
http://philipewell.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/SMT-Plenary-Slides.pdf
http://philipewell.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/SMT-Plenary-Slides.pdf
So it looks like the Journal of Schenkerian Studies, run by @ @UNTCoM, just published an issue with 14 responses to Ewell's plenary address. 12 are by men, 1 by a woman, 1 is "anonymous." All (presumably) white.
https://mhte.music.unt.edu/issues
https://mhte.music.unt.edu/issues
Some of the written responses are, um... well, I'll let you see for yourself: https://twitter.com/pmgentry/status/1287208962220265472
Did the Journal of Schenkerian Studies really publish a response to Professor Ewell's scholarship that was "anonymous"? Yes. https://twitter.com/d_chaloux/status/1287166090863357952
Did the Journal contact Ewell to let him know about their issue and give him a chance to reply to any of this?
Lolololololol no. https://twitter.com/philewell/status/1287210043159568386
Lolololololol no. https://twitter.com/philewell/status/1287210043159568386
Music theory twitter is calling foul. https://twitter.com/BardicKnowledge/status/1287354693589622784
They're pointing out that the field's own racial origins and history are already well-known. https://twitter.com/dankettercello/status/1287221763999440904
And they're drawing attention to how Ewell's words are being mischaracterized and used against him for the sake of defending Schenker/Schenkerian analysis: https://twitter.com/postmoshemendel/status/1287307582328242176
I'm not a music theorist. But I'll be paying attention to how this conversation develops. It'll be interesting to revisit this tweet a year from now and see if/how anything's changed.
https://twitter.com/prof_kozak/status/1273707528870932489
https://twitter.com/prof_kozak/status/1273707528870932489
Phew! Did I miss anything, gang? If not, I'm going to finally get my coffee and do some gardening. Self-care is healing! Peace out!
Addendum: Toru's tweet, which deserves a read: https://twitter.com/toru_momii/status/1287214559225405442
Okay now I really am going to drink my coffee and do some gardening because *someone* has to trim back the lemon balm growing in the raised bed.
