Peer Learning Program workshops are three-hour seminars led by prominent scholars. They provide the opportunity to learn—from the workshop leader as well as from peers—new perspectives on fundamental issues in music theory, and to apply that learning to research and teaching. The topics range widely across music-theoretical research and teaching interests.
History
The program is intended to encourage “thinking together,” in the spirit of the Mannes Institute founded by Wayne Alpern and organized by him during the years 2001–11.
Eligibility and selection
- The workshops are open to all members of the Society who have completed a doctoral degree. (Separate workshop opportunities are also available to those who have not completed a Ph.D.)
- Participants are selected by a random draw from the pool of eligible applicants.
- Prior PLP participants are permitted to apply, but preference will be given to first-time applicants.
- To encourage interaction, each workshop is limited to approximately 10–12 participants.
Application
The deadline to apply is June 15, 2025.
Commitments
- Please note that PLP workshops will take place the morning of Thursday, November 6; by applying you are committing to arrive at the conference in time to participate in the workshop.
- Some reading and mental preparation are required, but not extensive written assignments, in consideration of the professional responsibilities of the participants.
Cost
There is no fee to participate in the program. Participants are responsible, however, for the cost of SMT membership and conference registration (but not at the time of application), as well as for other expenses of attendance, including transportation, housing, and meals.
2025 Workshops
A Microcosm of Rhythm: Theorizing and Analyzing Groove-Based Music
Anne Danielsen (University of Oslo)
The workshop will be an exploration of the intricacies of rhythm and groove. Recent musicological, behavioral, and neuroscientific research on how the microstructure of sound influences perceived timing and the groove experience will be presented, and the broader implications for music analysis will be discussed. Topics will include determining reference points for microrhythmic variations, examining the intricate interplay of microtiming and sonic attributes, and understanding the influence of cultural background on the perception and production of microrhythmic features.
We will also explore various analytical tools, focusing on approaches to signal-based representations of sound. Our exploration will feature grooves from African-American funk artists and bands, along with more recent computer-based EDM and hip-hop beats. Participants will also be invited to nominate grooves for collaborative dissection in the workshop. Ultimately, we will reflect on some experiential and political dimensions of groove-based musical aesthetics. Hopefully, you will leave the workshop with useful analytical tools and a renewed understanding of the crucial role of rhythmic microstructure in groove-based musical traditions.
Shark!: A Dive into Film Music Analysis
Frank Lehman (Tufts University)
In this workshop, we will plunge into the exciting waters of film music theory. Participants will get to know the subfield’s fast-growing literature, which has surged in the past decade. We will become familiar with the vocabulary of screen composition and the various tools recently developed to fathom the repertoire. Throughout, we will dwell on the murkier bits—issues like textual instability, subordination, and referentiality, all endemic to the craft of film scoring, and all challenging for scholars of musical structure and meaning.
Our point of departure will be Jaws. This history-making film celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025, and with it the score by John Williams, often claimed to have spurred a revival of cinematic symphonism. As a musical work, Jaws is much more than its famous semitonal ostinato. Properly suited up with analytical gear, we will analyze a selection of significant sequences from the Jaws soundtrack. Particular attention will fall on formal organization, one of the subfield’s less well-developed areas, particularly with respect to film musical paratexts (soundtracks, concerts, etc.). During our discussions, we will grapple with the question of how one’s listening stance influences one’s cinematic—or, perhaps, cine-symphonic—experience. At the end, we’ll turn our attention to the present, and consider some of the big uncharted regions left for film music theorists to plumb.
Contact
For additional information, please contact the Chair of the Committee on Workshop Programs.