SMT-Pod

In this week's episode, Sasha Drozzina considers the larger political symbolism of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s four-act ballet Swan Lake and the recent sampling of the ballet’s “Dance of the Little Swans” and its subversive use by a Russian rapper and singer-songwriter, Noize MC in his 2023 song “Kooperativ “Lebedinnoe Ozero”” (Cooperative “Swan Lake” in English)This episode was produced by Mark Micchelli along with Team Lead Jennifer Weaver. Special thanks to peer reviewers Ellen Bakulina and Orit Hilewicz.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week's episode, Alice Xue introduces the “single-block form” in African music, and shows through 8 examples how repetition generates complexity, meaning, expressive power and participation.This episode was produced by Mark Micchelli along with Team Lead Caitlin Martinkus. Special thanks to peer reviewers Martin Scherzinger and John Heilig.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week’s episode, Hang Ki Choi explores how the silences in Arvo Pärt’s "Ludus" play with our sense of musical beginnings and endings.This episode was produced by Jason Jedlicka along with Team Lead Orit Hilewicz. Special thanks to peer reviewers Robert Sholl and John Heilig.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week’s episode, Luis Matos-Tovar gives us a look into Judith Weir’s The Black Spider, a children's opera that challenges gendered expectations of women dying and men surviving that is common in many traditional operas. Weir does this in a manner that is musically accessible to younger performers with a story that is playful, somber, and triumphant.This episode was produced by Zach Lloyd along with Team Lead Matthew Ferrandino. Special thanks to peer reviewers Colleen Renihan and Evan Ware.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week’s episode, Brandon Scribner analyzes Laura Kaminsky’s opera, As One, which uses music (specifically texture and timbre) to trace the experience of Hannah’s gender transition.This episode was produced by Zach Lloyd along with Team Lead Anna Rose Nelson. Special thanks to peer reviewers Vivian Luong and Joseph Straus.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week's episode, Zachary Simonds uses tools developed by Robert Hatten to analyze Mary, Queen of Scots by Thea Musgrave, focusing on the melodically ascending octave and its use as a complex narrative device throughout the opera.This episode was produced by Jose Garza along with Team Lead Matthew Ferrandino. Special thanks to peer reviewers Colleen Renihan and Evan Ware.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week’s episode, Isabel Milbourn examines Thea Musgrave’s opera Harriet, The Woman Called Moses: a story of Harriet Tubman that delves into both her heroic actions and her personal life, differentiated through musical motives and interactions between Harriet and the opera chorus.This episode was produced by Zach Lloyd along with Team Lead Anna Rose Nelson. Special thanks to peer reviewers Vivian Luong and Joseph Straus.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week's episode, Aaron D'Zurilla explores how the vocal utterances and non-verbal vocalisms in Ellen Reid’s opera p r i s m (2018) convey the complexities of the trauma experienced by survivors of sexual assault.This episode was produced by Zach Lloyd along with Team Lead Matthew Ferrandino. Special thanks to peer reviewers Colleen Renihan and Evan Ware.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week’s episode, you'll hear from Rachel Lumsden about this SMT-Pod's season's Student Seminar Series, and you'll also get to hear from each of the seminar scholars about what to expect in their upcoming episodes. This episode was produced by Zach Lloyd.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

This is the final episode in a five-episode mini-series on “idiomatic improvisation” as a pedagogical technique in the music theory and aural skills classroom. In this episode, Alex Jonker and Peter Schubert ask students to improvise classical phrase continuations that modulation to the dominant, drawing on basic musical instincts about phrase lengths and tonality.This episode was produced by Amy Hatch & Katrina Roush along with Team Lead Caitlin Martinkus. Special thanks to peer reviewers Phil Duker and Joseph Straus. SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

This is the fourth episode in Alex Jonker and Peter Schubert’s five-episode mini-series on “idiomatic improvisation” as a pedagogical technique in the music theory and aural skills classroom. In this episode, students improvise a Renaissance first-species canon with Peter, teaching them to listen, think, and sing all at the same time in a simple diatonic context.This episode was produced by Amy Hatch & Katrina Roush along with Team Lead Caitlin Martinkus. Special thanks to peer reviewers Phil Duker and Joseph Straus. SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

This is the third episode in Alex Jonker and Peter Schubert’s five-episode mini-series on “idiomatic improvisation” as a pedagogical technique in the music theory and aural skills classroom. This episode is the only one in the series where the improvisation uses notation, asking students to harmonize a chant melody with a very limited set of rules in order to introduce unfamiliar sounds, like parallel perfect fourths.This episode was produced by Amy Hatch & Katrina Roush along with Team Lead Caitlin Martinkus. Special thanks to peer reviewers Phil Duker and Joseph Straus. SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

This is the second episode in Alex Jonker and Peter Schubert’s  five-episode mini-series on “idiomatic improvisation” as a pedagogical technique in the music theory and aural skills classroom. In this episode, students improvise a melody over a longer ground bass progression, now in a standard common practice harmonic context including some chromatic harmony.This episode was produced by Amy Hatch & Katrina Roush along with Team Lead Caitlin Martinkus. Special thanks to peer reviewers Phil Duker and Joseph Straus. SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

This is the first episode in a five-episode mini-series on “idiomatic improvisation” as a pedagogical technique in the music theory and aural skills classroom. In this episode, Alex Jonker and Peter Schubert invite students to improvise doo-wop songs which take place in a simple harmonic context while offering a lot of freedom, and a lot of fun!This episode was produced by Amy Hatch & Katrina Roush along with Team Lead Caitlin Martinkus. Special thanks to peer reviewers Phil Duker and Joseph Straus. SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week's episode, Craig Peaslee reimagines formal music theory analysis and takes the listener to the arena of competitive music performance through the lens of a radio sportscast.This episode was produced by Zach Lloyd along with Team Lead Evan Ware. Special thanks to peer reviewers Nate Mitchell and John Heilig. Additional thanks to Indigo Knecht, Spencer Long, Megan Lyons and Jody Diamond.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week's episode, Audrey Slote guides listeners through an analysis of “Mandorla Island” from Nicole Mitchell’s experimental jazz album Mandorla Awakening II from 2017. This episode centers Mitchell’s own Afrofuturist, feminist writings as its primary music-theoretical framework and illuminates how such theorizing productively challenges canonical academic ways of thinking about music and its relationship to society.This episode was produced by Jason Jedlička along with Team Lead Anna Rose Nelson. Special thanks to peer reviewers Jacob Cupps and Caitlin Martinkus. Additional thanks to Steven Rings, Nicole Mitchell, and Jennifer Iverson.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this episode, Mark Micchelli examines the relationship between music theory and creative practice via a firsthand exploration of the formal structure of Cecil Taylor’s solo piano improvisations.This episode was produced by Jason Jedlicka along with Team Lead Matthew Ferrandino. Special thanks to peer reviewers Chris Stover and John Heilig. SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week's episode, Daniel Ketter presents an essential voice analysis arrangement of J. S. Bach’s fugue for solo cello. It traces the composer’s solution to weaving a four-part fugal texture with nearly no chords or double stops through inventive combinations of a subject and countersubject.This episode was produced by Jason Jedlicka along with Team Lead Leah Frederick. Special thanks to peer reviewers Gilad Rabinovitch, Ed Klorman, and Joe Straus. Additional thanks to Jason Orr, Jessie Black, and Royce Diamond at Phosphor Studios.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this episode, Samantha Sasaki analyzes three bagpipe performances of “Auld Lang Syne” in Hong Kong in order to uncover why this instrument has retained cultural and political significance in the 27 years post-Handover.This episode was produced by Jose Garza along with Team Lead John Heilig. Special thanks to peer reviewers Larry Witzleben and Jennifer Weaver. Additional acknowledgements to Anna Yu Wang and Gavin Steingo. SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

Brad Osborn talks about the emergence of the major III chord in post-millennial pop music, and how this chromatic chord forms loops that contain elements of both major and minor keys.This episode was produced by Amy Hatch along with Team Lead Caitlin Martinkus. Special thanks to peer reviewers Bryn Hughes and Evan Ware. Additional acknowledgements to Chris White, Charles Brockus, and John White.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week's episode, Jason analyzes the second and third movements of Henryk Górecki’s Symphony No. 3, performing a close reading of the music from a broadened, newer perspective of voice.This episode was produced by Katrina Roush along with Team Lead Anna Rose Nelson. Special thanks to peer reviewers Kristen Wallentinsen and Evan Ware. SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week's episode, Lydia Bangura analyses her own performance choices in comparison to a professional recording using Jennifer Ronyak’s framework of co-performance.This episode was produced by Zach Lloyd along with Team Lead Megan Lyons. Special thanks to peer reviewers Shersten Johnson and Daniel Barolsky. Additional thanks to David Kjar, Marc Hannaford, Kim Loeffert, and John Peterson for early feedback. SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this episode, Olivia Lucas and Mazbou Q discuss ways to use techniques from hip hop to build skills in the music theory and aural skills classroom. This episode was produced by Jose Garza along with Team Lead Jennifer Weaver. Special thanks to peer reviewers Leah Frederick and Danny Jenkins.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week’s episode, Anna Stephan-Robinson examines Katherine Ruth Heyman's 1920 song, "Tortie-Tortue," considering how the unjustly neglected composer's subtle changes transform a simple poem into a brief but compelling musical drama. This episode was produced by Zach Lloyd along with Team Lead Leah Frederick. Special thanks to peer reviewers Hilary Poriss and Joseph Straus.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week’s episode, Joon Park presents an interpretive strategy for melodic closure that occurs at the start of a song, which he terms a "terminal opening."This episode was produced by Jose Garza along with Team Lead Anna Rose Nelson. Special thanks to peer reviewers Cara Stroud and Shersten Johnson.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week’s episode, Leah Amarosa explores the unique structural and textural features of contemporary worship music, demonstrating how its formal processes are shaped to enhance spiritual and communal engagement.This episode was produced by Katrina Roush along with Team Lead Matthew Ferrandino. Special thanks to peer reviewers Joshua Busman and Shersten Johnson.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week’s episode, Zach Lloyd and John Combs demonstrate a need for a broader definition of reprise in musical theater by examining reprises in two contrasting versions of Shrek the Musical, the original 2008 Broadway production, and the recently revised 2024 National Tour.This episode was produced by Zachary Lloyd along with Team Lead Jennifer Weaver. Special thanks to peer reviewers Gregory Decker and Shersten Johnson, along with Michael Buchler for his early feedback and Jeanine Tesori for her support.SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/

In this week's episode, Stefanie Bilidas and Grace Gollmar discuss the role of timbre in the listener's perception of genre, focusing on cover songs and Massive Attack's discography as two case studies.This episode was produced by Jose Garza along with Team Lead Thomas Yee. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season03/

In this week's episode, Brent Ferguson talks about a pedagogical approach he implemented with his undergraduate students, an approach he calls the "buffet-style grading system." Let's begin with a student composition from this class.This episode was produced by Jennifer Beavers along with Team Lead Lydia Bangura. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season03/

In this week's episode, Jeremy Orosz discusses a formal trend that's been emerging in pop and rock songs. In the last decade or so, a surprisingly high number of songs in verse-chorus form contain only two statements of the chorus as opposed to the typical three. Over the course of the episode, Orosz walks us through his detailed corpus-based study, discussing nuances of this trend and the impact that this form, what he calls "2C" for short, has on the organization and sound of this music.This episode was produced by Zach Lloyd along with Team Lead Anna Rose Nelson. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season03/

In this week’s episode, Tori Vilches delves into various adaptations of the Italian folk song “Bella Ciao” in Netflix’s La Casa de Papel, demonstrating its role in symbolizing resistance against oppressive structures and contributing to the humanization of the show’s anti-hero characters, ultimately fostering emotional connections between viewers and the show.This episode was produced by Zach Lloyd along with Team Lead Megan Lyons. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season03/

This week’s episode will consider The 5th Dimension’s medley, “Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (1969) in relation to its Vietnam War Era context and through the lens of Afrofuturism.This episode was produced by David Thurmaier along with Team Lead Richard Desinord. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season03/

In this week’s episode, game designer Brent Ferguson and composers George Reid and Matthew Ferrandino discuss their chiptune rearrangements of canonical and marginalized composers’ music for the Bardcore video game project.This episode was produced by Zach Lloyd along with Team Lead Thomas Yee. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season03/

In this week’s episode, Thomas B. Yee discusses non-octave repeating scales, exploring precedents in the ideas of theorists from outside mainstream music theory and the application of non-octave repeating scales in the works of living composers.This episode was produced by Katrina Roush along with Team Lead Jennifer Weavers. Special thanks to Craig Weston, Luis Javier Obregon, David Forrest, Liam Hynes-Tawa, and Jenny Beavers for literature recommendations, draft feedback, and insights helpful in producing this episode.SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season03/

In this week's episode, Nariá Assis and Luís Raimundo investigate sound masses. Their insightful analytical discussion touches on the intricate relationship between texture and rhythm, the historical evolution of the use of sound masses, and current applications in both modern and contemporary classical and electronic music. This episode was produced by Katrina Roush along with Team Lead Anna Rose Nelson. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season03/

This episode introduces a simple, but powerful pedagogical exercise inspired by the short story writer George Saunders, which involves listening to a piece of music one segment at a time, describing what you noticed, and guessing what will happen next.This episode was produced by Jose Garza along with Team Lead Jennifer Weaver. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season03/

This episode explores how women in the Azores, a Portuguese autonomous region in the North Atlantic Ocean, use their musical play on the viola da terra (a native Azorean chordophone) as a resource for postcolonial feminine performance.This episode was produced by David Thurmaier along with Team Lead Shannon McAlister. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season03/

This episode, introducing a new podcast by Joe Straus, is a deep dive into the opening measures of Stravinsky's ballet, Petrushka: a close analysis to hear what makes this music tick. Listen to the rest of Joe Straus's podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kLhnp4GA2qJ5YX9lgMYcLThis episode was produced by Katrina Roush along with Team Lead Lydia Bangura. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season03/

Season 3 of SMT-Pod launches on January 25, 2024. This preview highlights the variety of topics our authors will present this season. All episodes were chosen through an open collaborative peer review process. Be sure to subscribe and stay tuned for the Season 3 launch!For more information, visit smt-pod.org.

Consider submitting your work for Season 3! More information is available on our website: smt-pod.org

In this week’s episode, the Theorizing African American Music series comes to a close with a poignant conversation between Phil Ewell, Louise Toppin, Teresa Reed, and Jewel Thompson, and a sneak peak at what the future holds for this conference.NY Times article referenced in this episode: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/02/opinion/warnock-walker-runoff-georgia.htmlThis episode was produced by Megan Lyons. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. Undine Smith Moore's "Before I'd Be A Slave" is performed by Geoffrey Burleson. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season02/.

In this week’s episode, Phil Ewell sits down with Marvin McNeil, Steph Doktor, Alan Reese, and Maya Cunningham to talk about their experiences at the conference and the fantastic papers they presented and heard.This episode was produced by Megan Lyons. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. Undine Smith Moore's "Before I'd Be A Slave" is performed by Geoffrey Burleson. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season02/.

In this week’s episode, Phil Ewell sits down with Dwight Andrews to talk about his keynote at the Theorizing African American Music conference and their experiences in the field of music theory.This episode was produced by Megan Lyons. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. Undine Smith Moore's "Before I'd Be A Slave" is performed by Geoffrey Burleson. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season02/.

In this week’s episode, Christopher Jenkins, with a guest appearance by Phil Ewell, interviews the talented musicians who performed in the Theorizing African American Music conference opening concert.**A note from this episode's author: It should be noted that while some of the conversation invokes the term "Afro-diasporic, it should be noted that this concert emphasized just one facet of the African diaspora, which is enormously diverse and extends far beyond the forms presented on this concert. Hopefully, this project will be in conversation with other concert projects that center other facets of the African diaspora in defiance of typical genre partitioning.**This episode was produced by Megan Lyons. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. Undine Smith Moore's "Before I'd Be A Slave" is performed by Geoffrey Burleson. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season02/.

In this week’s episode, Phil Ewell, Christopher Jenkins, Lydia Bangura, and Susan McClary discuss how the Theorizing African American Music conference came to fruition in the first episode of a series on this monumental conference.This episode was produced by Megan Lyons. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. Undine Smith Moore's "Before I'd Be A Slave" is performed by Geoffrey Burleson. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season02/.

In this week's episode, we'll hear from Rami Stucky as he dives into problematic representation of Black music in the 2018 Oscar winning film Green Book.This episode was produced by Jennifer Beavers. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season02/.

In this week's episode, Jenine Brown investigates the emotional impact of meaningful differences she identifies between Ellie Goulding’s cover of “Your Song," and Elton John's original version. Ultimately, Brown's analysis focuses on the feeling of the double upbeat that initiates the bridge that Goulding's includes in her interpretation of "Your Song."This episode was produced by David Thurmaier. SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season02/.

In this week's episode, Melissa Hoag proposes a method for expanding the repertoire taught in 18th-Century counterpoint courses.This episode was produced by Katrina Roush. Special thanks to Olivia Friedenstab, Corrin Kliewer, Iyla Miller, Mahki Murray, and Kaleigh Schott for their interviews and testimonies.SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season02/.

In this week's episode, Kim Soby examines a poem, written by a man, about love, from a woman’s perspective, and questions in what ways might a composer’s gender play out musically?.This episode was produced by Jennifer Beavers.SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season02/.

In this week's episode Frank Nawrot and Matt Ferrandino analyze three tracks from Tool's 1996 album Ænima that exhibit tonal polymodality, which is the use of simultaneous or juxtaposed modes that share the same tonal pitch center.This episode was produced by David Thurmaier.SMT-Pod Theme music by Zhangcheng Lu; Closing music "hnna" by David Voss. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/season02/.