Marcos Balter, University of California, San DiegoĬhristopher Bartlette, Binghamton University Ayers, University of Central FloridaĮllen Bakulina, University of North Texas Jacqueline Avila, University of Tennessee Sean Atkinson, Texas Christian University Amado, University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyĬlovis de Andre, Faculdade Cantareira (S√£o Paulo, Brazil)Ĭhristopher Antila, RILM (R√©pertoire International de Litt√©rature Musicale) Penrose Allphin, University of Massachusetts, AmherstĪndreas R. Makulumy Alexander-Hills, Columbia UniversityĮmily Ruth Allen, Florida State University Kyle Adams, Jacobs School of Music, Indiana Universityīrian Alegant, Oberlin College Conservatory
I append the list of signatories from all over the world, practically the entire discipline of music theory, signing like sheep to self-slaughter. Not since Stalin’s time have we seen such an orgy of self-criticism.
Further, we call upon the President, with the authorization of the Executive Board, to apologize to all BIPOC who have suffered such injustices, without equivocation.
A public statement from the President, authorized by the Executive Board and in accordance with the Policy on Public Statements, that SMT acknowledges the following three points: (a) that American music theory is historically rooted in white supremacy, the racist idea that whites are superior to nonwhites, (b) that these white supremacist roots have resulted in racist policies that have benefitted whites and whiteness while disadvantaging nonwhites and nonwhiteness, and (c) that these racist policies have resulted in injustices suffered by BIPOC at all stages of their careers. To aid the Executive Board in their aim to “determine further actions,” we the undersigned advocate for the following: We applaud the recent statement of the Executive Board of the Society for Music Theory. Ewell received from the Journal of Schenkerian Studies is only the latest instance of systemic racism that marginalized Society members have faced for many years. While this episode is the most recent, and perhaps the most illustrative, the treatment Prof. These actions provide further evidence of the structural force of white supremacy in our discipline. Ewell while denying him a chance to respond, and the language of many of its essays constitute anti-Black racism. ‘Ewell’s denunciation of Schenker and Schenkerians may be seen as part and parcel of the much broader current of Black anti-Semitism… including the pattern of violence against Jews, the obnoxious lyrics of some hip hop songs, etc.’Įwell’s supporters rallied with this letter of support to the SMT: … The journal’s violation of academic standards of peer review, its singling out of Prof. There was nothing new in Ewell’s attempted assassination, but his tone struck a different chord, provoking one of the journal’s editors, Timothy Jackson of the University of North Texas, to accuse Ewell of having an antisemitic agenda. These views are integral to the history and evolutuon of musicology and have been thoroughly exposed in many serious investigations such as…. Schenker was unarguably a supremacist when discussing European music. Ewell gave a talk titled ‘Music Theory’s White Racial Frame‘ at the Society for Music Theory (SMT) Annual Meeting in November 2019 and debate has exploded since then with 100 pages of responses to Ewell’s lecture in the Journal of Schenkerian Studies.Īll this would be worth little more than a raised eyebrow were it not for the odious undercurrents. It started with a lecture by the inflammatory Philip Ewell, a New York campaigner for ‘decolonising’ the music curriculum. But the storm that has grippped US musicology this month has very little to do with his ideas. Schenker, a decendant of Talmudists, is a powerful mind, always good to challenge. The analytical methodology of the Viennese scholar Heinrich Schenker (1868-1935) has dominated academic musicology for so long that it is hardly possible to open a Beethoven score without thinking of his theories.
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