Essentials or Preliminaries? Perspectives on Pre-University Music Theory

‘Essentials or Preliminaries? Perspectives on Pre-University Music Theory’.

The GMTH (society of German-language music theory) has launched an international online lecture series comprising music theory/analysis papers and panels with subsequent discussions, to be held about three times per year. We are delighted to collaborate with the Society for Music Analysis (SMA) for a joint panel on 1 June 2023, 18:30 BST | 19:30 CEST, entitled ‘Essentials or Preliminaries? Perspectives on Pre-University Music Theory’.

Our Senior Deputy Head, Mark Richards, spoke on this panel to society members. 

Thursday 1 June 2023, 18:30 BST – Donnerstag, 1. Juni 2023, 19:30 Uhr MESZ – online via Zoom

Essentials or Preliminaries? Perspectives on Pre-University Music Theory

Committee: Kenneth Smith, Stephan Schönlau, Wendelin Bitzan

SPEAKERS

Rebekka Albrecht is a lecturer of music theory and aural skills at the Hochschule für Musik Dresden. She studied music theory, harp performance and music and math (teacher training) in Rostock. She has been teaching music theory at different institutions such as general schools, music schools and music universities working with pupils and students of all ages. Besides lecturing at the HfM Dresden, she is also teaching pupils at a specialised music high school in Dresden. She is especially interested in music pedagogy concerning music theory and the use of solfege.

Laura Krämer (born 1978) is professor of music theory with a focus on methodology at HMTM Hannover. She studied music theory, musicology and Italian in Berlin and received her doctorate in Heidelberg on Béla Bartók. She is interested in historical improvisation, musical semantics, and historical and modern teaching methodology for understanding and inventing music inside and outside the university.

James Olsen is Affiliated Lecturer at the University of Cambridge Faculty of Music, College Teaching Associate in music at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, and the Widening Participation and Outreach Officer at the Society for Music Analysis. He is also a composer, and the founder of the music publishing company Olsen Verlag. His research interests include music analysis, hermeneutics and music pedagogy.

Mark Richards is Senior Deputy Head at Queen Anne’s School in Caversham, Berkshire – an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11–18. He also teaches A Level Music, where many of his pupils go onto university to read Music. He successfully completed an MMus in Theory and Analysis at King’s College, London, supervised by Arnold Whittall and Christopher Wintle; further research continued at Cardiff University. He has written several books and articles associated with A Level Music and organises conferences and symposiums for schools across the country: live and remote. Analytical interests focus on Schenkerian theory, music of the Second Viennese School, contemporary American music and assessing the importance of musical literacy as pupils make the transition from school to university. He is also an experienced school inspector.