Throughout my adult years as a flutist, as both a student and professional, I have found that scholarly study gives my musical life more balance. Reading, thinking, writing, and editing help me achieve awareness of my own ideas and feelings, and refine my ability to communicate with others.
My academic research, to date, has focused largely on music theory and contemporary music. My dissertation (Ph.D., NYU) examines musical form from analytical, perceptual, and experiential standpoints. The solo flute and piccolo music of James Dillon—Sgothan (1984) and Diffraction (1984)—are the two works at the center of my study.
To my knowledge, my dissertation is the first to address these two compositions in their entirety. It is also the first dissertation devoted entirely to Dillon’s music.
Although the word “research” conjures images of piles of books and journals, research in music encompasses far more than sources on paper. Studying audio and visual recordings, exploring how particular instruments work (and extending these possibilities), and observing and documenting one’s personal performance practice are all research activities that I routinely engage, in addition to reading and writing.
Such a conception of research in music is hardly novel, and probably obvious to many. I offer these perspectives to encourage other musicians to see their own pursuits in what is perhaps a different light and share their findings via presentations, in print, or online, with a larger circle of people.
Exploring a topic, digging deeper to understand the work of others, and formulating your own viewpoints, is research. Lab coats or titles such as “Professor” or “Doctor” are not required!
