(Meta-)Research on Research: Towards a Methodology of Music Theory Research
Abstract
Most writings about music make use of music-theoretical methods.
However, music theory is very often practiced and taught without
any reference to, or reflection on, the premises of the methods
employed. In addition, methods of music theory need to be
classified and described. Although a few articles on methodological
reflections in music theory research have been published, they were
written without connections to other methodological approaches. But
most of all, there is no comprehensive book on methods of music
theory research published to this date. This research project
resulted, for the first time, in a book publication that discusses
the various methodological approaches to music theory research in a
manner that is as comprehensive to this date as possible. This book
contains articles by the foremost scholars in this research area:
papers that are extended articles of conference papers presented at
a conference that I organized and additional invited original
papers. The authors of articles in this book are Mirjana
Veselinovic-Hofman, Leon Stefanija, David Castro, Dennis Cole,
Dimitar Ninov, Ken Stephenson, Philip Baczewski, Cynthia Gonzales,
Ryan Davis, and Brent Auerbach. While I function as the editor of
this book, I also wrote an article on methods of / research on
teaching music theory. Published in December 2005, this "handbook"
of music theory research methods has already been widely
distributed. The international publisher Peter Lang published this
book.