(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.