Note Doctors

Follow Note Doctors
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Note Doctors is a podcast all about music theory and music theory pedagogy. Each episode features an interview with an innovative music theory instructor. The podcast is hosted by three university theory instructors: Paul Thomas, Jenn Weaver, and Ben Graf.

Paul Thomas


    • Sep 18, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 51m AVG DURATION
    • 68 EPISODES


    More podcasts from Paul Thomas

    Search for episodes from Note Doctors with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Note Doctors

    Episode 68: Sean Powell - The ideology of competition in school music

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2023 60:41


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Sean Powell, Professor of Music Education and Chair of the Division of Music Education at the University of North Texas, about his new book "The Ideology of Competition in School Music."

    Episode 67: Nancy Rogers - Sight-singing books and strategies for success

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2023 69:46


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben kick off season 4 by welcoming onto the podcast Dr. Nancy Rogers, Professor of Music Theory at Florida State University. Co-author of the popular textbook "Music for Sight Singing", Dr. Rogers explains the process of curating such a collection and provides practical advice for teaching aural skills.

    Episode 66: Summer Book Club - On Music Theory (Chapter 6 & Outro)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2023 45:52


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben finish our first ever Note Doctors Summer Book Club by discussing the last two chapters of Philip Ewell's "On Music Theory, and Making Music More Welcoming for Everyone."

    Episode 65: Summer Book Club - On Music Theory (Chapters 4 &5)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2023 29:13


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben discuss chapters 4 and 5 of Philip Ewell's "On Music Theory, and Making Music More Welcoming for Everyone."

    Episode 64: Summer Book Club - On Music Theory (Chapters 2 & 3)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2023 46:07


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben continue discussing Philip Ewell's "On Music Theory, and Making Music More Welcoming for Everyone." Chapters 2 and 3 feature topics related to white mythologies, the Western canon, and Heinrich Schenker's legacy.

    Episode 63: 2023 Summer Shorts 3

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2023 26:26


    In this bonus summer short, Jenn talks with us about her amazing experience attending the Workshops in Music Theory Pedagogy held at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

    Episode 62: Summer Book Club - On Music Theory (Intro & Chapter 1)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2023 51:59


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben begin our summerlong bookclub by discussing the Intro and Chapter 1 of Philip Ewell's "On Music Theory, and Making Music More Welcoming for Everyone."

    Episode 61: 2023 Summer Shorts 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2023 36:49


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben discuss how they deal with three common challenges theory and aural skills teachers face: cell phones in the classroom, lesson planning, and student accommodations.

    Episode 60: 2023 Summer Shorts 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2023 29:57


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben kick off the summer by playing Au Contraire Mon Frère/Ma Soeur, a game where Jenn and Ben see who can best defend or refute some of our favorite music theory hot takes from past podcast episodes.

    Episode 59: Timothy Chenette - Rethinking the aural skills curriculum

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2023 70:58


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Timothy Chenette, associate professor of music at Utah University State, about how we can improve the way we teach aural skills. Dr. Chenette is also the author of the newly released free online textbook "Foundations of Aural Skills."

    Episode 58: Kyle Gullings - The ins and outs of OERs (open educational resources)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2023 67:42


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Kyle Gullings, associate professor of music theory and composition at the University of Texas at Tyler, about his work with openmusictheory.com and the benefits of open educational resources.

    Episode 57: Stacey Davis - Connecting performance with analysis

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2023 54:29


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Stacey Davis, Acting Director of the School of Music and Professor of Music Theory at the University of Texas at San Antonio, about her research on performance expressivity and how she creates connections in the theory classroom between analysis and performance practice.

    Episode 56: Amy Hatch - Implementing novel pedagogical techniques

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2023 64:34


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Amy Hatch, assistant professor of instruction at the University of Texas at Arlington, about the way she brings various pedagogical influences - from inside and outside music -into her theory classroom.

    Episode 55: Job searches, interviews, and landing that first full-time theory position with Matthew Bilik, Richard Desinord, and Megan Lyons

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2023 80:48


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with three assistant professors: Matthew Bilik (Anderson University), Richard Desinord (Michigan State University), and Megan Lyons (Furman University). Each of our guests are currently in their first year in a tenure-track position and graciously shared their experiences on the job market and the things they've learned since starting their new positions.

    Episode 54: How did we get into music theory?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2023 47:45


    To start the new year, we answer the question we like to ask all our guests. For fun, we use the 4 stages of a dating relationship (initial encounter, curiosity, enlightenment, and commitment) to describe our journeys with music theory.

    Episode 53: Patricia Burt and Philip Duker - Student-driven music theory

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2022 73:47


    We are back with our final episode of the year produced in collaboration with the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy! Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with two music theory professors from the University of Delaware, Dr. Patricia Burt and Dr. Philip Duker, about their implementation of the Question Formation Technique in their theory classrooms.

    Episode 52: Charles Leinberger - Analyzing the scores of classic Western films

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2022 69:18


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Charles Leinberger, professor of music at the University of Texas at El Paso, about his work as a music theorist and archival researcher of film music by Ennio Morricone.

    Episode 51: Melissa Hoag - Reviewing new theory and aural skills resources

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2022 68:06


    We are back with another episode produced in collaboration with the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy! Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Melissa Hoag, associate professor of music theory at Oakland University and reviews editor for JMTP. In this jam-packed episode, Dr. Hoag gives a preview of the numerous theory and aural skills resource reviews in the upcoming JMTP and as a special bonus, shares about a new book she edited entitled "Expanding the Canon: Black Composers in the Music Theory Classroom."

    Episode 50: Jennifer Snodgrass - The joys and challenges of a life in academia

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2022 67:10


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben celebrate their 50th episode by bringing back their guest from episode one: Jenny Snodgrass, academic director in the School of Music at Lipscomb University. In a wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Snodgrass shares what she has learned throughout her career as both a theory professor and administrator.

    Episode 49: Benjamin Dobbs - Mentoring undergraduate music theory research

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2022 58:37


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben welcome back Benjamin Dobbs to the podcast. Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Music Theory and Composition at Furman University, Dr. Dobbs shares his passion for student mentorship and how he helps young music theory scholars develop their research skills.

    Episode 48: Megan Lavengood - Exploring timbre within 1980s pop and beyond

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2022 59:46


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Megan Lavengood, Assistant Professor and Director of Music Theory at George Mason University, about her work analyzing timbre in popular music, the classic sounds of the Yamaha DX7, and the potential for music theory exploration in video game soundtracks.

    Episode 47: Toby Rosh - Envisioning a new theory curriculum

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2022 72:59


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Toby Rush, Associate Professor at the University of Dayton, about his popular "Music Theory for Musicians and Normal People" handouts and the ways in which he has incorporated topics such as acoustics and electronic music into the core music theory curriculum.

    Episode 46: Benjamin Dobbs and Shana Southard-Dobbs - Researching growth mindset

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2022 73:02


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben kick off season three with a pair of guests - Benjamin Dobbs, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Music Theory and Composition at Furman University, and Shana Southard-Dobbs, Associate Professor of Psychology at Lander University. They share their work exploring the efficacy of growth mindset strategies in the music theory classroom along with the benefits of performing cross-disciplinary scholarship of teaching and learning research.

    Episode 45: 2022 Summer Shorts 5

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2022 28:58


    We finish our current series on "Theory Desert Island Piece" - one of those compositions you just love including in your theory class - with Jenn's pick: "Chichester Psalms" by Leonard Bernstein.

    Episode 44: 2022 Summer Shorts 4

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2022 19:48


    We continue our current series on "Theory Desert Island Pieces" - one of those compositions you just love including in your theory class. Ben's pick comes from the world of video game music: "The Legend of Zelda Theme" by Koji Kondo.

    Episode 43: 2022 Summer Shorts 3

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2022 22:47


    We begin a three-week series where each one of us gets to name a "Theory Desert Island Piece" - one of those compositions you just love including in your theory class. Paul starts us off with his pick: "Seven Last Words of the Unarmed" by Joel Thompson.

    Episode 42: 2022 Summer Shorts 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2022 21:41


    There were just too many clips to fit into one summer short so Paul, Jenn, and Ben are back with another episode rating movie scenes on how accurately they portray music theory topics.

    Episode 41: 2022 Summer Shorts 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2022 25:58


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben kick off the summer by rating video clips from television, film, and YouTube on how accurately they portray music theory topics.

    Episode 40: Spring Recap

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2022 63:00


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben recap the highlights and challenges of the past spring semester and dig into the mailbag to answer some listener emails.

    Episode 39: David Portillo - Music theory for the performance major

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2022 67:42


    In this final installment in a series where we ask what different types of music majors need from music theory, Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with David Portillo, American tenor and professional opera singer, about what performance majors specifically need from their music theory and aural skills education.

    Episode 38: Jennifer Youngs - Music theory for the vocal major

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2022 66:48


    In this fifth installment in a series where we ask what different types of music majors need from music theory, Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Jennifer Youngs, assistant professor voice at Brigham Young University, about what vocal majors specifically need from their music theory and aural skills education.

    Episode 37: Alan Baylock and Kimberly Hannon Teal - Music theory for the jazz major

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2022 48:39


    In this fourth installment in a series where we ask what different types of music majors need from music theory, Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with two of Ben's colleagues from the University of North Texas, Alan Baylock (director of the One O'Clock Lab Band) and Kimberly Hannon Teal (assistant professor of jazz history and research) about what jazz majors specifically need from their music theory and aural skills education.

    Episode 36: Mark Brymer - Music theory for the music business major

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2022 79:37


    In the third of a series of episodes where we ask what different types of music majors need from music theory, Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with the composer and arranger Mark Brymer about what music business majors specifically need from their music theory and aural skills education.

    Episode 35: Della Molloy-Daugherty - Music theory for the music therapy major

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2022 58:51


    In the second of a series of episodes where we ask what different types of music majors need from music theory, Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Della Molloy-Daugherty, assistant professor and program coordinator of music therapy at Texas Woman's University, about what music therapy majors specifically need from their music theory and aural skills education.

    Episode 34: Becky Morrison - Music theory for the music ed major

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2022 65:09


    In the first of a series of episodes where we ask what different types of music majors need from music theory, Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Becky Morrison, associate professor of music and chair of music education at Dallas Baptist University, about what music ed majors specifically need from their music theory and aural skills education.

    Episode 33: 2021 Recap

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2022 53:45


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben recap their own semester of teaching theory and aural skills and their goals for spring semester 2022.

    Episode 32: Corralling the Chorale - Chelsea Burns, William O'Hara, Marcelle Pierson, Katherine Pukinskis, Peter Smucker, William van Geest

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2021 100:58


    In this our second episode made in collaboration with the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, Paul, Jenn, and Ben welcome six music theory scholars to discuss their forthcoming article in the JMTP entitled "Corralling the Chorale." In this wide ranging conversation, our guests reconsider what voice leading means and what its role should be in the undergraduate theory curriculum, as well as ask us to consider a wide range of factors and constituencies when making curricular changes.

    Episode 31: Aaron Grant - Cultivating career skills through public music theory and community engaged learning

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2021 60:50


    This episode features our first collaboration with the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy! Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Aaron Grant, Assistant Professor of Music Theory at Missouri Western State University, about his article in the upcoming volume of the JMTP. Dr. Grant shares how he uses public music theory and community engaged learning activities to enrich the educational experiences of his music theory students.

    Episode 30: Rebecca Jemian - Perspectives from a former AP Music Theory Chief Reader

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2021 49:18


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Rebecca Jemian, Associate Professor and Coordinator of Music Theory at the University of Louisville. A former chief reader for the AP Music Theory Exam, Dr. Jemian gives a behind the scenes look into all that goes into administering and grading the exam.

    Episode 29: Nicole Biamonte - Analyzing timbre, texture, and form in popular music

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2021 77:52


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Nicole Biamonte, associate professor of music theory at McGill University. Dr. Biamonte discusses the challenges of teaching pop music analysis and explains why topics such as timbre and texture should be included more frequently in the music theory classroom.

    Episode 28: Jan Miyake - Creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive music theory curriculum

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2021 58:13


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Jan Miyake, chair and associate professor of Music Theory at Oberlin College & Conservatory. Dr. Miyake explains the exciting curriculum changes underway at Oberlin and provides examples of how she has made her classroom more equitable and inclusive. 

    Episode 27: Cynthia Gonzales - Tools and strategies for aural skills success

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2021 65:16


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Cynthia Gonzales, Associate Professor of Music at Texas State University. A recipient of numerous teaching awards, Dr. Gonzales discusses the challenges of teaching sight-singing and how she developed the Listen-Sing Method through SmartMusic.

    Episode 26: Malia Jade Roberson - Becoming a music theory entrepreneur

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2021 83:12


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben talk with Dr. Malia Jade Roberson, owner of the online business "Music Theory Shop" and Lecturer in Performing Arts, Music at California State University, Channel Islands. Dr. Roberson shares her journey as a music theory entrepreneur and how she reaches students through her unique music products and social media presence.

    Episode 25: 12tone (Cory Arnold) - Being a music theory YouTuber

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2021 63:09


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben kickoff season 2 by talking with Cory Arnold, better known as the YouTuber 12tone. Cory provides a sneak peak at how they create their videos and discusses the role educational YouTube content creators play within the larger world of music theory pedagogy.

    Episode 24: Summer Shorts 7

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2021 30:11


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben share their favorite musical examples that "break the rules."

    Episode 23: Summer Shorts 6

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2021 17:56


    We pit two note doctors against each other in a debate over the best way to teach harmonic dictation. In one corner we have Jenn with the do-ti line and in the other corner we have Ben with the harmonic paradigm system. Who will win??

    Episode 22: Summer Shorts 5

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2021 15:47


    Paul, Jenn, and Ben share new musical examples for teaching modal mixture.

    Claim Note Doctors

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel