Music Theory with Alice X.

As a trumpet player, I was “lured” on to the path of music theory by a fantastic music theory professor. As a result, when Mannes School of Music in New York City hired me as a Graduate Assistant and offered me many opportunities to teach undergraduate students, I swore to myself that I will try to create more music theorists too – or at least, more music theory lovers. I hope to lead my students through the fascinating music theory journey that I went through. Whatever their major may be, I want to train them to listen and think like true music theorists – to be able to see the score in their heads when they hear music, to be able to hear music in their heads when they read a score; to be able to analyze harmonies, melodies, modulations, motives, and structure at ease, and to, basically, understand what is going on with music. My students varied – I enjoyed teaching advanced knowledge such as Schenkerian analysis to high-level students, of course, but I take lower level students equally (if not more) seriously. I think it is extremely important for freshmen to have a good teacher when they take Theory I, because that teacher will be their first impression of music theory. Once a beginner student finds his music theory classes boring, we have lost a potential music theorist. I try my very best to make my classes fun and interesting. I am very tough on myself in this regard: if a student walks out of my class or lesson at the end of the hour without any new knowledge, inspiration, or improvement, then I fail as a teacher.