February 23, 2024 | 3:30PM
Fulton Recital Hall, Goodspeed Hall, 4th floor
“That Gospel Sound: Plagal Gestures as Indicators of Genre in Black Church Music"
Richard Desinord
Assistant Professor of Music Theory, Michigan State University College of Music
About Richard Desinord
Richard Desinord is Assistant Professor of Music Theory at the Michigan State University College of Music. His research interests include harmony and genre in contemporary black church music and neo-soul, the music of Robert Glasper, theory pedagogy, and the visualization of music theory. Desinord has presented research on composers of jazz, R&B and Neo-soul, and his work appears in the Cambridge Stravinsky Encyclopedia, Engaged Music Theory, and the forthcoming book, Modeling Musical Analysis (Oxford University Press). Having some his personal and professional goals rooted in making music theory more accessible to, and inclusive of, people of color, Desinord is a member of Black Classical Music Educators and the International Society of Black Musicians, and a fervent supporter of the Classically Black Podcast. Prior to his appointment at Michigan State, he lectured in music theory in the Department of Music at Howard University. He earned a PhD in music theory at the Eastman School of Music, an MA in music theory from Penn State University, and a BM in music education from Howard University (magna cum laude).