2011. Ph.D in Music Theory, Florida State University

2005. M.A. in Music Theory, The University of Western Ontario         

2003. B.Mus, Honors in Music Theory and Composition, The University of Western Ontario     

2020-present. The University of Lethbridge, Department of Music, Associate Professor

2015-2020. The University of Lethbridge, Department of Music, Assistant Professor

2012-2015. The University of Miami, Frost School of Music, Professor of Practice

2011-2012. Ithaca College, College of Music, Visiting Assistant Professor

2022. With Dominique T. Vuvan. Backbeat Placement Affects Tempo Judgments. Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain, 32(3-4), 76–86. https://doi.org/10.1037/pmu0000291

2021. With Dominique T. Vuvan. Probe Tone Paradigm Reveals Less Differentiated Tonal Hierarchy in Rock Music. Music Perception 1 June 2021; 38 (5): 425–434. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/mp.2021.38.5.425

2020. With Dominique T. Vuvan. “Style Cue Density Affects the Processing of Harmonic Progressions.” (in preparation)

2019. “What is a ‘lament,’ really? A Commentary on Nicholas Shea’s “Descending Bass Schemata and Negative Emotion in Western Song”. In Empirical Musicology Review 14/3-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.18061/emr.v14i3-4.7570.

2019. With Dominique T. Vuvan. “Musical Style Affects The Strength of Harmonic Expectancy,” in Music and Science.  https://doi.org/10.1177/2059204318816066

2017. With Philip Duker, Anna Gawboy, and Kris Shaffer. “Reflecting Upon Five Years of Engaging Students,” in Engaging Students: Essays in Music Pedagogy 5. <http://flipcamp.org/engagingstudents5/essays/hughes_duker.html>

2015. With Philip Duker, Anna Gawboy, and Kris Shaffer. “Hacking the Music Theory Classroom: Towards a More Student-Centered Learning Environment,” in Music Theory Online 21/1. <http://www.mtosmt.org/issues/mto.15.21.1/mto.15.21.1.duker_gawboy_hughes_shaffer.html>.

2014. “Probe-tone method.” In Music in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, edited by William Forde Thompson. Sage Publications: Los Angeles, California. 902-3.

2014. “Rating Scales.” In Music in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, edited by William Forde Thompson. Sage Publications: Los Angeles, California. 930-2

2014. “Schema.” In Music in the Social and Behavioral Sciences., edited by William Forde Thompson. Sage Publications: Los Angeles, California. 981-2.

2014. “Tonal Pitch Space.” In Music in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, edited by William Forde Thompson. Sage Publications: Los Angeles, California. 1131-2.

2013. With Kris Shaffer. “Flipping the Classroom: Three Methods”, In Engaging Students: Essays in Music Pedagogy. <http://www.flipcamp.org/engagingstudents/shafferintro.html>

Invited Talks

2018. Guest host on the So Strangely Podcast, with Finn Upham. “Episode 3: Interactions of Metrical and Tonal Hierarchies with Bryn Hughes and guest Chris White.” <http://sostrangely.com/85/>

2017. “The Effect of Style on Musical Syntax.” UWO Music, Cognition, and The Brain colloquium series. London, ON. 

2014. “The Effect of Backbeat on Tempo Perception in Popular Music” Society for Music Theory, Music Cognition Interest Group, Milwaukee, WI 

2014. With Philip Duker and Anna Gawboy. “Hacking the Music Theory Class: Pedagogical Tools That Increase Efficiency and Effectiveness” College Music Society, St. Louis, MO         

2011. “Harmonic Expectation in Twelve-Bar Blues Progressions” University of Chicago Music Perception and Understanding Workshop, Chicago, IL 

Peer-Reviewed Presentations

2022. With Nicholas J. Shea, Dominique T. Vuvan, and Christopher White. “Meter vs. Harmony as Key Determinant: Which One Wins?” Society for Music Theory. New Orleans, LA. 

2022. With Nicholas J. Shea, Dominique T. Vuvan, and Christopher White. “Meter vs. Harmony as Key Determinant: Which One Wins?” Society for Music Perception and Cognition. Portland, OR.

2020. With Mark Gotham, Kyle Gullings, Chelsey Hamm, Brian Edward Jarvis, John Peterson, and Megan Lavengood. “Using Open Educational Resources for Inclusive, Flexible, and Innovative Music Theory Pedagogy.” Society for Music Theory. Virtual Meeting. 

2020. With Terrence Gatton and Dominique Vuvan. “Electrophysiological Correlates of  Style-Based Harmonic Expectation.” Future Directions in Music Cognition. Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA. 

2020. With Terrence Gatton and Dominique Vuvan. “Electrophysiological Correlates of  Style-Based Harmonic Expectation.” Neuroscience and Music VII: Connecting with music across the  lifespan, Aarhus, Denmark. 

2020. With Dominique Vuvan. “Style impacts listeners’ tonal-harmonic representation of Western music.” Canadian University Music Society, London, ON.

2019. With Dominique Vuvan and Rachel L. Chang. “Effect of prime variability on harmonic priming in rock and classical contexts.” Society for Music Perception and Cognition, New York, NY. 

2019. With Dominique Vuvan. “Style Impacts Listeners’ Tonal-Harmonic Representation of Western Music.” Society for Music Perception and Cognition, New York, NY. 

2019. With Dominique Vuvan. “Style Priming Impacts Perception of Tonal Hierarchy.” Canadian University Music Society, Vancouver. BC.

2018. With Dominique Vuvan. “Style Cue Density Affects the Processing of Harmonic Progressions.” 59th Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA

2018. With Lauren Vomberg. “Backbeat Affects Tempo Judgment.” Banff Annual Seminar in Cognitive Science, Banff, AB.        

2018. “Backbeat Affects Tempo Judgment.” Canadian University Music Society, Edmonton, AB.

2018. “Backbeat Affects Tempo Judgment.” International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition, Montreal, QC

2018. “The Effect of Harmony on the Activation of Phrase Schemata in  Twelve-Bar Blues Progressions.” International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition, Montreal, QC

2017. With Dominique Vuvan. “Different Musical Styles Engender Different Harmonic Expectancies.” Neuromusic VI, Boston, MA

2017. With Dominique Vuvan. “Different Musical Styles Engender Different Harmonic Expectancies.” Society for Music Perception and Cognition, San Diego, CA

2016. “The Effect of Backbeat on Metrical Hierarchy and Tempo Perception in Rock Music.” Making Time In Music, Oxford, UK

2016. “The Effect of Backbeat on Metrical Hierarchy and Tempo Perception in Rock Music.” AMS Pacific Northwest, Lethbridge, AB 

2015. With J. Daniel Jenkins, Nancy Rogers, and Adrian Childs. “Rethinking the Pedagogy of Post-Tonal Music.” Music Theory Southeast, Greenville, NC.

2013. With Philip Duker, Anna Gawboy, and Kris Shaffer. “Hacking the Music Theory Class: Pedagogical Tools That Increase Efficiency and Effectiveness.” Society for Music Theory, Charlotte, NC 

2012.  “Does Rock Play by its Own Rules? An Empirical Investigation of Harmonic Expectation in Rock Music.” Music Theory Society of the Mid-Atlantic Newark, DE

2012. “Does Rock Play by its Own Rules? An Empirical Investigation of Harmonic Expectation in Rock Music.” Music Theory Midwest Ann Arbor, MI.

2012. “Does Rock Play by its Own Rules? An Empirical Investigation of Harmonic Expectation in Rock Music.” Music: Cognition, Technology, Society Ithaca, NY 

2009. “The Effect of Style Priming on Harmonic Expectation.” Society for Music Perception and Cognition, Indianapolis, IN 

2009. “Out With the Old and In With the New, or, out With the New and In With the Old: Voice-Leading Strategies in the First Movement of Alfred Schnittke’s Concerto for Choir.” Society for Music Theory, Montreal, QC 

2009. “Out With the Old and In With the New, or, out With the New and In With the Old: Voice-Leading Strategies in the First Movement of Alfred Schnittke’s Concerto for Choir.” Music Theory Southeast, Orlando, FL 

2009. “Out With the Old and In With the New, or, out With the New and In With the Old: Voice-Leading Strategies in the First Movement of Alfred Schnittke’s Concerto for Choir.”Florida State University Music Theory Forum

2007. “Rock’s Compositional Space.” Music Theory Southeast, Athens, GA

2007. “Rock’s Compositional Space.” South Central Society for Music Theory, Baton Rouge, LA

2007. “Rock’s Compositional Space.” Florida State University Music Theory Forum, Tallahassee, FL 

2006. “Nevermind the Ursatz, Here’s the Recording.” The University of Western Ontario Graduate Student Symposium, London, ON 

2004. “The Use of Sonata Form and Motivic Concentration in the Early Atonal Works of Anton Webern; A Set-theoretical Analysis of Funf Satze fur Streichquartett, Op. 5, No.1.” The University of Western Ontario Graduate Student Symposium, London, ON 

Campus and Departmental Talks

2018. “Music and the Mind.” University of Lethbridge Exploring Fine Arts Day.

2017. “How To Start and Open Access Journal.” University of Lethbridge Open Access Week.

2017. “The Impact of Style on Music Cognition,” University of Lethbridge, 50 Years of Music and Music-Making Symposium. 

2017. “Music and the Mind.” University of Lethbridge Exploring Fine Arts Day.

2016. “Music and the Mind.” University of Lethbridge Exploring Fine Arts Day.

2014. “Using Technology in the College Music Classroom.” MTC Forum, The University of Miami

2019-2021. The Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) Course Redesign Grant, $30,000 USD

2018-2023. SSHRC Insight Development Grant, “The Effect of Style on Musical Syntax,” $27,323

2015-2016. SSHRC Explore Grant, $6000

University of Lethbridge

2020. Spring Music Perception and Cognition.

2020. Spring Music Theory IV.

2020. Spring Music Theory IV.

2019. Fall. Music Theory III.

2019. Fall. Analysis of Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century Music.

2019. Spring. Perception of Elapsed Time In Musical and Nonmusical Students (Independent Study with Thomas Paul).

2019. Spring. Corpus Studies and MIR Systems (Independent Study with Courtney McDermott).

2019. Spring. Music Theory II.

2019. Spring. Music Theory IV.

2019. Spring. Music Theory IV.

2018. Fall. Music Theory III..

2018. Fall. Analysis of Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century Music (formerly Theory V).

2018. Fall. The Linguistics of Music (Independent Study with Aaron Richardson).

2018. Fall. Music Perception and Cognition (Independent Study with Thomas Paul).

2018. Spring. Music Perception and Cognition (Independent Study with Lauren Vomberg)

2018. Spring. Music Theory II.

2018. Spring. Music Theory IV.

2017. Fall. Music Theory I.

2017. Fall. Music Theory III.

2017. Fall. Analysis of Popular Music Since 1950.

2017. Spring. Music Theory II.

2017. Spring. Music Theory IV.

2017. Spring. History and Analysis of Rap Music II (Independent Study with Sianne Petrisor). 

2016. Fall. Music Theory I.

2016. Fall. Music Theory III.

2016. Fall. Music Theory V. 

2016. Fall. History and Analysis of Rap Music (Independent Study with Sianne Petrisor). 

2016. Spring. Music Theory IV.

2016. Spring. Form and Analysis. 

2015. Fall. Music Theory III.

2015. Fall. Analysis of Popular Music Since 1950. 

University of Miami

2015. Spring. Music Theory II. 

2015. Spring. Music Theory IV. 

2015. Spring. Analysis of Popular Music Since 1950.

2014. Fall. Music Theory I. 

2014. Fall. Music Theory III. 

2014. Fall. Music Theory Pedagogy. 

2014. Spring. Music Theory II. 

2014. Spring. Music Theory IV. 

2014. Spring. Advanced Comprehensive Theory. 

2013. Fall. Music Theory I. 

2013. Fall. Music Theory III. 

2013. Fall. Music Theory Pedagogy.

2013. Spring. Music Theory II. 

2013. Spring. Music Theory IV. 

2013. Spring. Advanced Comprehensive Theory. 

2012. Fall. Music Theory I.

2012. Fall. Music Theory III.

2012. Fall. Music Theory Pedagogy. 

Ithaca College

2012. Summer. Music Theory II. 

2012. Spring. Analysis of Music Since 1900.

2012. Spring. Sightsinging II.

2012. Spring. Music Theory III.

2011. Fall. Sightsinging I.

2011. Fall. Music Theory II.

Graduate Advising

(In progress). Courtney McDermott (MA, Multidisciplinary Fine Arts, University of Lethbridge)

2019. Lauren Vomberg (MA, Psychology, University of Lethbridge)

2019. Brandon Chernow (MM, Trumpet, University of Lethbridge)

2013. Michael Palmese (MA, Musicology, University of Miami)

2013. Jorge Molodell (MA, Musicology, University of Miami)

2013. Karen Lord-Powell (MM, Violin, University of Miami)