Acknowledgements

In all of my presentations, I always like to include acknowledgments for the people that have supported me. And while I am just getting started on my dissertation, I’d like to express my gratitude to those who have helped me reach this point in my PhD journey. I thank my advisor, Landon Morrison, who has been working closely with me since his arrival at Eastman in the fall of 2024. His insights, advice, and seemingly endless supply of sources have made me a deeper thinker, a better writer, and more thoughtful teacher. He has always encouraged me to look beyond the musical text without losing sight of it—an approach that has fundamentally shaped how I think about this and other projects. I also thank Ben Baker, my second reader, for his continued support, encouragement, and generosity over the years. I’ve known Ben since I was an undergraduate and he was a graduate student, and he has always been exceptionally kind and thoughtful, always providing exceptional feedback on my work. Rounding off my proposal committee, I thank Darren Mueller for the opportunity to work with him again. Darren’s Sound Studies seminar was perhaps my favorite class I’ve taken at Eastman, and the critical thinking and (especially) reading skills I developed there are ones I continue to rely on every day.

I also thank Jonathan Dunsby, Chair of the Graduate Curriculum Committee, for helping organize this process. I thank Bill Marvin (Theory PhD Program Advisor) and Zack Bernstein (Chair of the Eastman Music Theory Department) for their guidance throughout my time in the program thus far. I am also grateful to Hanisha Kulothparan for her willingness to talk through the proposal process. I thank all of my students in my TH230 J-pop elective that I am currently teaching: many of the ideas and topics in this dissertation are ones I have the privilege to discuss with exceptionally bright students twice a week. Big thanks to my Comps 2 group: Kaylee Bernard, Daniel Chang, and Floris Van der Veken. I would not be here today if we had not gone through that experience together, and our regular readings meetings have greatly improved my thinking. My undergraduate advisor, Philip Stoecker, and my master’s advisor, Poundie Burstein, have been lifelong mentors to me, always willing to read my current work, talk through ideas, and offer their support in countless ways. Even years after graduation, they continue to support me with the same generosity and care.