Coleman Named the Carl F. Willard Distinguished Teacher

10/24/2024

Dr. Ian Coleman, professor of music and chair of the Department of Performing Arts, will deliver the Carl F. Willard Lecture at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, in Yates-Gill College Union, Room 221. His lecture is titled, "Getting to the Heart of the Matter: Identifying the Driving Force Behind Common Practice Music and What It Reveals About Western Society." All are welcome to join us for this free event.

Using certain musical progressions, composers can create an expectation in listeners that is extremely powerful. There is a fundamental relationship that lies behind these compositional techniques and is at the heart of what we know as the 'Common Practice' music theory system. This relationship reveals the very essence of Western harmonic progression and demonstrates how artistic practice reflects the society in which it was created. It is my intent to demonstrate this relationship, reveal how it works, and suggest ways in which it might impact our view of so-called 'classical' music."

The Willard Distinguished Teacher Award, named after former Jewell Trustee Carl F. Willard, is granted to one outstanding Jewell educator each year. Faculty members are nominated for the award by a committee of peers, and the president and vice president of academic affairs then select the winner, who is invited to give a lecture as part of the award.