Il Barbiere di Siviglia-A Discussion with Clifton Boyd, Music Theory-Yale University

The Italian Studies Department Presents: ITAL157-Opera through Film Event

Clifton Boyd is a music theorist and scholar-activist basedin New York City. His research lies at the intersection of (racial) identity, politics, and social justice in American popular music. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in music theory at Yale University. His dissertation, “The Role of Vernacular Music Theory in the American Barbershop Community,” uses the Barbershop Harmony Society as a case study to examine how institutions instrumentalize music theory to uphold discriminatory sociopolitical values within their communities. His work has been supported by fellowships from the American Musicological Society, the Society for American Music, and the American Council of Learned Societies, among others. He is also the founder of Project Spectrum, a graduate student-led coalition committed to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in music academia.