Oklahoma City University : Bass School of Music

OCU : Bass School of Music : Faculty

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Dave Easley
Assistant Professor of Music Theory

Email: dbeasley@okcu.edu
Phone: (405) 208-5623
Office: FAB 314

Degrees: Ph.D. in music theory, Florida State University (2011)
M.M. in music theory, Louisiana State University (2005)
B.M. in music theory & composition, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (2003)
B.A. in music merchandising, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (2003)

Previous Teaching Appointments
Adjunct Instructor, Florida State University (2010)
Teaching Assistant, Florida State University (2007–2010)
Adjunct Instructor, St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley (2006–2007)
Teaching Assistant, Louisiana State University (2003–2005)

Research Interests
Dr. Easley’s current research centers on approaches to analyzing and interpreting recorded music; his dissertation explores these two items in relation to early American hardcore punk rock (1978–1983). Included are chapters devoted to the construction of guitar riffs, form, the analysis of recordings, as well as an exploration of the cultural aspects of genre and meaning in hardcore. He has presented papers drawn from this research at the 2011 joint meeting of the South Central Society for Music Theory and Music Theory Southeast, at which he was awarded the “Best Student Paper,” as well as at Music Theory Midwest (2011).

On the other side of the spectrum, Dr. Easley is also interested in musical meaning, as well as literary and critical theory and their application in the analysis of music, particularly the operas of Giuseppe Verdi. He has presented papers drawn from this research at various national and regional conferences, including the Semiotic Society of America (2009), South Central Society for Music Theory (2005 and 2010), and Music Theory Southeast (2010). In addition, Dr. Easley studied approaches to narrative theory and musical meaning with Michael Klein at the 2010 Society for Music Theory Graduate Student Workshop Program.

Teaching Philosophy
“As an instructor, my goals are to provide students with basic musicianship skills while also engaging them to think critically. Most of all, I seek to create lifelong learners. To this end, I encourage the performance, composition, and analysis of a wide range of musical styles and genres, all in an effort to create a dynamic classroom. Whether fostering fluency of materials and concepts, or the ability to transfer concept to practice, I strive to create learning experiences that move beyond the classroom and into a student’s everyday life as a musician.”