Journal of Schenkerian Studies

History

The journal was run by graduate students for the publication of its first four volumes. It was thereafter, until 2020, run under the guidance of Timothy L. Jackson and Stephen Slottow. The journal was until 2020 edited by Benjamin Graf. In May 2021, the University of North Texas launched a search for a new editor or editorial team to "restructure and rebrand the journal to promote its long term viability".

The first 11 volumes are freely available online. Vol. 12 was unavailable as of August 2020, but its table of contents and pp. 126–214 are available elsewhere.

2020 Special issue

In 2020, the journal released a special issue responding to a keynote address at the 2019 conference of the Society for Music Theory by Philip Ewell, titled "Music Theory's White Racial Frame." Ewell's thesis was that because of Schenker's widely acknowledged racism, it was important for contemporary music theorists to consider how using his analytical techniques may lead to bias in modern music scholarship.

In the special issue, Jackson argued that the "fundamental reason for the paucity of African-American women and men in the field of music theory is that few grow up in homes where classic music is profoundly valued." Other authors rejected Ewell's notion that Schenker's racism was connected to his method of analyzing music.

In response, the executive board of the Society for Music Theory released a statement criticizing the journal for its "anti-Black statements and personal ad hominem attacks" on Ewell, as well as its neglect of peer review and failure to invite a written response by Ewell. The Yale University Department of Music also released a statement criticizing the special issue.

In response, the University of North Texas convened a panel to review the circumstances around the creation of the special issue. The panel was composed of five current or former scholarly journal editors from outside the institution. The panel was charged only with reviewing the circumstances around the creation and editing of the issue, and not the contents of the articles themselves. The panel concluded that best scholarly practices were not followed in creation of the issue and recommended significant changes to the editorial structure and policies of the journal. Following the release of the report, the chair of the department told Jackson via email that he could not "support a plan according to which [he] would remain involved in the day-to-day operations of the journal, and its editorial process in particular, given the panel's findings of editorial mismanagement."

On January 14, 2021, Jackson filed a lawsuit against eight members of the University of North Texas Board of Regents, seventeen faculty members in the Division of Music History, Theory, and Ethnomusicology, and one PhD student and teaching fellow, alleging violation of his First Amendment rights and defamation of character. After four years of litigation, the lawsuit was settled in July 2025. In the settlement, Jackson received $725,000 from UNT in damages and legal costs. The University agreed to resume publication of the Journal with Jackson as Editor in chief.

References

References

1. [https://web.archive.org/web/20201213042630/http://mhte.music.unt.edu/journal-schenkerian-studies ''Journal of Schenkerian Studies''] Home page (archived)
2. (2020). "Journal of Schenkerian Studies, Vol 12". Journal of Shenkerian Studies.
3. "Journal of Schenkerian Studies (archived)". University of North Texas.
4. (July 2020). "Vol. 12 Symposium". Journal of Schenkerian Studies.
5. (14 February 2021). "Obscure Musicology Journal Sparks Battles Over Race and Free Speech". [[The New York Times]].
6. (September 2020). "Music Theory's White Racial Frame". Music Theory Online.
7. (7 August 2020). "Music theory journal criticized for symposium on supposed white supremacist theorist". [[Inside Higher Ed]].
8. "Response to Philip Ewell". Journal of Schenkerian Studies.
9. (December 2024). ["A Response to Philip Ewell"](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/dentonrc.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/78/878c0227-527d-5457-abe9-2912a2023c2b/6020374fd3a80.pdf }}{{Dead link). Journal of Schenkerian Studies.
10. "Executive Board response to essays in the Journal of Schenkerian Studies Vol. 12 | SMT". [[Society for Music Theory]].
11. "Statement in Support of Philip Ewell | Department of Music". [[Yale School of Music]].
12. "Report of Review of Conception And Production of Vol. 12 of The Journal of Schenkerian Studies". University of North Texas.
13. (28 January 2021). "Countering Allegations of Racism -- In Court".
14. "Jackson v. Wright".