Dr. Olivia Lucas Receives Prestigious Emerging Scholar Award

The LSU School of Music is proud to announce that Dr. Olivia Lucas has received the 2024

Emerging Scholar Award (Article) from the Society of Music Theory (SMT) for her article “Performing Analysis, Performing Metal,” that was published in one of the Society’s flagship journals, Music Theory Online.  

Dr. Lucas’ article presents a case study of the analytical light show, a term that she coined.

Her study offers a groundbreaking framework for understanding the intricacy of light shows for the extreme metal band Meshuggah and how they contribute an interpretive layer that not only promotes multi-sensory engagement, but also actively guides listeners through the formal structures of songs while enhancing interpretive engagement.

The Emerging Scholar Award (Article) is given to authors for articles or book chapters published no more than seven calendar years after receiving their Ph.D. (or, in the case of non-Ph.D. holders, before the age of forty). This award, along with others conferred by the SMT, recognizes significant and exceptional contributions to the discipline of music theory.

Dr. Olivia Lucas currently serves an Assistant Professor of Music Theory at Louisiana State University where she has developed courses on rhythm and meter, analysis of metal music, music and violence, and sonata form. Her teaching spans all levels of music theory. She particularly enjoys teaching courses in popular music along with ones that help non-majors from diverse backgrounds develop critical listening skills.

Dr. Lucas’ interdisciplinary research combines music theory with ethnography, sound studies, and ecomusicology, with a focus on extreme metal music. She is particularly interested in the unique challenges this genre presents, such as extreme loudness, complex rhythms, screamed vocals, and how these elements push the boundaries of traditional analytical methods.

For more information on LSU’s School of Music, degree programs, and the Music Theory area of study, please visit www.lsu.edu/cmda/music

About the LSU School of Music

The LSU School of Music offers one of the nation’s most comprehensive music programs and serves as a cultural arts center for Louisiana. The school boasts an acclaimed faculty, along with a world-renowned network of visiting artists who are innovators in their fields.

About the Society for Music Theory

The Society for Music Theory promotes the development of and engagement with music theory as a scholarly and pedagogical discipline. The Society embraces diverse approaches and perspectives, ranging from conceptual to practical, and is committed to fostering diversity, inclusivity, and gender equity in the field.

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