Margaret (Midge) Thomas

Midge Thomas is a music theorist with a particular interest in the rhythmic practices of contemporary art music, jazz, and popular musics. Her research extends into rhythm pedagogy, curricular design, and equity pedagogy. Through an ongoing collaboration with Professor Ruth Grahn, she is investigating connections between music, the brain, and resilience.

Thomas has presented her research at regional, national, and international conferences, including the annual meetings of the Society for Music Theory, College Music Society, and the New England Conference of Music Theorists. Her research has been published in Music Theory Online, Journal of Music Theory, Current Musicology, Engaging Students: Essays in Music Pedagogy, Perspectives of New Music, Intégral, Ex tempore, American Music Review, and the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. In 2011 Thomas co-authored a book chapter with Robert Richter (Director of Arts Programming) on team teaching.

Through her teaching Professor Thomas strives to share with her students the power that music theory, aural skills, and analysis have to open new paths for understanding and performing music. Recent courses include first-year seminars, music theory courses ranging from foundational theory to tonal and post-tonal theory, and specialized seminars on music and emotion, and rhythm, meter, and musical time.

Thomas is the 2020 recipient of the Helen Brooks Regan Faculty Leadership award, presented annually to a tenured faculty member whose outstanding service in a leadership role exemplifies the College's commitment to shared governance, democratic process and campus community development.

Visit the music department website.

Majoring in Music.

"Time is the last frontier of music."
- Conlon Nancarrow