Acknowledgements

This textbook is based on what I have learned as a professor, having taught music theory for over 20 years at six universities (University of California at Santa Barbara, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory at The National University of Singapore, Northeastern University, University of Denver, University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley, and Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi). I am thankful to all my students, past and present.

I am also grateful to the Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi Bell Library: to the iCreate Lab, for allowing me to create the video lectures in their wonderful space, to Lisa Louis, who encouraged me every step of the way, and to Alexa Hight, Joseph Doan, and Karole Shroeder.

I am thankful to Steve Laitz, who guided me for years on the process of writing a textbook. I would also like to thank Jonathon Garcia, for his work on musical notation, Andre Mount, for his help with coding, James Morgan, for writing the funky music to the introduction of the video lectures, Courtney Anderson for the beautiful photograph used for the front cover, and Lucero León, for designing the brilliant logo and animation for the introduction of the video lectures.

Writing a book is not possible without the support of friends and family. I would like to thank Sean Christiansen, Courtney Anderson, John Weber, and Beatriz Ruggero for being my pillars. I’d also like to thank Devin Tau for his generosity in supporting this project. Finally, I am eternally grateful for the love of my family—Mom, Dad, John, Kim, Cameron and Kaden—for whom this book is dedicated.