Chris Tonelli
B.A. Trent
M.A. University of California, San Diego
Ph.D. University of California, San Diego
Chris Tonelli works at the intersections of ethnomusicology, musicology, popular music studies, and critical theory/cultural studies. Before arriving in St John’s he held the position of Lecturer in Contemporary Music and Culture at the New Zealand School of Music. His graduate work was completed in the Critical Studies and Experimental Practices in Music program at the University of California, San Diego under the supervision of Dr. Jann Pasler, Dr. Mitchell Morris, and Dr. Jocelyne Guilbault.
His research interests include transnational flows of music between Japan and North America; experiences of musical pastiche and other forms of musical imitation; the relationships between voice, embodiment, and identity; North American popular music since the mid-19th Century; music, race, and masculinity; and improvisation. He believes strongly that developing one’s critical thinking skills has a strong and positive effect on their musical development, and is sure that musical practice has helped many great thinkers produce their most important works.
As a vocalist and soundsinger he has performed solo and collaborative improvisatory performances and composed works in Canada, the United States, Mexico, New Zealand, and Japan. He has worked with artists like Paul Dutton, Makigami Koichi, Tomomi Adachi, Guy Obrecht, Jude Weirmeir, David Wightman, Justin DeHart, Uday Krishnakumar, Mark Dresser, Clint McCallum, Lukas Ligeti, James Ilgenfritz, Charlie Wilmoth, Reiko Manabe, Toshi Makihara, Don Nichols, Steve Willard, Joe Sarlo, Marianthi Papalexandri-Alexandri, and Roger Reynolds.
