Banquet Address: SMT, Rochester, 1987

Abstract

To President Lewin, to President-Elect Wittlich, Vice President Lewis Rowell, Treasurer Mary Wennerstrom, Secretary Richmond Browne, Members-at-large of the Executive Board, and, last-but not least-to the some 700 members of the Society for Music Theory I offer congratulations on this very pleasant and auspicious occasion, which celebrates the first decade of our society's existence. On behalf of the Society, I thank the Program Committee and its chairman, Robert Morris, for the very fine way in which it designed the program. I should say that Professor Morris has asked me to tell you that, due to circumstances beyond his control, the Committee is unable to fulfill its plan to offer a door prize, which was to have been a 500-word abstract of Generalized Musical Intervals and Transformations. The person in charge of local arrangements also deserves our commendation and sympathy. His name is David Beach, and if you have complaints about the food served tonight, Dr. Beach will be happy to make adjustments. Finally, an expression of sincere appreciation to the Eastman School of Music and to its Director, Robert Freeman, who, in another life, would have been a music theorist, I feel sure. When Robert Morris invited me to speak at the annual banquet of the Society for Music Theory I realized that this was an offer I could not refuse, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for exposure of the kind usually available only to someone like Marine Colonel Oliver North. Therefore, I thought it would be appropriate to begin with a short autobiographical sketch of about forty-five minutes in length. Fortunately for all of us, my wife was able to suppress my enthusiasm for that undertaking. However, I would like to share an autobiographical anecdote with you, one that may have some significance for the future of our field. Not long ago I received a telephone call from Yale University Press saying that someone was trying to get in touch with me to offer me a research grant. Naturally, this attracted my attention, since there are so few opportunities for funded projects outside academia. I was to get in touch with one at a New York City number, which I duly rang. Someone at the other end answered Research, so I knew I was on the right track. When Tony came on the phone I was further encouraged because he pronounced my last name correctly. Tony proceeded to tell me that he knew of me as an authority on a certain type of musical analysis, Schenker analysis, and asked me if I would like to carry out a research project for his advertising company, the Marschak Corporation. This would entail applying techniques of Schenker analysis to beer commercials, to determine what Tony called commonalities. The results of this research would then be transmitted to prospective clients with a view to obtaining their advertising business. I then did something which I have regretted ever since: I politely declined, mumbling something about lack of time, other commitments, and so on. Had I but been less hasty I could even