Music Theory Faculty
Dr. Fred Hosken is an Assistant Professor of Music Theory at Butler University, where he is the coordinator of the music theory and aural skills curriculum. His research specializes in the perception and production of groove and focuses on how musicians create and manipulate unique “feels,” such as “laid back” and “tight,” through their performances. This approach to music theory, analysis, and interpretation allows for a deeper understanding of how subtle timing variations contribute to the overall character of musical grooves.
Dr. Hosken earned his Ph.D. in Music Theory & Cognition from Northwestern University. Prior to his doctoral studies, he completed an MSt in Musicology at the University of Oxford and a BMus at King’s College London.
Before joining Butler University, Dr. Hosken taught music theory at SUNY Potsdam and Georgetown University. At these institutions, he taught core curriculum courses as well as a range of liberal arts classes focused on the culturally situated analysis and interpretation of music. Additionally, he expanded his pedagogical reach by teaching pop music analysis as part of a degree-bearing course at the Patuxent Institution, a maximum-security correctional facility in Maryland. This experience underscores his commitment to accessible and diverse music education.
His scholarly work includes a publication in Psychology of Music (2020), where he explored the subjective experience of groove. In 2021, he collaborated with a groove research team in Lucerne, Switzerland to created and publish research datasets of drum performances, capturing precise timing details from professional musicians. Dr. Hosken’s forthcoming articles will further explore the vernacular language of “feel” used by performers, offering new theoretical perspectives on rhythmic performances. He serves on the editorial board of Theory and Practice and is a reviews editor for the IASPM Journal.
Dr. David Orvek is a Lecturer in Music Theory at Butler University. He holds degrees in music theory from Southern Adventist University (B.S.), The Ohio State University (M.A.), and Indiana University (Ph.D.). His research is published in the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, and he has presented research on Brian Ferneyhough, music theory pedagogy, the music of Elizabeth Maconchy, and mathematical music theory at regional, national, and international conferences. David serves as an editorial assistant for Music Theory Spectrum and has served as a co-editor for Indiana Theory Review and the chair of the technology committee for Music Theory Midwest. In his free time, he enjoys abstract painting, reading, and programming.
