Ithaca College

Professor Timothy Johnson (Chair, Music Theory, History, and Composition) presented on the symbiotic relationship between music theory and mathematics as the opening keynote address for the Mathematical Association of America Seaway Section Conference held November 1-2 at Ithaca College.

Professor Johnson educated and entertained the audience of mathematicians and mathematics undergraduates with his presentation, "From the Banquet Table to Musical and Mathematical Spaces" given as part of the opening banquet on Friday, November 1.  Fundamental principles of basic music theory were illustrated by means of geometric representations of musical constructs, for which Professor Johnson used a banquet table as a model. Drawing on research in mathematical music theory, Professor Johnson led the audience on an exploration of mathematical principles behind certain aspects of the diatonic (for example, the C major scale) and other collections.