Derek J. Myler is Assistant Professor of Music Theory at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. He holds the PhD in Music Theory from the Eastman School of Music (2023), the MM in Music Theory from the University of Utah (2018), and the BM in Vocal Performance from Weber State University (2015). Most of Derek’s research explores listener experience, especially as it relates to temporality; conceived broadly, this project recruits a wide array of disciplines, including music theory and analysis, cognitive science, and the philosophy of time. Derek specializes in a diverse range of repertoires, including the music of Charles Ives, Polish folk musics and the mazurka in the long nineteenth century, and music for children’s media. He has presented his work on these topics regionally, nationally, and internationally, and recent publications have appeared or are forthcoming in the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy and SMT-V, the online videocast journal of the Society for Music Theory.
Derek’s musical passions lie chiefly in teaching. He was awarded Eastman’s Teaching Assistant Prize for Excellence in Teaching in the first year of his PhD program and the University of Rochester’s Edward Peck Curtis Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student in his third year. Before pursuing a career as a professional theorist, Derek enjoyed working as a music director and vocal coach for community theatres, as a collaborative pianist, and as a piano tuner and technician. Outside the world of music, he enjoys kayaking with his wife Shelby and their two daughters, as well as running, biking, and bread baking.