Taruskin’s Great Contributions and a Few Shortcomings

Among the most needed, and durable, features of Richard Taruskin’s life’s work was his consistent interpretation of music and music-making within and against their societal and cultural contexts. This stood in contrast to the positivistic methodologies that German, British, and American musicology valued in the 1960s–70s: instances of the latter include the making of reliable critical editions and, in a very different sense, various “the notes only” methods of music analysis. The breadth of Taruskin’s vision and his command of musical and cultural history are apparent in the enormous “Nationalism” entry in the 2001 edition of Grove (now available at OxfordWesternMusic.com). The origin of that entry, in a suggestion from this article’s author to Grove editor Stanley Sadie, is here told for the first time. Taruskin’s strongest writings include the article “Resisting the Ninth” (Beethoven’s) and books on Musorgsky and Russian music more broadly. His combination of passionate advocacy and writerly skill is apparent in his writings on the Bach cantatas, in his skewering of the claims of high modernists such as Elliott Carter, and in his identifying the trend of Historical Performance Practice (e.g., “authentic” instruments and a totally steady tempo) as a strongly modernist trend, closely analogous to the highly objective (non-emotive) neoclassicism of Stravinsky and the highly precise and literal performing style that arguably best suited Stravinsky’s music. Taruskin’s 6-volume Oxford History of Western Music has been critiqued for omitting folk and popular musics as well as jazz. But critics have neglected to point out that OHWM also omits entire genres that rely closely on written scores, such as operetta, Broadway musicals, and music composed for films. These, no less than symphonies or operas, deserve to be discussed as part of the “Western literate tradition.” Taruskin should have addressed this inconsistency or limitation but never did

Transforming “The Ox”

This reminiscence recounts my experience transforming Richard Taruskin’s six-volume The Oxford History of Western Music into a single-volume textbook. At Taruskin’s suggestion, I was approached in 2005 by Oxford University Press to see if I was interested in taking on the daunting task of drastically abridging, extensively reshaping, and judiciously augmenting his monumental history. I did so with practical considerations in mind: limitations on space, concrete pedagogical aims, and sharing his desire to tell a compelling story. I worked with editors of the accompanying anthologies and recordings to decide which compositions should receive particular attention and emphasis. In this article, I recount the process of writing the textbook, from Oxford’s initial commission through its appearance in 2012. I include email correspondence with Taruskin about the project and his reactions along the way

Tech Leap or Tech Lag: Latin America\u27s Quest to Keep up with Emerging Technologies

This paper analyzes how Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries adopt or develop emerging technologies (ET) such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), quantum computing, 5G networks, and cybersecurity. The region depends on imported technology and lacks internal development, which limits its ability to innovate and compete globally, thus preventing it from fully capitalizing on ETs economic opportunities. One of the key challenges identified is the significant disparity in ET investment compared to regions like North America, Europe, and Asia, where large-scale government and private sector initiatives drive technological innovation. Regional governments struggle to secure sufficient funding for research and development and lack clear regulatory frameworks that promote ET adoption and address ethical and security concerns.https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/jgi_research/1071/thumbnail.jp

Building Reflexive Capacity for the Developing Specialized Literacy Professional through Praxis: Graduate Level Course-Based Assessments as Change Agents

This paper shares findings from a qualitative content analysis of twenty-three literacy specialist candidates\u27 (N=23) textual descriptions of transformative changes made to their pedagogical beliefs about reading/literacy theory and models after engaging in praxis. We found engaging in praxis or reflective practices resulted in awareness of critical incidents or critical realizations that validated and challenged their beliefs of literacy pedagogy, and student learning, as well as impacted their decision-making. We confirmed that when intentionally and meaningfully built into an assessment, critical pedagogy theory (specifically praxis) is a strong tool for both the professor and the literacy specialist candidate

Shadow Games: Russian Disinformation, Criminal Networks, and Strategic Encroachment in the Central Andes

This report examines Russia’s increasing influence in the Central Andes, specifically in Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador, and highlights the adverse outcomes associated with this influence. Russia has significantly expanded its regional presence through security, diplomatic, and disinformation channels, taking advantage of geopolitical instability and economic vulnerabilities. Key developments include Russia’s involvement in Bolivia’s energy sector, particularly oil and lithium, mainly through its giant state-controlled companies Gazprom and Rosatom. Russian disinformation has also significantly amplified propaganda, mainly through Bolivia’s Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) government. It has also used media manipulation to limit dissent and silence opposition, using its leverage and connections to increase its gray zone footprint in the region. Although Russian influence is most pronounced in Bolivia, changing electoral and geopolitical dynamics in Peru and Ecuador could potentially contribute to expanding it in those two countries.https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/jgi_research/1070/thumbnail.jp