K. Christian McGuire - Bio, CV, Research Interests
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Biography
A native of northeastern Iowa, K. Christian McGuire is a Saint Paul,
Minnesota based instructor, composer, author, carpenter, clinician,
electric bassist and musicologist whose primary research
interests lie with Historical Musicology, Philosophy, Anthropology
and Philology (and anything else that pertains to primary sources
[Paleography / Codicology and Archaelogy] of XI-XIII Century development
of liturgical practices in the Rheinland.
McGuire serves on the faculty at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN where he teaches music history, music fundamentals, and small group improvisation ensembles. He also designed and teaches the curriculum for Augsburg's Electric Bass program the first of its kind which incorporates classical orchestral, ensemble, solo works written specifically for the instrument.
He has also served as an adjuct instructor of Music History at the McNally-Smith College Music in St. Paul, MN since 2005 and was on the team that co-developed the NASM approved Music History sequence for its baccalaureate programs.
Between 2004 and 2008, he served on the board for the Minnesota High School Music Listening Contest as musicologist, authoring & editing study guides and 3 CDs worth of musical samples (authored: 2004-05(08-09), 2005-06 and 2007-08 study guides, edited 2006-07(98-99).
As a composer, he specializes in pedagological works. His Spring Suite for Young Voices (available in multiple transpositions) was a commissioned work where each movement is designed to exercise specific musical elements. For instance the 3rd mvt, "I Know" utilizes a blatant sarabande rhythm in homophonic texture. Choristers are expected to work on precise attacks & releases at really soft dynamics without dropping pitch.
As a performer, McGuire is probably best known for his work as a recording session bassist and arranger as well as his past work in the 1990s with the Twin Cities based Green Pyramids and Nero's House Band. In recent years he has dedicated much of his time to both conducting and playing bass in musical theatre especially with those organizations focused on arts education such as Ashland Productions.
When not conducting musicological research or jamming with his kids, he like American football…he likes sitting and watching (and playing) football, bicycling, cross-country skiing, Yoga, baseball, chess, ping-pong, JavaScript as well as Klingon, astronomy, reading texts on philosophy, anthropology, US history and fencing with foil and/or German Longsword. He lives in the Como Park neighborhood of Saint Paul with his wife, two children and orange tabby cat.
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Research interests
* Development of Cistercian Liturgical Practice in mid to late 12th
century Rheinland - Women's communities / Also Hirsau Reform, Victorines;
Servite practice
* Hildegard in Context: Transmission, Corruption and Restoration of
a 12th Century Magistra.
* Codicology & Paleography / Indexing / source studies and transmissions
/ Digital Tools (tracking down suspected 12th century RI antiphoners).
* Medieval Philosophy (especially of Music) / Calcidius-Timaeus /
(The Role of the Musicus: from Plato to Simone Weil)
* The Quadrivium (especially Music and Astronomy - from Martianus
Capella & Boethius through Brian May)
* History of Improvisation from Early through modern Art music / Performance
Practice & Methods of Reconstruction
* Music Archaeology
* Endangered Language and Music/Art projects - "Liturgies"
of endangered World Cultures.
* Anthropological Linguistics and Historical Ethnomusicology
* Natural and Magical Philosophy of Music in Context (from A. Kircher
to Mozart's "Dice Game")
* Opera as Liturgy: Act IV of Le Nozze di Figaro.
* History and Performance practice of the Electric Bass in the modern Orchestra (a sort of updated Rimsky-K treatise)
* Secular music of the Rheinland
* German Philology
* Byzantine and Arabic sources
* Medieval and Byzantine influences in the works of Martin Luther.
* 19th Century Lutheran Liturgy & Hymnody from Alsace to Indiana,
Iowa, Nebraska and Washington.
* History, Performance, and Orchestral
Timbres of the Electric Bass
* Late 1960s/early 1970s Heavy
Blues and Progressive Rock
Education
PhD (in progress)
MA Musicology, University
of Minnesota (2007)
- Symphonia
Caritatis: The Cistercian Chants of Hildegard von Bingen
- Symphonia
Caritatis (PDF 1,233 Kb)
Donna
Cardamone Jackson, adviser
BA Philosophy, minor Classical Languages, Luther
College (1992)
- Rooting the Arts: A Home for the Musician in the Philosophy of
Simone Weil*
Kent Simmonds, thesis adviser / Loyal
D. Rue, student adviser
Richard
Simon Hanson, mentor / Wilfred F. Bunge (Greek N.T. Textual Criticism)
-Study Abroad, University
of Nottingham, U.K. (1990-91)
** Recent Metaphysics and Epistemology (Robert
Kirk and Terry
E. Wilkerson)
** Moral Philosophy of Hume and Kant (Roger
Gallie and Michael
Clark)
** Philosophy of Science (Robert
Black and Dieter
Peetz)
Teaching Experience
Augsburg
College, Faculty
MUS-130 - Introduction to Music in the Fine Arts
MUS-160 - Fundamentals of Music
MUE-129 A / B - Improvisation / Rock / Jazz Ensembles
MUP-116,216,316,416 - Electric Bass Instruction
MUS-319 - History of Western Art
Music I: Chant to Bach
MUS-329 - History of Western Art Mus II: Mozart to Today
MUS-118 - History of Popular Music in America
MUS-109-S An Analytical
Survey of Western Art Music 800CE to present
MUS-109 - Introduction to
Music History
Past Teaching Assistantships:
University
of Minnesota
Music 1804: The Worlds of Music (assisting Miriam
Gerberg for Mirjana
Lausevic)
Music 3029/Humanities 3029: Music in the 20th Century (assisting Donna
Cardamone Jackson)
Past Work Experience:
Schmitt
Music
Store
Manager: Maplewood (1997-2001)
Sales & Product Trainer / Combo Instrument Specialist: Brooklyn
Center (1994-1997)
Presentations & Publications
Assistant Instructor and Presenter: A Brief Introduction to
Medieval Music Manuscripts and Sources, Minnesota
Manuscript Research Laboratory at co-sponsored by the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (HMML) and the
Center for Medieval Studies, University of Minnesota. May 31-June 5, 2009
Presider, Hildegard von Bingen: Bridges to Infinity at 44th
International Congress on Medieval Studies May 7-10, 2009
- Symphonia Caritatis: The
Cistercian Chants of Hildegard von Bingen at 43rd International
Congress on Medieval Studies May 8-11, 2008
- Hildegard and the Cistercian Plan at International Society of Hildegard von Bingen Studies, 25th Anniversary, "Bridges to Infinity" at Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia May 2008
- Symphonia Caritatis: The
Cistercian Chants of Hildegard von Bingen Forthcoming
Minnesota High School Music Listening Contest, musicologist, Web-master & board member (2004-2008)
- 2007-08, 2005-06, 2004-05 (08-09)
Minnesota High School Listening Contest Study Guide and Exams
Author and Host. 100-129 pages with three audio CDs, engineered and produced in personal studio Grianeala Publishing.
Memberships and Affiliations
American
Musicological Society
American Composers Forum
Center for Medieval Studies,
UofM
International
Boethius Society
International Musicological Society
* Cantus Planus - IMS Study
Group
International Society of
Hildegard von Bingen Studies, Treasurer & Webmaster
Minnesota Chorale, baritone;
elected singer representative to the board 2002-2003; 2003-2004