ABSTRACT
This chapter is a reflection on the experience of being an African American woman in the field of music theory. The author describes her musical roots in the oral tradition of the Black Pentecostal church and the creative skill set she gained from that foundation. She describes tensions between her African American musical heritage and the value judgments intrinsic to the Eurocentric curriculum she completed in pursuit of her academic credentials. She concludes that the field of music theory best serves students when it encourages the development of respectful curiosity about music representing varying cultural perspectives.
