Music Theory
Sam Falotico
PhD in Theory
STUDENT PROFILE
Sam Falotico (sfalotic@u.rochester.edu) is a second-year Ph.D. student and Sproull Fellow in music theory. His research takes an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of contemporary J-pop (c. 2010–present), drawing from music theory & musicology, media theory, pop-cultural studies/discourse, and literary theory. His current work focuses on issues of intermediality, identity, and intertextuality in the works of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Momoiro Clover Z, and YOASOBI—which will likely be the subject of his dissertation. Additionally, Sam has strong interests in anison (anime song) and anime OPs/EDs; jazz theory/analysis, particularly the music of Hiromi; musical form; issues of transcription; and the music of Harry T. Burleigh. He has presented over a dozen papers on these and other topics at regional and national conferences.
Sam currently serves as a teaching assistant at Eastman, and he has previously taught as an adjunct at Hofstra University; as an adjunct and graduate TA at Hunter College; and as a graduate TA at the University of Colorado Boulder. Active in the discipline, he serves as co-chair of SMT’s Analysis of World Musics Interest Group (two-year term, 2025–2026) and as a member-at-large on SMT’s Information Technology Committee (three-year term, 2025–2027). He is also a web manager of Intégral, Eastman’s peer-reviewed music theory journal, for volumes 38 and 39.
Outside of music and academia, Sam works full-time as an optometric technician and apprentice optician at LensCrafters. He enjoys eating ramen, testing pens, building mechanical keyboards, and spending time with his fiancée and their two dogs. He has previously studied at Hunter College (CUNY), CU Boulder, and Hofstra University. For more, see his creatively titled website: samfaloti.co.