About
James Grier, Professor of Music History at Western University's Don Wright Faculty of Music, is a leading scholar in medieval music and liturgy, textual criticism, and post-WWII popular music. Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2016), his research spans Aquitanian chant, Adémar de Chabannes' works, and modern album production.
- Education: MusBac (Toronto, 1975), BA (Toronto, 1977), MA/PhD in Medieval Studies (Toronto, 1979/1985)
Research Interests focus on medieval musical notation, stemmatics of liturgical sources, and the intersection of cultural trends with popular music. His Musical Notation in the West (2021) synthesizes historical and technical analyses.
Recent Publications emphasize Aquitanian chant evolution and 20th-century concept albums, revealing patterns in musical literacy and countercultural storytelling.
Scientific Awards:
- Two Margaret Wade Labarge Prizes (2014, 2019)
- Guggenheim Fellowship (2020-21)
- Killam Research Fellowship (2009-12)
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2016)
Grants: Seven SSHRC grants, NEH Fellowship, and ACLS support. Formerly taught at Yale, Waterloo, Mount Allison, and Queen's Universities (cross-appointed to Classics).
