Emily Vanchella

Emily Vanchella is a Visiting Professor in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Texas A&M International University, where she teaches courses in American popular music. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in music theory from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), and a B.A. in Music, summa cum laude, from Agnes Scott College, with a concentration in music theory and a minor in Spanish. Her research focuses on applying topic theory to 1960s–1970s British and American rock, particularly analyzing the Beatles’ mid- and late-1960s songs. She also explores narrative and music in animated media, such as Disney’s *Fantasia* and *Avatar: The Last Airbender*. Additionally, she is an active performer on the sitar and engages with Hindustani music theory and performance.

Dr. Vanchella has presented scholarly work at conferences including the Society for Music Theory’s Film and Multimedia Interest Group (2019), the West Coast Conference of Music Theory and Analysis (2019), and the Music and the Moving Image conference (2019). She served as a primary assistant to UCSB’s Music of India Ensemble and remains affiliated with the Society for Music Theory. Her academic honors include membership in Phi Beta Kappa.