Project Spectrum's graduate student committee discussed the future of higher-education music studies in North America. The conversations were held and recorded on April 6, May 4, and June 15, 2022. The transcript below has been edited for publication. Individuals were first asked to answer the question, “What could we implement into our work now that would lead to better music studies?” Then, the discussion moved from the individual contributions to a moderated conversation on the topics of collective organizing and coalition building within and outside of academia.1

Clifton Boyd: I approached this question first by thinking about systems of power that shape academia at large, specifically as it concerns financial resources and job security. As someone who will soon be in a tenure-track position (a relatively high and stable position in the academic hierarchy), I am developing a clearer understanding of the labor disparity between tenure-track faculty, adjunct faculty,...

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