Blake Cordell
Composer | Sound Designer | Playwright
Blake's interdisciplinary pedagogy:
Blake Cordell is a composer and music theorist who is interested in helping students bridge the gap between artistic disciplines. With professional experience in music, theater, and multimedia, he is uniquely situated to build curricula that encompass a wide range of liberal arts.
Blake began teaching as a music theory teaching assistant at The University of Iowa where he was additionally instructor-on-record for private composition lessons. He later earned his Collegiate Teaching Certificate and has completed teaching practicums in Music Theory and Music History. During his training, he developed two courses that play to his strengths: "Music Theory for Theater Practitioners" and "Video Game Music for Composers."
Blake's research explores the cognitive affect of video game music, primarily looking at nostalgia and its memetic representations. He has presented papers at Midwest Graduate Music Consortium, American Musicology Society, and Austin Game Music Festival.
Teaching Philosophy
My goals as an educator are to inspire creativity, encourage artistry, and push students towards the unexplored. With my interdisciplinary background, I am able to offer individualized support that builds upon each student's unique interests. Moreover, I endeavor to provide students with the resources that will allow them to achieve their discrete goals. I encourage students to not only learn tools but to discover them.
Full philosophy available to the right.
Sample Syllabus
Often, the only theater practitioners to receive musical training are performers. Music theory tools, however, are just as important for designers, directors, and stage managers. Accordingly, I've designed a novel "Music Theory for Theater Practitioners" course.
This sample syllabus highlights my goal-oriented, mastery-based grading philosophy; the importance I place on practical application; and the ways I integrate individualized support in my course designs. Moreover, it is a defining element of my interdisciplinary educational goals.
Teaching Demonstrations
Music Theory I - Triads and Seventh Chords (link)
Theory IV - Composition Techniques for Adaptive VGM (link - coming soon!)
History of Western Music II - Sound as Music (link - coming soon!)
Presentations and Publications
"Frutiger Aero and Ersatz Nostalgia: Watery Video Game Music as a Vehicle for Cognitive Affect"
Austin Video Game Music Festival, March 12, 2026, Austin Community College (link to poster)
University of Iowa Performing Arts Showcase, April 12, 2026, University of Iowa
Midwest Graduate Music Consortium, April 18, 2026, Northwestern University
"Hybridity as Musical Authenticity in the Diegetic Music of Animal Crossing: New Horizons"
Iowa Musicology Day, May 2, 2026, Luther College
"Quartalism in Joe Hisaishi's 'Silence'"
American Musicological Society Midwest, March 15, 2025, Illinois State University (link to presentation)
Midwest Graduate Music Consortium, April 18, 2025, University of Michigan
Iowa Musicology Day, May 3, 2025, Wartburg College
Contact
Contact me at b-cordell@outlook.com