Esa Olavi Lilja
Førsteamanuensis i musikkteori
Bio
Esa Lilja is a researcher, musician and composer in the fields of both euroclassical and popular music. His academic background is in musicology, especially in music theory and analysis, and his academic publications and presentations are mainly concerned with music theory and analysis, guitar distortion, heavy metal and music education. Lilja has worked as a teacher/lecturer of e.g. music theory, analysis, transcription, music history and pop/rock ensemble work since 1997, and supervised dozens of master's theses in musicology.
Select academic publications
(for the free post-print versions and English translations, see https://stavanger.academia.edu/EsaLilja)
Monograph
- 2009 Theory and Analysis of Classic Heavy Metal Harmony. Vantaa: IAML Finland (229 pp.).
Articles and book chapters (peer-reviewed)
- (in press) “Tonal Language of Deep Purple Mark II – Riffs, Modes, Chords, and Progressions.” Deep Purple Anthology. Equinox.
- 2019 ”Harmonic Function and Modality in Classic Heavy Metal”. Metal Music Studies. https://doi.org/10.1386/mms.5.3.355_1
- 2019 “SDT-sointukulun oppikirjamuoto suomalaisen musiikinteorian oppikirjallisuuden ja neljän ohjelmistoaineiston valossa [SDT-progressions in Finnish music theory text-books and four musical genres].” With Timo von Creutlein. Musiikki. https://musiikki.journal.fi/article/view/83253
- 2018 “Distortion and Western music chord processing – an ERP study of musicians and non-musicians”. With Paula Virtala, Minna Huotilainen, Juha Ojala, Mari Tervaniemi. Music Perception, Vol. 35 No. 3, February 2018, pp. 315-331. https://mp.ucpress.edu/content/35/3/315
- 2015 “Dealing with the 3rd: Anatomy of distorted chords and subsequent compositional features in classic heavy metal” Modern Heavy Metal – Markets, Practices and Cultures, 8-12 June, 2015, Helsinki. Eds. T.M. Karjalainen & K. Kärki. Pp. 393-403. https://iipc.utu.fi/MHM/Lilja2.pdf
- 2014 ”Populaarimusiikin transkriptio ja analyyttisen kuuntelun kehittäminen” [Popular music transcription and developing an analytic ear]”. Etnomusikologian vuosikirja 26, pp. 162-191. https://etnomusikologia.journal.fi/article/view/66793
- 2014 “Meaning in/of Janelle Monáe’s ‘Tightrope’ – Productional and formal aspects considered.” With Arns, F.,Chilla, M., Karjalainen, M., MaierhoferLischka, T., Valnes, M. Song Interpretation in 21st Century Pop Music, eds. Ralf von Appen, André Doehring, Dietrich Helms, Allan F. Moore. Aldershot: Ashgate.
- 2012 “Heavy Metal and Music Education.” With Ari Poutiainen. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 45. Eds. H. Ruismäki & I. Ruokonen. Elsevier. Pp. 517-526.
Select interviews
- 2019 interview on heavy metal, Quest’s World of Wonder, CNN International
- 2018 interview on heavy metal, This Is Finland [Foreign Ministry website]
- 2018 interview on heavy metal, BBC Global Beats
