Hanisha Kulothparan (hkulothp@u.rochester.edu) is a Tamil-Canadian who grew up in Toronto, Ontario. A first-generation university student, she is currently a third year Ph.D. student in music theory at the Eastman School of Music. She earned her B.Mus. in music history and theory from Wilfrid Laurier University and her M.Mus. in music theory from Michigan State University. Her current research interests include developing analytical methods for Tamil film music, as well as rhythm and meter in rap music and its intersections with critical theories.

Hanisha has presented papers at several regional and national conferences on a wide variety of topics; her paper entitled “Flow in the Alter Egos of Nicki Minaj” was the 2021 recipient of Music Theory Southeast’s Irna Priore Prize, while her paper “Centering Meter, Provincializing the West: Toward a Diversified and Inclusive Music Theory Curriculum” was the 2022 recipient of the Texas Society for Music Theory’s Colvin Award. Hanisha has been invited to several schools as a guest lecturer for her work on Nicki Minaj, including Indiana University and Northeastern University.

Hanisha is a member of Project Spectrum, a graduate-student led coalition working increase diversity, equity, and accessibility in music studies. Their conversation “Working Collectively: Thoughts towards a Better Music Studies from the Project Spectrum Graduate Student Committee” was recently published in a special issue of American Music. Hanisha’s forthcoming chapter “Storytelling and Meter in clipping.’s ‘story 2’” can be found in Modeling Musical Analysis, edited by John Peterson and Kim Loeffert (Oxford University Press).

In her free time, Hanisha enjoys jigsaw puzzles and watching Disney movies.