Hanisha Kulothparan is a Tamil-Canadian from Toronto, Ontario. A first-generation university student, she is currently a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in music theory at the Eastman School of Music. She holds a B.Mus. in music history and theory from Wilfrid Laurier University and an M.Mus. in music theory from Michigan State University. Hanisha’s dissertation examines the intersections of Carnatic and Western popular music, analyzing their influence on post-millennial Tamil film songs. Her broader research interests include rhythmic and metric analysis in rap, as well as exploring the intersections of music analysis and critical theory.

She has presented her work at regional and national conferences on a variety of topics. Her paper “Flow in the Alter Egos of Nicki Minaj” received the 2021 Irna Priore Prize from Music Theory Southeast, while her paper “Centering Meter, Provincializing the West: Toward a Diversified and Inclusive Music Theory Curriculum” earned the 2022 Colvin Award from the Texas Society for Music Theory. Hanisha has also been invited as a guest lecturer at institutions such as the University of Oklahoma and Indiana University for her research on Nicki Minaj. As an active member of Project Spectrum, a coalition dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and accessibility in music studies, Hanisha contributed to their collective conversation, “Working Collectively: Thoughts towards a Better Music Studies from the Project Spectrum Graduate Student Committee,” published in American Music. Her other work appears in Modeling Musical Analysis (Oxford University Press).