Ethan Hein

Ethan Hein

Ethan Hein has a PhD in music education from New York University. He teaches music education, technology, theory and songwriting at NYU, The New School, Montclair State University, and Western Illinois University. As a founding member of the NYU Music Experience Design Lab, Ethan has taken a leadership role in the development of online tools for music learning and expression, most notably the Groove Pizza. Together with Will Kuhn, he is the co-author of Electronic Music School: a Contemporary Approach to Teaching Musical Creativity, published in 2021 by Oxford University Press. Read his full CV here.

Latest articles by Ethan Hein

bob dylan
“You could think of this as theft, but it’s standard practice in the folk world”: A music professor breaks down the theory behind Bob Dylan's Don't Think Twice, It's Alright

By Ethan Hein Published

As A Complete Unknown hits theatres, our resident music professor puts one of Dylan's best-loved songs under the musical microscope

Music Theory And Songwriting
prince
A music professor breaks down the theory behind Prince's When Doves Cry

By Ethan Hein Published

Best of 2024: As Purple Rain celebrates its 40th anniversary, we put one of Prince's best-loved songs under the musical microscope

Singles And Albums
andre 3000
The flawed genius of pop's biggest anthems, from Hey Jude to Hey Ya!

By Ethan Hein Published

Our resident music professor explains why it's the weird, unexpected, and slightly annoying details that turn great songs into timeless classics

Artists
lesh
“He was one of the weirdest bass players in the history of rock”: 5 basslines that capture the genius of The Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh

By Ethan Hein Published

We take a backwards glance at 5 of Lesh's greatest moments with The Grateful Dead

Bass Guitars
jeff buckley
"He sounds like an alien": A music professor breaks down the theory behind Jeff Buckley's Lilac Wine

By Ethan Hein Published

In recognition of Grace's 30th anniversary, we put one of the album's highlights under the musical microscope

Artists
amy winehouse
"An effortless command of musical time”: A music professor breaks down Amy Winehouse's Back to Black

By Ethan Hein Published

With Winehouse's biopic in the cinemas, we put her best-loved song under the musical microscope

Singles And Albums
michael jackson
The borrowed hooks and unstable grooves behind Michael Jackson's Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

By Ethan Hein Published

We put one of MJ's best-loved tunes under the musical microscope and explore the unlikely origins of its iconic hook

Singles And Albums
Billie Eilish
What makes an Oscar-winning song? We break down the music theory behind Billie Eilish's What Was I Made For?

By Ethan Hein Published

We put Eilish's haunting contribution to the star-studded Barbie soundtrack under the musical microscope

Tech
tracy chapman
"The verse melody is subtly strange, and it took me a while to figure out why": A music professor breaks down the theory and production behind Tracy Chapman's Fast Car

By Ethan Hein Published

We put Chapman's moving 1988 single under the musical microscope after Luke Combs' Grammy-nominated cover thrusts it back into the charts

Recording
1 2 Archives

Other versions of this page are available with specific content for the following regions: