Assistant Director for Operations
Director of the Summer Music Institute
Music
Ed Landreth Hall 119
p.cortese@tcu.edu | 817-257-7098
EdD, Higher Education Leadership, Texas Christian University (2019)
MM, Classical Guitar Performance, New England Conservatory, Boston, MA (1992)
BM, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY (1989)
MUSI 10083: Survey of Film Music
MUSI 11000: Recital Hour
UNPR 10211: Introduction to University Life
Film Music; Music for Social Change; Music Technology
Dr. Paul Cortese is the Assistant Director for Operations in the TCU School of Music. He manages organizational and promotional projects including the performance hall box office, website updates, YouTube video channel, jury examination system, print advertising, event project management and general facility services. Dr. Cortese is the Director of TCU’s Summer Music Institute, which offers instrumental workshops and music camps to middle and high school students across north Texas. Dr. Cortese is an instructor, who developed and taught Survey of Film Music to non-majors for Fine Arts credit. He oversees and programs the School of Music’s Recital Hour class, which features student performances and guest lecture presentations. Dr. Cortese’s research interests include teaching artistry for social change and musical performance practice in the variety theatre (vaudeville) and early silent film era. As a classically trained guitarist, Cortese has performed both acoustic fingerstyle repertoire and electric contemporary music styles. He has taught a wide range of guitar students from young beginners, to college students and advanced adult players. Dr. Cortese holds degrees from Syracuse University (B.M.), New England Conservatory (M.M.) and Texas Christian University (Ed.D.).
May 2024: Presented “Big Sky Music! – The Western Film Score” as part of the Wine & Words lecture series at Chandor Gardens, Weatherford Texas.
October 2016: Presented paper ‘Lived Experiences of Teaching Artists in After-School Music Programs Focused on Student Social Development’ at the 2016 Association of Interdisciplinary Studies Conference, Ottawa, Canada
April 2016: Exhibited research poster ‘Lived Experiences of Teaching Artists in After-School Music Programs Focused on Student Social Development’ at the Research & Pedagogy Festival, TCU College of Education
National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
Texas Association of Schools of Music (TAMS)
Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA)
Association of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS)
Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society
Visited Panama’s City of Knowledge to investigate collaborative opportunities for TCU’s Global Academy initiative.
Attended the Global Health and Innovation Conference at Yale University as a representative of TCU’s Visiting Scholars Committee.
Served on TCU School of Music committees including SOM Division Chairs, SOM Technology Committee, SOM Executive Building Committee, and faculty search committees.
