Lauren Irschick is Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Theory at Lawrence University. She earned her PhD in music theory from the Eastman School of Music. Prior to joining the Lawrence faculty in 2026, she taught music theory and humanities at Eastman and writing at the University of Rochester.

Lauren’s research explores intersections between music theory and fiction, which has led her to investigate the ways in which first listening experiences are depicted in novels, as well as the way in which music theorists depend on useful fictions to navigate complex ideas. In 2023, she was named the eighteenth Marguerite and Lamar Smith Writing Fellow by the Carson McCullers Center. Ever curious about the music theoretical conversations that take place outside of the academy and the classroom, she has also presented work analyzing YouTube reaction videos at the national Society for Music Theory conference.

Outside her professional life, Lauren plays the viola and climbs rocks.