Anthony Cincotta Publishes in the CODA Journal The visiting assistant professor of music authored an article titled, “Practical Patterns: Exploring Modal Relationships in Major Keys to Revitalize Instrumental Fundamentals.”

By Abby Harlan
November 11, 2026

Anthony Cincotta, visiting assistant professor of music at Washington and Lee University, recently published a research article in the College Orchestra Directors Association’s peer-reviewed CODA Journal.

Cincotta’s article, “Practical Patterns: Exploring Modal Relationships in Major Keys to Revitalize Instrumental Fundamentals,” argues that traditional scale practice can become repetitive and disengaging for musicians, particularly students. To combat this limitation, Cincotta suggests the use of different scale variations, known as modes, as a way to make instrumental practice less monotonous and more mentally stimulating. Cincotta demonstrates how practicing a few strategically related modal patterns can help musicians efficiently work through all 12 major keys while reducing redundancy and a dependence on memorized finger movements.

Cincotta calls for future empirical research on this approach’s cognitive and educational impact to better understand its influence on student engagement, retention and reliance on repetitive movements.

Cincotta is in his third year at W&L and is an internationally recognized music educator and saxophonist. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in music from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Master of Arts in music and Doctor of Musical Arts from James Madison University, where he also served as a teaching assistant.